Comments on: Managing Complexity: The Battle between Emergence and Entropy by Julian Birkinshaw https://www.druckerforum.org/blog/managing-complexity-the-battle-between-emergence-and-entropy-by-julian-birkinshaw/ Mon, 05 Oct 2015 19:40:48 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.4 By: Alan Glover https://www.druckerforum.org/blog/managing-complexity-the-battle-between-emergence-and-entropy-by-julian-birkinshaw/#comment-54100 Mon, 05 Oct 2015 19:40:48 +0000 http://www.druckerforum.org/blog/?p=609#comment-54100 Just thought Kurt Vonnegut should get a name check. I’m pretty sure he originated the phrase “Keeping Entropy at Bay”. I think as a description of living some sort of meaningful life.

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By: Andrew Want https://www.druckerforum.org/blog/managing-complexity-the-battle-between-emergence-and-entropy-by-julian-birkinshaw/#comment-27394 Sat, 09 Nov 2013 22:09:01 +0000 http://www.druckerforum.org/blog/?p=609#comment-27394 Congratulations Julian. You succeeded in 1,000 words where I recently failed in 3,000.

Your conceptual point touches on the ‘phase space’ of a complex organisation. Basically, the Phase space defines the current (yes, 4 dimensional) options available to which a system can occupy in response to inbound energy (to the systems sphere of influence and sphere of control). The greater the variety found within the organisation (assisted by circulating management, the hire of outside talent, experience and culture) the greater and more robust the phase space of the organisation. The greater the phase space, the increased propensity of the complex system to evolve (as oppose to disintergrate) after bifurcation.

The level of disorder experienced by a system is subjective – not all systems will experience disorder as a result of inbound energy – just those with simple, non-complex phase space…

I never thought the juncture of theoretical sciences and management would be so engaging.

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By: Raymond Hofmann https://www.druckerforum.org/blog/managing-complexity-the-battle-between-emergence-and-entropy-by-julian-birkinshaw/#comment-27392 Fri, 08 Nov 2013 16:07:37 +0000 http://www.druckerforum.org/blog/?p=609#comment-27392 Nice post, Julian!

Your analysis hits home a very important point: the leader’s job comes down to “keeping entropy at bay” and “inspiring emergent action”.

Focusing on these two (and resisting to engage in what you describe as the “design process” to produce a top-down master plan) leaders would almost immediately unleash enormous human potential in most organizations.

Alas, the reality I observe in my work with leaders and organizations is almost the total opposite: they engage heavily in designing the top-down master plan, do almost nothing to keep entropy at bay and totally fail to inspire action with the way they set corporate goals. There’s nothing inspiring in growing revenue, improving the bottom line or improving total returns to shareholders! People don’t get out of bed every morning to make money (for them, for their bosses and for shareholders) – but to live their lives and do something meaningful with it. If only more leaders would lead with this in mind…

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