Systems and Snowflakes: Exploring Fractals
By SDXer Roya Damabi
Here in Edmonton, it’s snow season. Actually, we had our first snowfall of the season in mid-September last year! Yes, September. Do we get tired of this? Sure, sometimes. But the good thing about winter (apart from hot chocolate) is that we get to think about snowflakes. And that means we get to think about fractals. What? You don’t already think about fractals? Well, maybe after this, you will :)
A fractal is a pattern that is self-similar. That means that it repeats itself at different scales — what often looks like one shape is actually made up of smaller versions of itself.
Fractals are created over time through repetition — by repeating a simple process over and over again in an ongoing feedback loop. It is this self-similarity at multiple scales that differentiates fractals from other types of patterns. This is also what makes them so powerful — I imagine similar patterns replicating at multiple scales, with reinforcing effect.
Common examples of fractals that we see in nature include ferns, the vascular patterns on the back of leaves, the veins and arteries in your body, coastlines, ripples in water, the elm trees in my neighbourhood, and — of course! — snowflakes.
Building on these notions, we can think of fractals as a metaphor to describe both a type of system and a type of organization.
Fractals as Systems
As Donella Meadows reminds us, a system is an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something — a function or a purpose. All systems exist on a spectrum from equilibrium to chaos. A system in equilibrium — where there is no change — does not have the internal dynamics to enable it to respond to its environment and will die. If you’ve ever heard people refer to some organizations as ‘dinosaurs’, it is this dynamic they are talking about. On the other end of the spectrum, a system in chaos ceases to function as a system — it’s too crazy up in there!
For complexity theorists, the most productive state to be in is at the edge of chaos, where there is maximum variety and creativity, leading to new possibilities. This is where we find fractal systems. It’s also where we find the most potential for innovation — at the edges.
A fractal system is a complex (lots of diverse elements), non-linear (no obvious causal relationships), interactive system that can adapt to a changing environment. It is a system made up of several other systems, and their semi-autonomous elements all follow the same patterns of interaction — like how birds do when they flock.
There is no hierarchy of command and control in a fractal system. There is no planning or managing, but a constant reorganizing to find the best fit within the environment. The system self-organizes through emergence and feedback. The ripples don’t plan to ripple — they just do. Because of its emergent properties and ability to self-organize, a fractal system has potential for creativity that was not originally programmed into it in the beginning.
Your immune system is a fractal system, constantly adapting and self-organizing to tackle all the strange bacteria and viruses that bombard it.
Fractals as Organizations
Fractal organization theory (check out Janna Raye’s neat paper) explores how an understanding of structure and its connection to human relationships enables healthy growth both for individuals and the organizations they belong to. It looks at how we organize ourselves and structure our interactions, and the effect that has on how and whether we achieve outcomes that are healthy and useful for us. It takes from the concept of biomimicry — that we can draw from the patterns and behaviours that we see in nature to help drive human innovation.
Fractal organization theory asks: what patterns (at any scale) are affirming or supporting where we want to go, and which are de-energizing or acting as blockers? Going to yoga class everyday after work is an energizing pattern. Eating a wheel of cheese every night before bed? Definite blocker!
If we think of a command and control hierarchical model (a typical top-down organization) as a triangle, I imagine a fractal organization to be more like one of those cinnamon swirl pastries: there are layers and circles of interaction feeding into and out of the centre; information and communication flow like icing all over, falling into the nooks and crannies and also reaching down the edges, always connecting over and across.
In a fractal organization, everyone is involved in some way in ideas and solutions. Strategic decisions that need a big picture viewpoint can take place at the centre and tactical, nimble decisions that have an immediate effect on relationships can take place on the edges. Members keep connected through shared purpose and values, which unite people’s efforts and create the pattern integrity or self-similarity that characterizes a fractal organization. This is similar to what Niels Pflaeging calls a ‘value creation structure’.
Reflecting on Fractals
The Fractal Foundation describes fractals in a way that I think is quite evocative of what it means to be fractal. They say that a fractal is a picture that tells the story of the process that created it.
I like this way of thinking about a fractal because it helps me connect the idea of what a fractal is to how they appear in my own life, work, team, and organizationally in the government context in which I work. This definition encourages me to think about how the patterns around me create the stories of my life, my work, of how my team functions, and how my organization operates. It asks me to consider: what are the repeating patterns that are maintaining a particular narrative? A way of being or acting? An outcome?
Is there a strong pattern in your life or work? Something that repeats at different scales?
I think that it’s useful for us to be able to think about and identify patterns if we aim to move beyond equilibrium — the status quo. The ability to identify patterns in systems is a first step towards either changing them for the better or scaling what’s working for greater positive impact. Fractal patterns are particularly powerful, because they are already doing what so many social innovations aspire to do: scale. And, they are doing so in multiple directions.
So, next time you look out your window at all that snow, just think: fractals!
Roya Damabi is Senior Systemic Designer with Alberta CoLab. She is part of the SDX convening team. Connect with Roya via email or Twitter.
