Managers tend to treat organizations as if they are infinitely plastic. They hire and fire, merge, downsize, terminate programs, add capacities. But there are limits to the shifts that organizations can absorb.

Quote by Kevin Kelly

Topics: Kevin Kelly Quotes

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,...

Organisms by their design are not made to adapt too far.

Organisms by their design are not made to adapt too far.

Everything that we are making, we are making more and more complex.

Everything that we are making, we are making more and more complex.

Managing bottom-up change is its own art.

Managing bottom-up change is its own art.

Much of outcomes research is a systematic attempt to exploit what is known and make...

Much of outcomes research is a systematic attempt to exploit what is known and make...

When a system is in turbulence, the turbulence is not just out there in the...

When a system is in turbulence, the turbulence is not just out there in the...

The way that organizations and organisms anticipate the future is by taking signals from the...

The way that organizations and organisms anticipate the future is by taking signals from the...

Each system is trying to anticipate change in the environment.

Each system is trying to anticipate change in the environment.

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...

One of the functions of an organization, of any organism, is to anticipate the future,...

One of the functions of an organization, of any organism, is to anticipate the future,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

The organization and the environment are in concert.

The organization and the environment are in concert.

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

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

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...

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.