Complex Systems and Proven Solutions
In complex systems, context becomes the driving force; strategies and solutions are not safely repeatable. There are no silver bullets, and what worked before might not work tomorrow for a different situation since the new contextual information will be different.
We agree with Alberto when he says, “Conservative organizations are usually reluctant to fully embrace the consequences of complexity. Risk-adverse culture manifests itself in the pursuit of proven solutions rather than adventurous experimental ones in controlled environments or forms.”
Unfortunately, in complex domains, there is no such thing as a “proven solution.” Like in football, hiring the best coach with the longest winning streak does not guarantee that your team will win the championship next year.
In practice, being dogmatically risk-averse turns out to be a very risky strategy in a complex domain. And, we might add, incredibly wasteful.
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