What is Complexity Science?
Complex Adaptive Systems
Implications for KM
Applying Complexity Science to KM
Holly Pendleton (@hollypend)
"Nature is always hinting at us.
It hints over and over again.
And suddenly we take the hint."
- Robert Frost
Defined outcomes of KM initiatives
KM priorities based on observed patterns
Changes to boundaries
Increasing diversity
Increasing number of connections
Technology
Governance / rules
Open vs. permissioned
Focus on information storage / archival vs. focus on connecting people for knowledge creation
Knowledge in context – storytelling

Greater than sum of parts
Distributed control
Collaborative
Patterns
Emergence
Adaptive
Self-organization
Unpredictable
Possibility of extinction
Chaos and order co-exist