A633.2.3.RB - Butterfly Effect
In the workforce, small necessary changes may have a big initial impact that may create chaos, but will emerge as simple changes that will create balance and order. This is explained by Obolensky (2010) who stated that complex systems seem to be on the edge of chaos but they are able to balance order and chaos. In the department I work for, what are two examples of small changes that will have large results and how does the complexity theory influence the outcome.
A few months ago, I took over the supervisor position of 15 employees, however; the change took place during a busy time and the employees were given one day’s notice of the impending change. At first, the small change of supervisors did not seem to have an impact but about three weeks in, the change was noticeable and there was chaos arising because I handled business different than their previous supervisor. The trouble started when one employee stopped showing up for work, individuals were not showing up for work during their designated hours, and one individual who was extremely angry about the change stated they did not like me or the policies that were expected of them. The chaos was overwhelming and stressful because I was enforcing rules, policies, and procedures that were expected but not enforced until I became the supervisor. Obolensky (2010) stated that complex systems are highly adaptive to their environment within which they exist. Furthermore, (2010) emergence will arise from complex systems. In order to bring the chaos and disorder to a halt, the unhappy employee left, I put guidelines in place to have a clear understanding of what was expected, and the communication line opened which eased the tension. As a result of putting the necessary changes in place to restore order, the department now functions without problems, employees show up on time, and daily work is smooth sailing.
In order to handle the mass amount of communication within our department that comes in via email, it is important to have an organized filing system. The system has been the same since I began working there in 2014, however; a recent change to labeling documents was implemented and we were asked to rename documents that have been the same for the last two years. The change is small but has a large impact on all the employees because it alters the normal day to day operations, and requires constant reference to notes in order to prevent errors. In the current change of events, the situation is currently chaotic but the long term result will be better for the department to keep documents organized to better assist students we work with.
Complex systems are on the edge of chaos but Obolensky (2010) explained that there are four common features which include self-organization, inter-relatedness, adaptive nature, and emergence. Self-organization is where individuals find a means to make the complex situation come together and emergence is where balance is found because individuals adapt to change. Although the small changes were made without hesitation, the bigger picture of the situation did not arrive until after the changes were made; both situations were able to keep balance and chaos to a minimum because individuals were willing to adjust to the changes.
Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Limited
