- Complex Adaptive System: A system in which many independent elements or agents interact, leading to emergent outcomes that are often difficult or impossible to predict simply by looking at the individual interactions.
- "In support organizations, we often try to control every aspect of the requestor-responder interaction thinking that will lead to better results. We’ve implemented tools and developed processes, workflows, measures, and goals that we believe will reduce variance in our interactions in an effort to improve outcomes. We focus our frontline managers on control instead of coaching and leading. When we don’t see the results we expect, the first reaction is new measures, new processes, stricter guidelines." – that's a losing battle
- the trap is the illusion of control: adding measures, processes and stricter guidelines to a complex system is treating it as if it were merely complicated
- this is the same complicated/complex distinction that Problem framing rests on - machines are complicated, people are complex
- reinforcing and balancing feedback loops are how those emergent outcomes actually play out, see System dynamics