Complex adaptive systems exists at different scales, both spatial and temporal. As Lance Gunderson and Crawford Holling described it, those different scales form of structure of nested adaptive cycles. To make this idea a bit more tangible, let's take weather and climate: we are all exposed to the very local patterns every minute we are outdoors; we take into … Continue reading Different scales, different purposes, all intertwined
Category: innovation
Telling the story
We all know that a picture says more than a thousand words. The problem with that truism only is that it takes most of us far more time to create that picture than it takes us to generate those thousand words. We are a wordy culture, and the more complex our ideas become, the more we tend … Continue reading Telling the story
Opposing objectives
The front–loop of the adaptive cycle is very present in our daily experience, no wonder that it dominates our thinking as well. It's the place where we are most comfortable, where we want to be. Continued growth and the accumulation of resources create an impression that all change is positive, that all change is progress: your business model is … Continue reading Opposing objectives
The downsides of a front–loop focus
The depiction of the adaptive cycle as the lying eight has many compelling arguments in its favour. And still it is far from intuitive. While the pessimists have an inclination to look for the downsides in life, and thus can more easily reconcile their view of the world with the existence of the adaptive cycle with … Continue reading The downsides of a front–loop focus
Between potential and connectedness
So far I've described the adaptive cycles only in very elementary terms. Time to add a level of detail so that this concept can gain more contour and depth. Let's take the lying eight as the starting point. Without a doubt that is the most common depiction of adaptive cycles that you can find on the … Continue reading Between potential and connectedness
understanding innovation 