If you recognize as do we the dire necessity of replacing the conventional wisdom with a new and more powerful lens on reality, you will certainly appreciate the fact that a profound shift in our understanding of how our organizations work has been triggered in the 20th century by an astonishing explosion of scientific discoveries culminating in what we know simply as Chaos . We invite you to join us on our mission to make the principles this so-called "new science" both applicable to and actionable in the design and transformation of the 21st century business enterprise. So without further ado, let's get started on our learning journey by contemplating a few basic questions that will no doubt come to mind. The first and foremost of these is...

Check out the term in almost any dictionary and you are likely entries akin to the following:



Not a very appealing image, is it? It is no wonder why the initial reaction of many managers has been to step back aghast at the very idea of applying such a thing in their organizations -- at least until Spielberg's $60 million adaptation of Michael Crichton's best-selling novel, Jurassic Park, first brought chaos.actually the chaos theory to the attention of the public.

So what is the chaos theory anyway? Well, given its formal moniker - the "Theory of Complex, Dynamical, Non-linear, Far-From-Equilibrium (FFE) Systems" - perhaps you can see why its formulators, a hodgepodge of post-grad students at the University of California at Santa Cruz representing a variety of disciplines ranging from astrophysics to mathematics, chose to speak of it by its nickname instead. In any event, suffice to say that their chaos theory stands right up there along with Einstein's Relativity and quantum mechanics as one of the most paradigm-shattering discoveries of 20th century science.

And just what "paradigm" did it shatter? None other than the one that has fostered the common connotation of chaos as something to be feared and avoided at all costs. In fact, the chaos theory quashes every component of the standard dictionary definition of the term assuring us that the very idea of a complete absence of order is both a logical and factual impossibility. More simply put, the "chaos" in chaos theory has nothing to do with mess, confusion, or any manner of disorder, but rather refers to the interpenetration of cha os and ord er inherent in each and every complex, dynamical, non-linear, FFE system in existence.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Although we've explained how the chaos theory has effectively debunked the common connotation of the word "chaos," we still haven't adequately defined what is meant by Chaos . "What?" you wonder. "Is there a difference?" Absolutely. And that's why we have adopted the convention of capitalizing the latter term whenever we wish to distinguish the metaphysics of Chaos from the physics of chaordic systems throughout the ThinkSite.

So what then is this Chaos .the continuously emerging "capital-C" variety as opposed to the highly esoteric, mathematical formula-rich, lower-case theoretical construct.on which the bulk of our attention will be directed in this site? Chaos is the metaphysical science of chaordic systems including the one that is nearest and dearest to our hearts - the organization. Therefore, since it behooves us to get as clear as possible about just such a system is, it is to this question that we now turn.

Perhaps the most stunning discovery of 20th century science.the one that gave rise to the formulation of the chaos theory in the 1970s.was the realization of the interpenetration of chaos and order throughout the universe. In direct contradiction of the long-held dualism that chaos and order are opposites from which to choose, the pair were proved to be inseparably entwined aspects of the very same coin of reality. Thus, Dee Hock, founder and former CEO of Visa, had it right when he coined the term "chaordic" to capture the essential nature of an entity in which nothing ever happens quite the same twice, and yet enough happens in a tidy enough way to preclude complete and utter havoc.

One need only take a brief look out the window to see that "chaords" exist in plentiful supply throughout the natural world. From the ant colony that invades your picnic to the summer storm that shall we say, puts a damper on it.and you, all have the markings of a chaordic system as we have defined it. But what about the system we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts? Is the business enterprise we strive to manage, lead, and change for the better, a "chaord"? Or is it nothing more than a machine subject to the control of its human "operators" as we've been led to believe?

Considering the enormous appeal and instant popularity of the "re-engineering" approach to organizational change initiated in the 1990s, it appears that the machine metaphor is alive and well.in spite of the fact that the "clockwork" model of the universe has all but been abandoned by 20th century science. "That's a horse of a different color," some may object. "We're talking about management here.not science." But we suspect that sentiment would have the "Father of Scientific Management" turning over in his grave. While it is true that Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) was a staunch proponent of the organization-as-engineered-instrument-of-production credo, his efficiency/productivity improvement methods that continue to be employed throughout business & industry to this day attest to the fact that management has been taking its cues from science ever since its inception as a profession in the early days of the Industrial Revolution.

And that's what makes the fact that the chaordic system model not to mention the principles of Chaos that have already permeated virtually every scientific discipline.with the single exception of the science of management so peculiar. Well, peculiar but not surprising. That there has been no sign of a rush to relinquish the reassuring image of the "clockwork" organization with which we have enjoyed such a long and profitable relationship is neither remarkable nor especially worrisome. However, to ignore the mounting evidence that the metaphor is fundamentally wrong and that its attendant values of continuity, certainty, and control on which the entire edifice of classical management has been built are illusions is.

And that is precisely what the "new science" is telling us: That only a sliver of the multitudinous systems comprising our universe are governed by mechanical laws and therefore, can properly be regarded as "machines." Needless to say, the organization is not one of them, but is instead nothing less than a complex, dynamical, non-linear, far-from-equilibrium system.a chaordic system in every sense of the term. Therefore, we can assert with utmost confidence that since Chaos is the science of chaordic systems and organizations are chaordic systems, then Chaos is the science of management.

But please don't take our word for it. The purpose of the Chaos ThinkSite after all, is to offer all the resources we can muster and to provide an interactive forum for collective exploration and discovery through which you can come to your own conclusions. However, we do suggest that the journey will be much easier for those who begin by mastering the art & practice of Chaordic Systems Thinking© (CST).

Although that's an easy one to answer, we admit that chaordic systems thinking (CST) is a bit more difficult to master. It is precisely for that reason that we have created the seminal learning experience we call Lessons from Jurassic Park. But more on that later - let's stick to the question for now.

CST is simply put, a powerful and empowering art of thinking, seeing, acting, and being in the organization and in the world that is practiced as a matter of course by growing numbers of those who have donned the high-powered lens of Chaos and grasped the quintet of Principles presumed to be operating behind the perceived surface of complex, dynamical, non-linear, FFE entities ranging from the lowliest amoeba colony to the universe itself.

Presuming that you have accepted our challenge to don the lenses of Chaos and are intrigued enough to want to know more, then all it takes is a simple click of your mouse to get started on what we're confident will be the learning adventure of a lifetime!

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