Ahhh… Complexity!
Amazing thing happened in the past few months: two of my seemingly independent passions finally collided.
This year at our annual QED conference, our keynote speaker professor Scott Page from University of Michigan will talk about harnessing complexity that is inherent in the modern world. Scott masterfully compares solving problems in a complex world with searching for the highest mountain peak while the whole landscape “dances” and peaks change.
Complexity emerges in environments where actors are diverse, connected, interdependent and adaptable. Complex isn’t the same as complicated. A chronograph is a super complicated device, but it isn’t complex because its diverse, connected, and interdependent parts do not adapt.
Organizations on the other hand do adapt! And this is where complexity meets my other passion: finding a better way for client organizations and their service providers to collaborate, generating more value for both parties and the broader community.
Clients and their service providers are connected and interdependent. Since their business goals, market trends, and technology trends change, they need to adapt accordingly. It’s like dancing while the music changes. It is hard enough if you’re dancing alone, let alone if you’re dancing with someone. However, when done skillfully, dancing with someone is appreciated more, “generates more value,” and, let’s be honest, it does look better – Q.E.D. (pun intended!) by Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze.
Complexity theory demystifies so many behaviors and events that we take for granted. It even gives us a glimpse into how events might unravel in the future if we just look for cues. I pulled some strings to get on the conference agenda and host a fireside chat with Scott at QED in May. We’ll talk about how understanding complexity inherent in our world can explain effects that we see in our personal and business lives and how can we use those insights to make better decisions.
Interview of the Month
Understanding Complexity with Scott Page
In this episode, we will talk about a phenomenon that is deeply ingrained in our world today, and that is complexity. My perfect guest for this conversation is professor Scott Page from University of Michigan, whose focus is on researching complex social systems and the potential of collective intelligence. I was blown away by his lectures available under the name “Understanding Complexity.” This course is not a surprise since Scott is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Read with us
Understanding Complexity
Get the bookUnderstanding Complexity gives a perfect introduction to concepts underpinning complexity theory. Using everyday examples and clear metaphors, Scott leads us into the world of complexity and shares a completely different perspective of events that continually unfold around us.
Quote of the day
“An actor in a complex systems controls almost nothing, but influences almost everything.”
–Scott in his lectures
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