denotes premium content | May 23 2013 Feature
posted 1 Feb 2000 in Volume 3 Issue 5
Book
Review: The Soul at Work: Unleashing the Power of Complexity Science for
Business Success
This month Charles Sieloff reviews The Soul at Work by Roger Lewin
and Birute Regine
Publisher: Orion Business Books, 1999, pp 394
ISBN
0752811851
Is
complexity science just the latest management fad or will it have real staying
power? The authors of this new book argue that most management theories are
little more than techniques for managing in a certain way. Complexity science,
on the other hand, is based on a rapidly growing body of knowledge about how
complex adaptive systems work in many different environments, of which the
business enterprise is simply one example. The insights that come out of
complexity science are, therefore, more firmly grounded in scientific theory and
more universally applicable than what typically passes for consulting
wisdom.
Complexity science is not just about chaos theory. Complex adaptive
systems can move through three different states in response to internal or
external circumstances. A static state may be appropriate and sustainable when
the system operates within a stable, predictable environment. A chaotic state
may emerge when old patterns are broken and the environment changes in rapid and
unpredictable ways. A system may also exist in a 'zone of creative adaptability'
(called 'the edge of chaos' by others), in which there is a continuous need to
adapt to change in innovative ways. Complexity science helps us understand and
deal with all three states, but it owes its current popularity and relevance to
the fact that many companies were originally designed to operate in a static
state, but are being pushed out of that comfortable state by forces beyond their
control.
The
key change has been the rapid emergence of the 'connected economy'. Connectedness
fundamentally changes the economic landscape by dramatically increasing the flow
of information and the number of relationships that must be dealt with. Changes
propagate more quickly and more widely through a densely connected environment,
creating an unprecedented level of volatility and unpredictability. When
confronted with such challenges, many business leaders try to reestablish
stability and predictability by tightening organizational controls, imposing
top-down direction, and demanding detailed plans and measures. Unfortunately,
these instinctive responses are exactly the wrong way for a complex adaptive
system to respond to change.
Instead,
leaders must start by giving up the notion that they can really control the way
a complex organization responds to crisis. Their role becomes one of nurturing
an environment in which information flows freely, relationships can be built on
trust, and people at every level of the organization can take immediate action
based on their detailed knowledge of local conditions. Although such ideas are
not new, the authors hope that complexity science will make them more palatable
to hard-nosed managers who must somehow act against their instincts. 'For the
first time there is a science of fundamental organisational dynamics that gives
a foundation for a human-oriented management practice.'
To bolster
their case, more than half the book is devoted to a series of case studies.
These practical examples show that many leaders follow the principles suggested
by complexity science either by accident or by intuition, only later discovering
that their approach has a legitimate theoretical basis. Even when the theory
comes after the practice, it helps managers understand why certain things seem
to work and gives them the confidence to continue their unorthodox
ways. '(Y)ou no longer have to defend being 'soft', because now you know
why it works, not just that it does work.'
Although
the book does not directly address knowledge management issues, there are a
number of implications that clearly emerge from both the theory and the practice
of complexity science. Complex adaptive systems thrive in an environment of open
information flows and short feedback loops. From a knowledge management
perspective, it is much more important to nurture social networks and encourage
organisational connectivity than it is to capture static knowledge in
repositories. It is also crucial to establish both internal and external
relationships built on trust, so that knowledge can be shared quickly and
easily. A number of examples also highlight the importance of designing or
creating physical spaces that create opportunities for spontaneity and
interaction and help break down established organisational patterns.
In spite of the
theoretical underpinnings of complexity science, many business leaders will find
it hard to follow the advice of this book. Ultimately, it is still a leap a
faith to believe that only by giving up the desire to control can a leader
effectively influence the way the organisation responds to disruptive change.
The rational manager will be frustrated by the fact that complex adaptive
systems do not respond in predictable ways to linear cause and effect analysis.
And yet, leadership does play a critical role because 'unlike ecosystems, human
systems have intent and foresight. Humans have more than instinct: they have
conscious choices and deliberate actions, which influence the system's
evolution.' Think of your organisation not as a natural ecosystem, but as a
garden that needs constant attention and cultivation in order to create the
conditions needed for a successful harvest.
Charles Sieloff is Research Affiliate
at the Institute for the Future (Menlo Park, California). He can be contacted
at:csieloff@iftf.org
