S W A R M I N G

D H A V A L P A N C H A L

© 2 0 1 5 S W A R M I N G B Y D H A V A L P A N C H A L I S L I C E N S E D U N D E R A C R E A T I V E

C O M M O N S A T T R I B U T I O N - S H A R E A L I K E 4 . 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I C E N S E .

throwing bodies at the problem is NOT swarming

S W A R Ma large number of animate or inanimate things massed together and

usually in motion.- M E R R I A M - W E B S T E R . C O M

S W A R M

I N T E L L I G E N C E

The collective behavior that

emerges from a group of social

insects has been dubbed “swarm

intelligence”

S W A R M I N T E L L I G E N C E : H B R [ 2 0 0 1 ]

C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S

• FlexibilityC O L O N Y C A N A D A P T T O C H A N G I N G E N V I R O N M E N T

• RobustnessG R O U P C A N P E R F O R M I T S F U N C T I O N S E V E N W H E N

I N D I V I D U A L S F A I L S

• Self-OrganizationN E I T H E R C E N T R A L L Y C O N T R O L L E D N O R L O C A L L Y

S U P E R V I S E D

S W A R M I N T E L L I G E N C E : H B R [ 2 0 0 1 ]

2 0 0 M I L L I O N I N S E C T S F O R E V E R Y H U M A N O N

P L A N E T

S O U R C E : B U G I N F O - S M I T H S O N I A N I N S T I T U T I O N

R E S E A R C H

• Observe social insect behavior

• Develop a model that explains

• Use model as inspiration

• Create practical experiments to solve similar problems

] B I O L O G I S T S

S O M E

A P P L I C A T I O N S

What can nature teach us

(humans) about organization?

How can we apply principles

learned from nature to our

advantage?

Is there a practical way to use

these strategies?

D I S C L A I M E R

R E S E A R C H E

R

E R U D I T

ET I N K E R

S W A R M I N G : P E O P L Ee

ve

ry o

ne

do

ing

diffe

ren

t th

ing

s

every one doing same thing

Soldiers in Parade

(little or no individual autonomy)

People at a mall

(high individual autonomy)

S O M E K I N D O F

C O O R D I N A T E D

R E S P O N S E

C O N V E N T I O N A L N O T I O N S

• swarming is a fire drill

• swarming means every body works on the same thing

• swarming means absence of rules or processes

• swarming is equally useful in all environments

E R R O R I S A R C H I T E C T U R E

In social inscets errors and randomness are not “bugs”, they contribute to their success by enabling them to discover and EXPLORE in addition to EXPLOIT. Self Organization feeds itself upon errors.

P R I N C I P A L G O A L

Swarming is about exploring

for varieties in response and

exploiting options that yield

“good” outcomes.

“va

rie

ty is a

bse

nce

of

un

ifo

rmity”

-A

sh

by

A S H B Y ’ S L A W O F R E Q U I S I T E V A R I E T Y

resp

on

se

va

rie

tydemand variety from environment

“Restrictions of variety in

outcomes to the subset that

is valued as “good”

demands certain variety in

response to variety in

demand from environment”

“survive”

Vr > Vo

“fail”

Vr < Vo

E X A M P L E

Scrum “Team Awesome” is facing a tight deadline with stakeholders (five)

demanding increase in scope and cannot find agreement. Stakeholders

frequently make direct requests to team members

What are some possible outcomes ?

• M I S S E D D E L I V E R Y D A T E

• M I S S E D D E L I V E R Y S C O P E O N D A T E

• M I S S E D D E L I V E R Y D A T E A N D S C O P E

• “ T E A M A W E S O M E ” R E P R I M A N D E D

• S T A K E H O L D E R ( S ) A P O L O G I Z E F O R C O N F U S I O N ; )

• P R O D U C T S H I P P E D O N T I M E , W I T H A L L S C O P E A N D P O O R Q U A L I T Y

• E X P E C T A T I O N S A R E W E L L M A N A G E D A N D R I G H T P R O D U C T I S S H I P P E D A T T H E R I G H T

T I M E W I T H T H E R I G H T Q U A L I T Y ( “ G O O D ” O U T C O M E )

• E T C . .

