Observer effect may impact a complex system

This story was shared in Cynefin Basecamp Nov 2023 where they noticed that a company was shifting their behaviours when visited by McKinsey. The consultants were not even hired yet, they were there to propose something, but the entire Complex System has changed when they observe the visit (Observer effect).

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• Types of constraints
  • In a product team, the presence of someone, may affect the team's behaviour. Once I turned up as a coach in a team, they said, "Now that Wisen is here, let's write tests" (See: Observer effect may impact a complex system)
• An experiment may impact a complex system
  • Even more interestingly, even an observation can change a complex system. See Observer effect may impact a complex system.
• Oblique
  • A more effective way to influence change in a Observer effect may impact a complex system, where it has the characteristic of being vague and non-direct.
• Forest example for complex system
  • A forest is a good analogy to understand the Observer effect may impact a complex system.