To Thrive Through Life’s Complexities, You Have to Master This Concept

The world in which we reside is complex, meaning it is diverse, interconnected, interdependent, and can adapt. The only piece we can control to a certain extent is how we adapt within all this complexity. But how do we do that? How do we adapt in the face of everything coming at us? 

The answer to that question can be found when we ask ourselves a different question: Why was Kelly Slater so much better at surfing than everyone else? His flexibility, paddling strength and speed, and reach were nothing out of the ordinary. No, it was that Slater had “surfing sense.” 

He could anticipate what was about to happen on the water and react to it faster than the competition. He could gather, process, and understand massive amounts of complex information instantaneously. Instead of seeing the linear connection of individual waves forming, Slater fluidly improvised on all his minor predictions of the formations, breakdowns, and re-formations of the patterns he saw. 

Being present in the moment, he would use the constantly evolving spatial and temporal relationships among his position, his board, the forming waves, the other surfers, and the waves’ amplitude and speed to dictate his next thoughts and movements. 

That, then, is the answer to how we can constantly adapt no matter what complexity we’re facing: like Slater, we must learn how to improvise at the highest level. That is how we can use our decisions and actions to shape outcomes in our favor. The only problem? Most of us aren’t even aware of this need, let alone how to consciously do it. But to thrive in the world, that has to change.

Plan and Improvise

We have all, at some point, had to improvise. In fact, research indicates that about 90 percent of your daily decisions are improvised. It’s no wonder, either: research also shows that most plans fail because of the ever-increasing instability and uncertainty of our modern-day world.

Despite all this, most of us still rely on traditional planning methods before we undertake a big task. What should we do instead? Utilize techniques that allow for improvisation when conditions change. Because conditions always change, always. In fact, studies have shown that only 10–30 percent of planned strategies are ever actualized; that means we’re already improvising solutions 70–90 percent of the time.

That leads us to the debate every MBA candidate endures: plan or execute? The answer is both. Have a plan, but only as a framework to guide and direct the execution. That’s right—throw those overengineered business plans out the window.

Learn to Make Off-the-Cuff Decisions

Strategic planning fails because of the unpredictability of the complex and ever-changing landscape. We have to improvise! Unfortunately, research shows that we don’t know how to make the decisions we need to get the desired outcome. We will remain incapable of these decisions without a better understanding of improvisation. 

Since 70–90 percent of our daily choices are improvised, it is worth learning how to make off-the-cuff decisions. Doing nothing is worse than doing something, so why not learn how to do the most useful thing for our desired outcome?

Improvisation is making something from whatever resources or information are available at that moment. While this results in a spontaneous execution with no specific or scripted preparation, we can actually practice improvisation by leveraging our past experiences. Much like in jazz music, improvisation is rooted in exploration and discovery. Instead of being controlled or composed by an individual, jazz musicians use improvisation within a loose framework to create. 

As controlled as we think the world is, improvisation is everywhere. Without it (and GPS), how would you navigate around a road closure on your commute to work? How would you debate with a friend? How do the random ingredients in your fridge turn into a last-minute meal at dinnertime? 

Anytime something does not go entirely to plan, you are improvising on some level. Furthermore, research shows improvisation leads to faster innovation and improved performance. Since the complexity in our lives is changing faster than ever before, improvisation is an essential skill to develop.

The 4 Principles of Improvisation

At this point, you know what important improvisation is. So how do we improvise? At the highest and most general level, there are four principles behind improvisational decisions: 

1. Use spontaneity: Go with your gut. Mention the first thing that comes to mind. Mistakes are opportunities to learn, which involves some rewiring of our brains. Learn to go against the idea to “think before you speak.”
2. Say “Yes, and...”: Always accept ideas. In the moment, as stupid as some of the ideas or suggestions might be from the group around you, do not shut them down. Instead, accept the idea and counter or build off it.
3. Always stay with the group and in the moment: Constantly listen and observe the environment.
4. Make others look good: When we’re in a team, our instinct might be to compete or cast blame for failures; we may want to remove ourselves from the uncomfortable experience. Don’t. Stay in the moment, be with those around you, and work to make each other look good instead of leaning into your instinctive, competitive tendencies. 

These four principles are a great way to practice your improvisation skills. Remember, you already improvise the majority of your decisions; now, just get intentional about practicing, so you’re ready to handle any situation no matter what happens.

Keep Your Systems on Tilt

It’s tempting to think things are less risky when we plan to do them the way we always have. But this is no longer the case. To best transcend our complex future, we need to stay nimble and adaptable, just like Kelly Slater.  

We need to learn to make ad-hoc, improvisational decisions at the moment when insufficient information is available. Improvisation allows us to best leverage the waves of complexity the world throws our way. It is what allows us to thrive.

For more advice on how to thrive in the face of complexity and change, you can find Surfing Rogue Waves on Amazon.

Eric Pilon-Bignell is a pragmatic futurist focused on addressing disruption by increasing the creative capacity of individuals, teams, and organizations to ignite change, innovation, and foster continuous growth. Eric has an undergraduate degree in engineering, an MBA in Information Systems, and a Ph.D. in Global Leadership. His doctoral work primarily explored complexity sciences centered on executive cognition and their use of intuitive improvisation, decision-making, artificial intelligence, and data-based decision models. When he is not working with clients, researching, or writing, he can be found in the mountains or on the water. He founded PROJECT7 to raise awareness and money for research on brain-related illnesses. Eric is currently working and living with his wife in Chicago, Illinois. To connect or learn more about this book, Eric, or PROJECT7, please visit www.ericpb.me.