Dynamic complexity refers to the way complex systems are constantly changing.
This group of frameworks draws attention to the importance of time, timescales, and feedback loops on dynamic system behaviour. The Adaptive Cycle adopts a zoomed-out view of complex system change, conceptualizing it as a cycle of four stages: Growth, Maturity, Release, and Exploration. The Two-Loop Model can help you think about the relationship between old systems and new ones—how aging systems can provide the soil from which new systems can grow. These models help us with timing certain kinds of actions, like bringing new people together, resourcing existing networks to amplify their innovations (Community of Practice), or letting legacy systems decline and die.
It can also help to have a zoomed-out view (Zoom In, Zoom Out) of the timeline for change. The Three Horizons Model focuses on important dynamics that can take us to a far future vision, and the Fragile to Antifragile spectrum helps us understand different possible types of futures that might arise in response to a system shock (for example: on a global scale, financial collapse, war, or pandemic; or on the scale of individuals, getting sick, job loss, or even getting married).
Feedback Loops can have a reinforcing or balancing effect on the dynamics of a system. The Triple Loop Learning model suggest that there are multiple levels at which we can learn about a system, and the Knowledge Cycle illustrates how experimentation and learning can have a balancing effect.
Frameworks in this collection
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Adaptive Cycle
CS Holling first introduced the concept of the adaptive cycle in 1986 to describe cycles of change in ecosystems. The… Read more
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Community of Practice
The term community of practice (CoP) is understood and used here to refer to a group of people who come… Read more
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Feedback Loops
Feedback loops are places where the output of a process is fed back into the system as input, influencing future action.… Read more
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Fragile to Antifragile
Nassim Nicholas Taleb introduced the concept of antifragile as, “Things that gain from disorder,” in his 2012 book, Antifragile. In… Read more
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Knowledge Cycle
Humans have been thinking, talking, and writing about knowledge for thousands of years. The knowledge cycle can be traced back… Read more
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Three Horizons Model
The Three Horizons Model is a helpful framework for understanding and navigating dynamic complexity, especially in contexts where innovation, transformation,… Read more
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Triple Loop Learning
The concept of triple loop learning does not have a single clear originator—it seems to have evolved from earlier ideas… Read more
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Two Loop Model
The Berkana Two-Loop Model, as described by Margaret Wheatley and Deborah Frieze, is a map for creating change in living and social systems. It… Read more