Navigating Chaos

Can we predict the current scene on the water half a minute from now? Or in 60 seconds, two minutes, maybe half an hour?

I’ve always been fascinated watching the many yachts navigating the Solent. It’s one of the busiest sailing areas, where the stakes are high and the risk of collisions is significant.

Here, every skipper follows the "International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea" (IRPCS)—a highly detailed rulebook. Yet, at the core of IRPCS lies a few simple principles, allowing sailors to handle complex, fast-moving situations with skill and safety.

The reality is that, despite our instinct to control every outcome, we cannot.

In many organizations, the reaction to chaotic activity is to attempt to control it. This is an unwise move that prevents effective execution! An organization is a complex living system and cannot be controlled, it needs to be allowed to work the way it has evolved to.

So how do we get the efficiency we want?

Instead of control, embracing autonomy and simple rules allows us to navigate chaos effectively. Although IRPCS is complex, every sailor holds to these core rules of thumb, enabling smoother and safer journeys.