Saw this cool video and immediately thought of Play. The video is based on an 80's artificial intelligence program called The Boids (awesome technology for the time...think The Sims without Avitatars, Sim Dollars, or virtual Starbucks) . Check it out at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boids. The creators used three simple rules (separation, alignment, cohesion) to allow behaviors of these virtual birds to emerge. The outcome, The Boid's behavior mimiced (almost exactly) the flight patterns of real birds. Awesome.
In this latest iteration, the same rules are used with the addition of two Preditor birds (working to disrupt the flock.)
Why do I like this? First, it is beautiful. Second, it shows that the same simple rules can guide our behavior in times of peace and in times of upheaval. Lastly, it is one of the best visual metaphors I have seen for the frustration we all face in trying to infuse a creativity/innovation (think of Play as the "positive preditors" in the film) without first impacting the rules of engagment.
Do we run the danger of simply create short term dissonance? How can the rules guiding behavior uncovered/addressed first? What are the simple rules guiding most organizations today?
Boids, Birds, Prey, and Innovation
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Posted by A. Martin at 8:42 AM
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5 comments:
Would we find it nearly so beautiful without the music? Amazing how one sense can set the stage for the entire experience.
i love that this visual keeps all the 'birds' within a specified boundary- there is no deviation from the group.
I wonder, though, what happens if a 'bird' evolves into another positive predator. Does the groups' connectivity fall apart or alter the boundaries they work within? do they react the same to this 3rd predator?
Great...great question.
This makes me ponder leadership and organizational behavior in a slightly different way...particularly after reading the wiki definitions of separation, alignment, and cohesion. It's a subtle but important difference between relative position with the others in your "flock" and staying true to the relative heading of the flock. Is there an alpha bird? or is it instinctual?
For an organization, it is very easy to stay relative to other's position (stuck in a whiny culture, or enabling one another's lack of accountability or ownership, or simple malaise)...so what's the catalyst role needed to stay true to a heading? A leader? A vision? Business climate (the equivalent of "flying south for winter") or the crisis of a predator?
I wonder.
This is a great clip. Reminds me so much of my trip a few weeks ago when I was swimming with these huge schools of Blue Tang. Unlike pretty much everywhere else in the Caribbean , the entire perimeter of Bonaire is a Marine Wildlife Refuge and no spear fishing is allowed. That means that the fish don't fear you. The DON'T see you as a predator. They move right with you. Now when a great barracuda shows up, different story.
What if CEOs and other managers weren't allowed to fire people? What if those decisions were always made by some other committee? Would that make them less predatory would the corporate flock react differently, more honestly, with less fear?
I imagine all of us have seen firsthand the ways that people repress their thoughts or hold their tongues when the boss is around, for fear of negative repercussions. They are essentially exhibiting the creativity version of these boids. Stay with the flock!
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