E X A M P L E

How should this scrum team respond ?

I D E O L O G I C A L

Product Owner takes ownership of prioritizing

product backlog and responsibility of managing

stakeholder politics/expectations to effectively

take ownership of date and scope changes.

T Y P I C A L

Every team member does their own thing. Some

work late to meet their favorite/feared

stakeholder’s requirements. Others feel

overwhelmed and dig into their module of

technical system.

C O N V E R G E N C E D I V E R G E N C E

O U T C O M E

Depends on “talent” of product owner

O U T C O M E

Unpredictable, Luck dictates!

Trying to get stakeholder(s) to

agree will eat away valuable time

away from already tight schedule.

Reducing scope will likely upset

one or more stakeholders who

may stand in way of funding next

project or result in a crappy

product or both.

E X A M P L E : V A R I E T Y I N C H A L L E N G E S

• Tight deadline

• Multiple stakeholders

• increase in scope

• agreement between stakeholder(s)

• Stakeholders assigning work to team

members

At least five (5), most likely much higher

than 5, when stakeholder’s perspective is

included.

Will NOT work

“change one variable at a time”

Classical Approach

“ V A R I E T Y D E S T R O Y S V A R I E T Y ”A S H B Y ’ S L A W

Variety of challenge must be met with variety in response

i.e., Must address all challenges simultaneously not individually

“ C O M P L E T E A C T I O N B R I N G S I N T E L L I G E N C E ”

Theories, ideas, belief’s, dogma’s kill originality and create divides.

Total action unites.

- J I D D U K R I S H N A M U R T H Y

Striving for Ideals of “being _____ (agile)” get in the way of doing.

S W A R M I N G E X A M P L E S ( P E O P L E )

• Open Space Technology

• Wikipedia

• Large Scale Agile team formation events

• Open Source

W H E N A S I M P L E R L I N E A R *

R E S P O N S E C A N B E

A T T E M P T E D , T R Y T H A T

F I R S T .

* R E S P O N S E I N A L I G N M E N T W I T H P R O B L E M V E C T O R I S A

L I N E A R R E S P O N S E . E X A M P L E A T E C H N I C A L R E S P O N S E

T O A T E C H N I C A L P R O B L E M

S W A R M I N G T R I G G E R S

• Typical linear response did not work

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Too many issues at the same time

• Environment introduced new variety

of challenge

• Mismatched anxiety

• Inability to understand pattern in

demand variety

S W A R M I N G M I N D S E T

A C T I O N B I A S

• Explore and Exploit are

action states. “Try over

think”

• If a variation works, exploit

it further; ask not why it

works.

D Y N A M I C C O N T E X T

• Do not assume environment to

be unchanging.

• Accept that solutions are valid

merely to the point they are

working

G I V E U P O N

U N D E R S T A N D I N G

• Do not attempt to “fully”

understand.

• Collect

information/measurements

necessary for job, no more.

P A T T E R N S K E P T I C

• A recognizable pattern

within; never describes the

“whole”.

• Knots : Utterly un-

uderstandable areas of

problem or solution.

S W A R M I N G T E N E T S

T E N E T :

P E R S O N A L A U T O N O M Y

Individual in a Swarm can choose to

maintain “explore” or “exploit” state

on their own accord, irrespective of

the overall state of swarm.

T E N E T : P E R S O N A L A C C O U N T A B I L I T Y

You are completely and exclusively responsible for your own

actions. “just doing what I’m told” - is a cop out.

T E N E T : F E E D B A C K

Anyone and Everyone impacted by a member behavior provides

“impact feedback” (not judgmental) to member (only)

AND

Once and only once.

T E N E T : I M P R O V I S E

Support, follow, help individual’s or group’s objective by your

actions, in your own way.

T E N E T : M I M I C

When in doubt, copy someone.

T E N E T : B Y E X A M P L E

No one can decide for another. You decide - you act.

T E N E T : E X P U L S I O N

If you are on your own, then you

have divorced from swarm or

expelled by swarm. To participate

join others.

