Ashby’s Law of Requisite Variety
Ashby’s Law of Requisite Variety states that a system must match the complexity of its environment in order to remain stable and effective. When rules or controls fail to keep pace with external variety, systems become brittle and collapse.
Resilience Engineering: Anticipating & Adapting in Complex Systems
Resilience Engineering reframes safety and performance as the ability of systems to anticipate change, absorb shocks, and adapt under pressure — a shift from preventing failure to sustaining success in complex environments.
Cynefin Framework: Navigating Complexity and Sensemaking
The Cynefin Framework, developed by Dave Snowden, is a strategic sensemaking tool that distinguishes between ordered, complex, and chaotic contexts. It guides leaders in choosing responses that match the nature of their environment, helping organisations adapt, build resilience, and frame meaning in uncertainty.