The Choreography of Chaos : Technology: When a visionary invention fails, look to organizational dynamics.
For those wondering what’s wrong with NASA (shuttles, space probes and telescopes that don’t work) let me explain. NASA is just one more victim of the Elohim-Hesiod syndrome. Every organization formed to advance the state of the art suffers from it.
During its formative period an organization has two kinds of people: Elohists and Hesiodists. Elohists are sympathetic to the first chapter of the Bible. They believe that everything has already been created and that it is very good. Reality is inherently orderly and complete. Any state of disorder that arises is an unnatural phenomenon that is transient in nature. It will ultimately be overpowered because the natural order of things has within itself the capability to restore equilibrium when upset by a transient chaos. It is homeostatic and does not need an external Regulator. The Elohist views invention as the removal of whatever is preventing the natural order of things from being fully realized. His perception of reality exerts an expansive force.
Hesiodists are attuned to Hesiod’s “Theogeny.” They believe that the natural state of things is chaotic. Reality is disorderly, and any state of order temporarily superimposed on it is transient in nature. It will ultimately be overpowered and converted back into chaos because the natural order of things has within itself no capability to regulate: no inherent ability to be anything but disorderly and incomplete. It is heterotactous and needs a Regulator: something external that can slow (but not halt) the rush toward chaos. To the Hesiodist, invention is an invitation to make mistakes and plunge the world more quickly back into chaos. His perception of reality exerts a regressive force.
The Elohim-Hesiod syndrome is produced by the transfer of power from one to the other.
Stage 1. In the beginning, an organization consists mostly of Elohists. Expansiveness is paramount. The embryonic organization is extrovert, not concerned with internal shapes and patterns. It instinctively detects its own homeostasis, rejects control mechanisms and pays little attention to the fears of Hesiodists. With the exception of the accountants, it is convinced there is a place in the natural order of things for its invention, which will demonstrate its own usefulness. The accountants, Hesiodists by nature, are convinced that all will quickly revert to bankruptcy and chaos if ebullient expansiveness is not brought under the control of a Regulator. But, still the minority, they are overwhelmed by the optimism of the Elohists.
Stage 2. The Elohists happily gain acceptance of their invention and orders pour in. Everything works as it should. But Elohistic organizations don’t have filters to hinder the ingestion of Hesiodists, and the ratio of Elohist to Hesiodist becomes more evenly matched as the organization grows in size and wealth. The Hesiodists again point out, in stronger voice, the need for a Regulator. At some point a mistake will occur and the Regulator will be able to tell why and prevent a sudden plunge into chaos. Restraints must be imposed on the Elohists; they must learn to look inward and fear chaos. The Elohists, however, are still predominant and optimistic. To them, the Hesiodists’ fears are transient perturbations that will go away as the natural order of things reasserts itself. Besides, they have a schedule to meet.
To make the Hesiodists feel better, the Elohists agree, with a shared wink, to install a Regulator. The massive System for Controlling Everything is announced with much fanfare, and the Hesiodists’ fears are allayed. Their victory, however, is moot. The Elohists confuse the Regulator by feeding it information showing that the invention is sound, under budget and on schedule. The Hesiodists tinker with the Regulator; its chaos-sensors need to be made more sensitive.
Stage 3. At this point, the invention is a firm reality. The Apple computers are spawning hackers and the quarterly moonbird is ready for a routine flight. Expansion and the success curve have reached their peaks. The organization, unfortunately, is now too unwieldy to quickly formulate a new perception of reality.
The Elohists, an impatient lot, begin to abandon the organization to stretch their perceptions elsewhere. As the cream of the Elohists move out, the Hesiodists pour in, attracted by what they perceive to be imminent chaos. This time they are right.
If all the best Elohists leave, the goose that lays golden eggs for Elohist and Hesiodist alike will die. It already looks a little sick. To drive home the point, the Regulator’s improved chaos-sensors can now detect Errors in Everything. Confidence wanes. The success curve droops and deflation sets in. The chastened second-string Elohists agree that chaos indeed threatens. The omniscient Regulator has spoken and serious dialogue begins.
The Elohists’ declining urge to expand is traded for objectives more likely to postpone the organization’s inevitable descent into chaos. More power and status is given to those who best know how to adjust the Regulator, how to fertilize existing resources and make them grow, how to set budgetary and technical goals for the long decline ahead. Under the Hesiodists the organization achieves equilibrium: a steady-state compromise holding technical ingenuity well within boundaries necessary to maintain a reasonable rate of descent into chaos.
Why doesn’t the Hubble telescope work? Ask the Regulator.
