)
When I was a kid, our school would have a fire drill every month or so. It was a welcome break from boring class, but its real purpose was to teach us to respond to an emergency by following a rigid plan-find the doors, exit the building in single file, and avoid pandemonium. The same kind of thinking permeates companies: in the face of uncertainty - be it an economic downturn or international war-the response is to establish or impose as much order as possible.
The rationale is straightforward: If things are uncertain, any steps must be carefully considered. Thus, the traditional decision-making approach is to begin with a desired outcome in mind and follow systematic steps toward that goal. However, following a pre-planned course inhibits a company's ability to adapt, and rigid structure stifles innovation. That's why entrepreneurs, unencumbered by structure or policy, often thrive in times of chaos.
The destruction created by chaos hinders and handcuffs old institutions while creating opportunity for new ventures. That's good news for a kid who just finished school and wants to start a company, but what about the rest of us, who are established and can't shift course on a dime?
After years research and work with a variety of leaders - from CEOs to the US military's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - I discovered the solution: Inoculate ourselves against chaos by purposely allowing a bit of it to thrive in our organisations. I call this 'organised chaos'; it's not about abandoning all the rules, but rather creating pockets of chaos within a structured system.
The strategies go against the traditional command-and-control model. How does that work? First, purposely create unstructured white space: hold meetings with no agenda or allow time and space for project members to daydream a little when facing a challenging problem. Einstein came up with the theory of relativity while daydreaming; JK Rowling first imagined the world of Harry Potter while stuck on a long train ride without a pen. Second, invite unexpected people onto the team. These outsiders, whom I call unusual suspects, can help us think of problems in a new way.
For instance, an outsider at Nintendo shook up the gaming industry and gave the world Donkey Kong; a biochemist who was almost kicked out of UC Berkeley made a breakthrough that led to DNA sequencing. Together, white space and unusual suspects seed the path toward organised serendipity.
But this serendipity doesn't occur by chance. It's what happens when we adopt a chaos-centric approach to problem solving. We provide the groundwork that allows innovations to bloom in unlikely times and from unlikely places. The bottom line isn't that we should create completely chaotic workplaces. Instead, we should loosen our grip a little bit and allow chaos to be a constructive force.
Ori Brafman
Founder & President, Starfish Institute
