This document discusses different types of systems and how to operate successfully within complex systems using agile principles. It introduces the Cynefin framework which categorizes systems as simple, complicated, complex, or chaotic based on the predictability of the cause and effect relationships within the system. For complex systems, which have unpredictable and emergent behaviors, the document recommends an agile approach of probing, sensing, and responding through experiments and iterative adaptations rather than predetermined plans. Self-organizing teams are also presented as a way to thrive within complex systems, but can fail if treated as a complicated solution rather than allowing emergent behaviors.

1. SURVIVING IN
COMPLEX SYSTEMS
USING AGILITY
Raluca Breaur
Endava
[12th of October 2013]

3. Agenda
• Us & our world
• Cynefin Model
• Complex systems and agile
• Failing in Complex systems
• Take aways

4. Flynn Effect
1, 2, 4, 8, 1, 3, 9, ?

5. Flynn Effect

6. “I think there is a world market for
maybe five computers.”
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

8. "It is not the strongest of the
species that survives, nor the most
intelligent, but the one most
responsive to change."
Charles Darwin

9. Cynefin

10. Simple

11. Simple
Known Knowns

12. Simple
Sense – Categorize – Respond

13. Simple
Best Practice

14. Complicated

15. Complicated
Known Unknowns

16. Complicated
Sense – Analyze – Respond

17. Complicated
Good Practice

18. Complex

19. Complex
Unknown Unknowns

20. Complex
Probe – Sense – Respond

21. Complex
Emergent

22. “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways
that won't work.”
― Thomas A. Edison

23. Chaotic

24. Chaotic
Act – Sense – Respond

25. Chaotic
Novel

26. Boundaries

27. Nobody has
done it
before
Someone in
the world
did it
Someone
from your
company
knows how
to do it
Someone
from your
team knows
how to do it
Everybody
knows how
to do it

28. Software Development

29. Value
Differentiators & Commodities

31. Probe Sense Respond
Experiments
Feedback
Iterative
Emergent
Inspect Adapt

32. “Just because something doesn't do what
you planned it to do doesn't mean it's
useless.”
Thomas A. Edison

33. Dating site

34. Send money to friends with a
PALM

35. Online role playing game

36. Experiments

38. 1. Design
2. Test Driven Design
3. Domain Driven Design
4. Behavior Driven Design
5. Experiment Driven Design
Hypothesis Driven Design

39. Innovation

40. Self Organizing Teams

41. Self Organizing Teams

42. Self Organizing Teams - FAIL

43. Self Organizing Teams - FAIL

44. Complicated Solutions
Complex World

45. Take Aways
• each type of problem requires a different
solution
• biggest value is working in the complex
systems
• agile best suited for complex problems