Based on this week's reading, reflect on complexity
science and theory in organizations and the butterfly effect (p.66).
Although
I was not intellectually drawn in by this week’s reading assignment, I still found
the weeks readings somewhat interesting and challenging at the same time. In the course textbook, Obolensky (2010) it discusses
how complex organizations contain common features: Self organization,
Inter-relatedness, Adaptive nature, and Emergence. History has shown that some organizations can become
complex beyond their capability, while others fail to embrace such complexity
and want to keep the environment as simple as possible. In my opinion both situations have realistic pros
and cons. One positive attribute of
complexity science is an organization understanding the importance of adaptability,
when and where they need to adapt to be successful.
The
one thing that did stand out to me was when Obolensky (2010) discussed the
butterfly effect of which I have always been a fan. Now, I am not referring to the often overused
quote, “If a butterfly flaps its wings on one side of the world, does that
cause a hurricane on the other side of the world?” I think that is a bit of an exaggeration. I also think that saying or phrase is often misused. Obolensky (2010) defines the butterfly effect
in a very simple way; “small changes” resulting in “large results.” In order to apply these small changes that the
butterfly effect refers to, leaders need to fully understand that any
environment can have dynamics that are complex and chaotic. Obolensky proves several excellent business
related examples on page 67and page 68, which painted a very descriptive
picture of how it works in the business community.
Identify 2 examples where “small changes yield large
results” in your organization
Example
one – I have seen and have used the butterfly effect on numerous successful
occasions. Upon retiring from the
military, I took a management position in the retail industry. I learned, in my short time in the retail
industry, that sometimes you have to go over and beyond to satisfy some
customers, even giving a larger discount on certain items and losing a little
money on the transaction. I once had a
customer that seemed a bit overwhelmed. She
needed to purchase an item immediately for her child’s birthday party. The customer did not realize the cost of the
item and did not have the total amount to purchase the item at the time. I gave her a discount on the item so she
could purchase it. About a month later,
she came back and made several large purchases and also told several of her
friends about how the store manager assisted her. This led her friends to come to the store and
also make large purchases.
Example
two – While serving as a professor for a university in North Texas, I noticed
that the students were very confused about what was requirement for the
assigned writing assignments. So I
requested a meeting with the dean and asked her to consider implementing a
policy change. It required that all writing assignments provide the student
with an example of what the writing objectives are for each writing assignment. Less than two months later, the overall final
grades of the students and the quality of their work increased by a full letter
grade.
What are the
implication of complexity theory for you and your organization and how can you
use this to drive improvements.
As
simple as it may seem, the implications of complexity theory and impact of the
butterfly effect is not an easy to always recognize. Sometimes, it is even more difficult to
identify the overall impact. The reality
is, in some cases the results of the butterfly effect can be great and very
positive, but as I demonstrated in my weekly discussion forum input, it can
also have a negative effect in organizations.
Reference:
Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership. Embracing Paradox and
Uncertainty. Burlington, VT: Gower Publishing Company.
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