Emergence: Why Big Behaviors Come From Small Rules
- What emergence actually is
- The common mistake: trying to fix emergent behavior with declared rules
- Three ways emergence shows up at work
- How to practice this
Emergence is a concept that explains how complex behaviors and patterns arise from simple rules and individual interactions within a system. In the context of teams and organizations, understanding emergence can lead to greater insights into team dynamics, culture, and communication. It reveals why your team may exhibit behaviors that no one explicitly designed or planned for. Recognizing and harnessing the power of emergence can transform how you lead and interact with your team.
What Emergence Actually Is
Emergence occurs when a system’s overall behavior cannot be predicted solely by examining its individual components. It’s akin to how an ant colony can solve complex problems that no single ant can comprehend. Similarly, a flock of birds shifts direction in unison, guided by the collective rather than a designated leader. In a workplace setting, teams often develop cultures or behaviors that arise organically, rather than being dictated by policy.
Consider a small product team that begins every meeting with two minutes of casual conversation. This habit didn’t originate from a formal rule; instead, it emerged from the founder’s style, was mirrored by early employees, and became a norm for newcomers. Years later, despite the departure of most original members, this practice persists. Conversely, a more troubling example involves a team that avoids discussing bad news due to a past incident where a leader reacted poorly. Even though that leader is long gone, the pattern of avoidance continues, demonstrating how small responses can create lasting behaviors.
Emergence explains why the phrase “we are this way because we are this way” often feels valid, even when it’s not an adequate explanation.
The Common Mistake: Trying to Fix Emergent Behavior with Declared Rules
When leadership identifies undesirable patterns within a team, the instinct is often to implement counter-rules. Statements like “We will openly discuss bad news” or “We will foster a culture of feedback” are common reactions. However, these declared rules seldom change emergent behavior, as the behavior did not arise from an explicit directive in the first place. It stemmed from the interactions among team members.
The deeper issue lies in viewing emergence as randomness. In reality, emergent behavior is systematic and traceable, though not in a top-down manner. It arises from numerous small interactions that follow localized rules. To effect meaningful change, one must address these local conditions rather than imposing grand, overarching declarations.
A third misconception is the belief that emergence can be engineered. While leaders can create environments conducive to emergence, they cannot dictate its outcomes. The culture that develops within a team will inevitably contain elements that were not planned. Effective leadership involves crafting conditions where the emergent culture aligns with organizational values.
Three Ways Emergence Shows Up at Work
1. Communication Patterns
The way information flows in a team is often dictated by emergent communication patterns rather than the formal organizational chart. Observing who communicates with whom, through which channels, and about what topics can reveal hidden structures within the team. People often bypass bottlenecks, and information travels along trust lines rather than reporting lines.
2. Cultural Norms
Cultural norms within teams are shaped by what gets celebrated, overlooked, or subtly punished. These norms rarely align with officially documented values. Instead, they emerge from the reactions of leaders and peers. For example, if a team regularly celebrates innovative ideas but ignores failures, a culture of risk-taking and innovation will develop, even if that wasn’t the explicit intention.
3. Response to Stress
Every team exhibits a unique response to stress. Whether facing tight deadlines, dissatisfied customers, or problematic launches, teams may escalate issues, hide them, or swarm to tackle challenges. These behaviors emerge from past experiences and tend to persist over time, often outlasting individual team members.
To truly understand a team’s dynamics, it’s crucial to observe these three areas. Traditional metrics like the organizational chart and the company’s stated values can be misleading. Emergent patterns provide a clearer picture of how a team operates.
How to Practice This
Begin by observing an emergent pattern within your team for one week. Choose something specific, such as how decisions are communicated after meetings or who feels comfortable voicing disagreement. Document your observations without judgment, aiming to identify the pattern clearly enough to describe it to someone outside the team. Many patterns dissolve once they are named, as they rely on the assumption of anonymity.
Next, identify a small local rule that, if altered, might shift the observed pattern. This shouldn’t be a sweeping declaration; rather, it should be a minor change in interaction. For instance, you might decide to solicit input from a specific team member before concluding a meeting or commit to following up in writing shortly after any verbal agreement. Such small adjustments can create new interaction patterns that ultimately influence emergent behavior.
Remember, shifting emergent behavior requires consistent, incremental changes rather than a one-time workshop. Aim for daily practice, making one small adjustment at a time. Over weeks, these changes will compound, fostering new patterns that can reshape the team’s culture organically.
You'll Know It's Working When...
You’ll notice a significant shift in your awareness of team behavior. You’ll be able to predict how the team will react to various stressors. Instead of resorting to grand declarations at all-hands meetings, you’ll focus on making small adjustments in interactions that compound over time.
Your team will start to use the phrase “the way we do things here” with a sense of self-awareness rather than resignation. Members will become adept at naming patterns and adjusting them as needed, facilitating smoother integration for newcomers who will adapt more quickly to the actual culture rather than the stated one.
Ultimately, the phrase “we don’t need a rule for this, but here’s how it actually works” will become common within your team, communicated with curiosity rather than defeat.
Conclusion
Culture isn’t solely determined by what you declare; it’s shaped by thousands of interactions over time. By understanding and leveraging the principles of emergence, you can foster a team environment that reflects your ideals while remaining adaptable to the organic patterns that develop.
Want to delve deeper into understanding emergent behavior within your team? Take the Omie Skill Assessment to gain insights tailored to your needs.