T E N E T : R E C R U I T I N G

When others mimic or act in support of your

task, you have recruited.

T E N E T : C O N N E C T E D R E S P O N S I V E N E S S

“Vulnerability (fragility) is connectivity without responsiveness.

Responsiveness enables connectivity to lead to opportunity.”- N . T A L E B ( A N T I F R A G I L I T Y )

T E N E T : O B J E C T I O N

I Know it to be wrong.

I think

I guess

experience

C H A L L E N G E SS W A R M I N G

M A N A G E M E N T B Y A B S T R A C T I O N

R E S O U R C E = M E A T B A S E D F U N G I B L E P R O G R A M M I N G U N I T

K E Y P E R F O R M A N C E I N D I C A T O R S

P R O X Y A U T H O R I T Y

E M P L O Y E E S E X P E C T E D T O D O W H A T T H E Y A R E T O L D

L O C A L I Z E D M E T R I C S

D I S S E C T E D G O A L S

M A T R I X , H I E R A R C H I C A L , B U N C H O F B O X E S A N D A R R O W S

P E R F O R M A N C E A P P R A I S A L S

“ M O R E I S B E T T E R ”

T A N T R U M D R I V E N : I W A N T A L L S C O P E , O N T I M E , O N B U D G E T , I W A N T I T , I W A N T I T , I W A N T I T …

“ R U N I T B Y M E F I R S T ”

L O C A L O P T I M I Z A T I O N S

P R O X Y M E A S U R E M E N T S

T O K E N M I L L E N N I A L

S H A R E H O L D E R V A L U E O P T I M I Z A T I O N

B A D P R O F I T S

U N I N S P I R I N G L E A D E R S H I P

R E P O R T I N G

C H I E F M O T I V A T I O N A L F A C T O R : C Y A

C H A I N O F C O M M A N D

D I S E N G A G E D E M P L O Y E E S

N O I N V E S T M E N T I N D E V E L O P I N G E M P L O Y E E C O M P E T E N C Y

F E A R O F R E J E C T I O N

M O D E L O B S E S S I O N

I G N O R I N G “ R O U G H N E S S ” O F R E A L I T Y

L A C K O F P R I O R I T I Z A T I O N

W O R K E R S A R E P E R C E I V E D T O B E L A Z Y & M A N A G E M E N T T O B E D U M B “Th

ere

is n

o p

rob

lem

th

at a

dd

ing

an

oth

er

laye

r o

f m

an

ag

em

ent

cannot re

solv

e”

OP

ER

AT

ING

MA

NT

RA

MA

NA

GIN

G T

AS

KS

MA

NA

GIN

G P

EO

PL

E

B L A M E

Desire to have someone to blame will

always impose hierarchical

ineffectiveness to cooperation

L I M I T I N G O R G A N I Z A T I O N

I N T E L L I G E N C E ?

Managers often live with a

problem they do not

understand, but cannot

accept a solution they do

not understand.

- Y V E S M O R V E U X

“When we don't cooperate we need more time, more equipment,

more systems, more teams”

M A N A G E C O N T E X T

C O N T R O L O U T C O M E S

“All gardeners live in beautiful places because they make them so”- J O S E P H J O U B E R T

G R E A T E R C A U S E

“We are little men serving great causes,

but because the cause is great, something

of that greatness falls upon us also.”- J A W A H A R L A L N E H R U , 1 9 4 6

RE

SH

AP

E C

UL

TU

RE

- C E O L E G O G R O U P : J O R G E N V I G K N U D S T O R P

“Blame is not for failure. It is for failing to help or ask for help”

C H A M P I O N F O R M O R A L A N D E T H I C A L

R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

- D A V I D M A R Q U E T

“When people feel like they matter, they make decisions as if the

CEO is behind them or make even better decisions”

H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = O Q M D L C Y E S _ Q

T O B E C O N T I N U E D …

E V O L U T I O N I S A W O R K I N P R O G R E S S

I N S P I R A T I O N

Yaneer Bar-Yam : http://new.livestream.com/wikimania/saturday2014/videos/58728433 : Wikimania 2014 London

