Changing things from the top down works when things are stable.

Quote by Kevin Kelly

Topics: Kevin Kelly Quotes

Managing bottom-up change is its own art.

Managing bottom-up change is its own art.

It has become evident that the primary lesson of the study of evolution is that...

It has become evident that the primary lesson of the study of evolution is that...

An organization is a set of relationships that are persistent over time.

An organization is a set of relationships that are persistent over time.

But when you are embodied in a location, in a physical plant, in a set...

But when you are embodied in a location, in a physical plant, in a set...

Managers tend to treat organizations as if they are infinitely plastic. They hire and fire,...

Managers tend to treat organizations as if they are infinitely plastic. They hire and fire,...

The most certain thing you can say about the environment tomorrow is that it probably...

The most certain thing you can say about the environment tomorrow is that it probably...

Species go extinct because there are historical contraints built into a given body or a...

Species go extinct because there are historical contraints built into a given body or a...

A brain is a society of very small, simple modules that cannot be said to...

A brain is a society of very small, simple modules that cannot be said to...

It's more along the lines of raising a child: we train the system to a...

It's more along the lines of raising a child: we train the system to a...

An organization's reason for being, like that of any organism, is to help the parts...

An organization's reason for being, like that of any organism, is to help the parts...

It's generally much easier to kill an organization than to change it substantially.

It's generally much easier to kill an organization than to change it substantially.

The current understanding was that it was impossible to predict how something would evolve because...

The current understanding was that it was impossible to predict how something would evolve because...

Each organism's environment, for the most part, consists of other organisms.

Each organism's environment, for the most part, consists of other organisms.

We tend to think of the mind of an organization residing in the CEO and...

We tend to think of the mind of an organization residing in the CEO and...

But in a turbulent environment the change is so widespread that it just routes around...

But in a turbulent environment the change is so widespread that it just routes around...

We are infected by our own misunderstanding of how our own minds work.

We are infected by our own misunderstanding of how our own minds work.

But in fact, when you try to model that on a computer you find that...

But in fact, when you try to model that on a computer you find that...

Organizations get invested into a particular product. And sometimes the best thing is to stop...

Organizations get invested into a particular product. And sometimes the best thing is to stop...

Basins of attraction, of self organization, show up as well in our complex social environment,...

Basins of attraction, of self organization, show up as well in our complex social environment,...

This is actually a very important principle that science is learning about large systems like...

This is actually a very important principle that science is learning about large systems like...