It was always interesting for me how some of the world’s most complex board games have a relatively simple set of rules. The rules of games like chess, checkers and go can be printed on one page of paper and yet these games have enormous strategic depth. We play them for many centuries and still find them infinitely enthralling.
Out of small number of simple rules complexity emerges. This is somehow due to the very nature of our universe. Our world is built from simple rules and patterns. If we look around we can see them everywhere. One of the most illustrative examples of this is swarm intelligence of insects such as ants and bees. The complex behaviour and incredible precision of their colonies are rooted in a set of relatively simple rules. Ants for example, exchange chemical signals with each other to point out whether nearby ants need to do less or more of their current activity. This leads to the whole colony to be in sync and regulate the work of each ant without a central control system.
There are many more examples of simple rules at the core of complex systems in nature. The foundations of this behaviour are studied in mathematics. From the theory of cellular automata to the study of fractals we can see how incredibly sophisticated and unpredictable are the worlds generated by basic rules. Interestingly, we can find many examples of these abstract mathematical concepts in the nature itself:
As we have seen in the case of ant colonies, simple rules can lead to self-organisation in systems with large number of elements. However, it is not always the case, certain simple rules result in unpredictable and chaotic output. Take the famous 3N+1 problem as example, this theory can be explained to a primary school students, however the best scientists are failing to find a pattern that would let them prove or disprove it. To achieve synchronisation and self-organisation we cannot use arbitrary set of rules. Rules must be designed to reach our desired goals.
When it comes to the rules for group of people be it a team or an organisation, unlike abstract mathematical settings it is not always easy to simulate the resulting behaviour. Below are some common ideas that can guide us towards better rules and stimulate self-organisation in our day to day work.
Focus on the principles. Principles are more important than processes as they define the core ideas around which processes should be built; keeping principles fixed while flexibly improving processes to better implement those principles allows for consistency and self-organisation towards efficiency. For example, a software team can change processes from sprints to Kanban while maintaining the agile principle of responding to change, but abandoning agility by rigidly following a long-term plan marks a shift in principles that leads to larger organisational change.
Governance over control and command. Good rules provide overall governance rather than aim to control individuals; they set clear boundaries within which people can work autonomously, as opposed to a command-and-control approach that tightly specifies every step. For example, a company holiday policy based on shared goals and employee responsibility creates less friction than one with rigid, predefined rules for requesting time off.
Less rules - more probability that they will work. Having fewer, concise rules makes them easier to remember, implement, and distribute, just like with board games. For example, when hiring, it’s better to focus on 3-4 key qualities that align with company values rather than try to evaluate candidates on a long list of criteria. This approach provides better guidance to interviewers than overwhelming them with numerous instructions.
Keeping it clear and concise. Simple rules are easy to understand with clear conditions and actions, using concepts shared across an organisation; they should have unambiguous interpretations and straightforward conditions like ‘always’ or ‘never’.
As we can see simple rules do not only create complexity, but they can also be used in order to manage and govern it. Many complex problems can be solved by using a few well-chosen principles. Finding these silver bullets is, however, something that requires a lot of creativity.