Emergent or Certain

Sometimes we really need absolute certainty. We need to know for sure what we will do – what the beginning, middle and end point look like. Total clarity! This might be for the certainty required to attract funding and the confidence of those who are prepared to invest in our idea. In those situations developing a clear plan, business case or protocol is the right thing to do. Large intellectual spaces within organisations are occupied by the need for certainty. Operational plans rule the annual cycle. Without this certainty, organisations wouldn’t function effectively. We need standardised processes so that we can be clear of outcomes and safety.

The certainty of scientific approaches can become a lure into a world where everything can be determined, can be planned and predicted. I work in healthcare, one of the places where this quest for certainty can get out of hand!

The problem is that certainty can sometimes be a cloak for something else. Unfortunately certainty can also look like the ideal approach in situations where a different approach is needed. It can be really difficult to persuade people that an emergent approach is needed. Once we become used to the idea of certainty, of things being controllable and defined – it can be really difficult to let this go and develop ideas with no clear idea of where we will end up.

Organisations often dismiss approaches like this as too risky, flaky or dangerous. And yet, this is the space of innovation and experimentation. This is the world where we leap into the unknown and develop something truly remarkable that we could not have predicted at the outset. If we have too much certainty where it is not needed, we close down the potential for something amazing.