This document discusses the concept of swarming intelligence and how principles from swarm behavior in social insects can be applied to human organizations and problem solving. Some key points: - Swarm intelligence emerges from the collective behavior of social insects like ants and bees and is characterized by flexibility, robustness, and self-organization without centralized control. - Research into social insects can provide models to explain their effective swarm behaviors and these models can then inspire practical experiments to solve human problems. Some applications of swarm principles include open source software development and large-scale team formation events. - For human swarms to be effective, individuals need personal autonomy while also being personally accountable. Principles like feedback, improvisation, mimicking

1. S W A R M I N G
D H A V A L P A N C H A L
© 2 0 1 5 S W A R M I N G B Y D H A V A L P A N C H A L I S L I C E N S E D U N D E R A C R E A T I V E
C O M M O N S A T T R I B U T I O N - S H A R E A L I K E 4 . 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I C E N S E .

2. throwing bodies at the problem is NOT swarming

3. S W A R M
a large number of animate or inanimate things massed together and
usually in motion.
- M E R R I A M - W E B S T E R . C O M

4. S W A R M
I N T E L L I G E N C E
The collective behavior that
emerges from a group of social
insects has been dubbed “swarm
intelligence”
S W A R M I N T E L L I G E N C E : H B R [ 2 0 0 1 ]

5. C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S
• Flexibility
C O L O N Y C A N A D A P T T O C H A N G I N G E N V I R O N M E N T
• Robustness
G R O U P C A N P E R F O R M I T S F U N C T I O N S E V E N W H E N
I N D I V I D U A L S F A I L S
• Self-Organization
N E I T H E R C E N T R A L L Y C O N T R O L L E D N O R L O C A L L Y
S U P E R V I S E D
S W A R M I N T E L L I G E N C E : H B R [ 2 0 0 1 ]

6. 2 0 0 M I L L I O N I N S E C T S F O R E V E R Y H U M A N O N
P L A N E T
S O U R C E : B U G I N F O - S M I T H S O N I A N I N S T I T U T I O N

7. R E S E A R C H
• Observe social insect behavior
• Develop a model that explains
• Use model as inspiration
• Create practical experiments to solve similar problems
] B I O L O G I S T S

8. S O M E
A P P L I C A T I O N S

9. What can nature teach us
(humans) about organization?
How can we apply principles
learned from nature to our
advantage?
Is there a practical way to use
these strategies?

10. D I S C L A I M E R
R E S E A R C H E
R
E R U D I T
E
T I N K E R

11. S W A R M I N G : P E O P L E
everyonedoing
differentthings
every one doing same thing
Soldiers in Parade
(little or no individual autonomy)
People at a mall
(high individual autonomy)
S O M E K I N D O F
C O O R D I N A T E D
R E S P O N S E

12. C O N V E N T I O N A L N O T I O N S
• swarming is a fire drill
• swarming means every body works on the same thing
• swarming means absence of rules or processes
• swarming is equally useful in all environments

13. E R R O R I S A R C H I T E C T U R E
contribute to their success by enabling them to discover and EXPLORE in add

14. P R I N C I P A L G O A L
Swarming is about exploring
for varieties in response and
exploiting options that yield
“good” outcomes.
“varietyisabsenceofuniformity”-Ashby

15. A S H B Y ’ S L A W O F R E Q U I S I T E V A R I E T Y
responsevariety demand variety from environment
“Restrictions of variety in
outcomes to the subset that
is valued as “good”
demands certain variety in
response to variety in
demand from environment”
“survive”
Vr > Vo
“fail”
Vr < Vo

16. E X A M P L E
Scrum “Team Awesome” is facing a tight deadline with stakeholders (five)
demanding increase in scope and cannot find agreement. Stakeholders
frequently make direct requests to team members
What are some possible outcomes ?
• M I S S E D D E L I V E R Y D A T E
• M I S S E D D E L I V E R Y S C O P E O N D A T E
• M I S S E D D E L I V E R Y D A T E A N D S C O P E
• “ T E A M A W E S O M E ” R E P R I M A N D E D
• S T A K E H O L D E R ( S ) A P O L O G I Z E F O R C O N F U S I O N ; )
• P R O D U C T S H I P P E D O N T I M E , W I T H A L L S C O P E A N D P O O R Q U A L I T Y
• E X P E C T A T I O N S A R E W E L L M A N A G E D A N D R I G H T P R O D U C T I S S H I P P E D A T T H E R I G H T
T I M E W I T H T H E R I G H T Q U A L I T Y ( “ G O O D ” O U T C O M E )
• E T C . .