Yves Morveux : https://www.ted.com/talks/yves_morieux_as_work_gets_more_complex_6_rules_to_simplify#t-7329 : Ted

Talks 2013

Eric Bonabeau and Christopher Meyer: Swarm Intelligence

Steven Johnson : Emergence

Principles of self-organizing systems - W.Ross Ashby

Requisite variety and its implications for control of complex systems - W. Ross Ashby 1958

David Marquet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqmdLcyES_Q

Nassim Nicholas Taleb : Anti-fragility : Things that gain from disorder (Incerto)

Dee Hock : Birth of Chaordic age

M E D I A C R E D I T S

F I R E F L I E S S Y N C : H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = S R O K Y E L A W B O

T O O M A N Y C O O K S S P O I L T H E B R O T H : N E I L M O R A L E E : F L I C K R

S T A R L I N G S W A R M : G A I L J O H N S O N : F L I C K R

B E E C O L O N Y : U S D E P T O F A G R I C U L T U R E : 2 0 1 3 0 5 2 2 - N R C S - L S C - 0 1 8 0

S W A R M O F B I T I N G M I D G E S O N S O C C E R F I E L D : W O O D L E Y W O N D E R W O R K S : F L I C K R

S O U T H W E S T 7 3 7 P R E P A R E S F O R E A R L Y M O R N I N G D E P A R T U R E : A N G E L O D E S A N T I S

T H E R E T U R N O F T H E K I N G S C E N E 1 3 8 : A N D Y Z E I G E R T : F L I C K R

Q U A D R A T U R E S : G R A S P L A B : H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = Y Q I M G V 5 V T D 4 # T = 7 4

W R O N G W A Y : R O B E R T F O R N A L : F L I C K R

R O B O T B U S I N E S S M A N : I O S P H E R E : H T T P : / / F R E E D I G I T A L P H O T O S . N E T

I N D I A N A L P H O N S O M A N G O - P A R S H O T A M L A L T A N D O N : F L I C K R

C H O C O L A T E B O X : J A S O N S E B B A R B E R : F L I C K R

A N T S A S I M U L A T I O N : D I G I T A L F R O N T I E R S : H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = K N 0 M 4 9 I Q F R C

M E X I C A N W A V E 2 0 1 3 H D : H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = 9 I F C F W S E T D Y

T H E L I V E R P O O L C E N T R A L L I B R A R Y : T E R R Y K E A R N E Y : F L I C K R

C O S C H D A : 4 6 / 3 6 5 : F L I C K R

M I N D T H E G A P : M A R C O L E O : F L I C K R

E A R T H E A S T : N A S A

Y O U H A V E F A I L E D M E B R A I N : R O B O C O L D E C A L : C O P Y R I G H T U N C E R T A I N

T H A N K S G I V I N G P O S T C A R D S - 0 9 5 : A R T V I N T A G E 1 8 0 0 S . E T S Y . C O M : F L I C K R

D Y E : I K A M A Y A M A : F L I C K R

T H E M I R R O R : R I C C A R D O C U P P I N I : F L I C K R

M I R R O R M I R R O R : M A R K O K I V E L A : F L I C K R

R A M B O : W I K I P E D I A

B L A M E : 周小逸 I A N : F L I C K R

D O N T B L A M E U S : R E D W O L F O Z : F I C K R

C H I L D E R N P L A Y I N G A T G R E E N W I C H P A R K 4 : V I S I T G R E E N W I C H : F L I C K R

S T O P 1 : T E U N I E V A N H E R N E N : F L I C K R

J A N M A S H T A M I C E L E B R A T I O N S I N M U M B A I , I N D I A : S A N D E E P A C H E T A N : F L I C K R

C O M P A S S S T U D Y : C A L S I D Y R O S E : F L I C K R

R A N D O M S C A L E F R E E N E T W O R K : S I M O N C O C K E L L : F L I C K R

C R Y S T A L C A S T L E G A R D E N W O R K E R S : J O H N : F L I C K R

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