17. E X A M P L E
How should this scrum team respond ?
I D E O L O G I C A L
Product Owner takes ownership of prioritizing
product backlog and responsibility of managing
stakeholder politics/expectations to effectively
take ownership of date and scope changes.
T Y P I C A L
Every team member does their own thing. Some
work late to meet their favorite/feared
stakeholder’s requirements. Others feel
overwhelmed and dig into their module of
technical system.
C O N V E R G E N C E D I V E R G E N C E
O U T C O M E
Depends on “talent” of product owner
O U T C O M E
Unpredictable, Luck dictates!

18. Trying to get stakeholder(s) to
agree will eat away valuable time
away from already tight schedule.
Reducing scope will likely upset
one or more stakeholders who
may stand in way of funding next
project or result in a crappy
product or both.
E X A M P L E : V A R I E T Y I N C H A L L E N G E S
• Tight deadline
• Multiple stakeholders
• increase in scope
• agreement between stakeholder(s)
• Stakeholders assigning work to team
members
At least five (5), most likely much higher
than 5, when stakeholder’s perspective is
included.

19. Will NOT work
“change one variable at a time”
Classical Approach

20. “ V A R I E T Y D E S T R O Y S V A R I E T Y ”
A S H B Y ’ S L A W
Variety of challenge must be met with variety in response
i.e., Must address all challenges simultaneously not individually

22. “ C O M P L E T E A C T I O N B R I N G S I N T E L L I G E N C E ”
Theories, ideas, belief’s, dogma’s kill originality and create divides.
Total action unites.
- J I D D U K R I S H N A M U R T H Y
Striving for Ideals of “being _____ (agile)” get in the way of doing.

23. S W A R M I N G E X A M P L E S ( P E O P L E )
• Open Space Technology
• Wikipedia
• Large Scale Agile team formation events
• Open Source

24. W H E N A S I M P L E R L I N E A R *
R E S P O N S E C A N B E
A T T E M P T E D , T R Y T H A T
F I R S T .
* R E S P O N S E I N A L I G N M E N T W I T H P R O B L E M V E C T O R I S A
L I N E A R R E S P O N S E . E X A M P L E A T E C H N I C A L R E S P O N S E
T O A T E C H N I C A L P R O B L E M

25. S W A R M I N G T R I G G E R S
• Typical linear response did not work
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Too many issues at the same time
• Environment introduced new variety
of challenge
• Mismatched anxiety
• Inability to understand pattern in
demand variety

26. S W A R M I N G M I N D S E T

27. A C T I O N B I A S
• Explore and Exploit are
action states. “Try over
think”
• If a variation works, exploit
it further; ask not why it
works.

28. D Y N A M I C C O N T E X T
• Do not assume environment to
be unchanging.
• Accept that solutions are valid
merely to the point they are
working

29. G I V E U P O N
U N D E R S T A N D I N G
• Do not attempt to “fully”
understand.
• Collect
information/measurements
necessary for job, no more.

30. P A T T E R N S K E P T I C
• A recognizable pattern
within; never describes the
“whole”.
• Knots : Utterly un-
uderstandable areas of
problem or solution.

31. S W A R M I N G T E N E T S

32. T E N E T :
P E R S O N A L A U T O N O M Y
Individual in a Swarm can choose to
maintain “explore” or “exploit” state
on their own accord, irrespective of
the overall state of swarm.

33. T E N E T : P E R S O N A L A C C O U N T A B I L I T Y
You are completely and exclusively responsible for your own
actions. “just doing what I’m told” - is a cop out.

34. T E N E T : F E E D B A C K
Anyone and Everyone impacted by a member behavior provides
“impact feedback” (not judgmental) to member (only)
AND
Once and only once.

35. T E N E T : I M P R O V I S E
Support, follow, help individual’s or group’s objective by your
actions, in your own way.

36. T E N E T : M I M I C
When in doubt, copy someone.

37. T E N E T : B Y E X A M P L E
No one can decide for another. You decide - you act.

38. T E N E T : E X P U L S I O N
If you are on your own, then you
have divorced from swarm or
expelled by swarm. To participate
join others.

39. T E N E T : R E C R U I T I N G
When others mimic or act in support of your
task, you have recruited.

40. T E N E T : C O N N E C T E D R E S P O N S I V E N E S S
“Vulnerability (fragility) is connectivity without responsiveness.
Responsiveness enables connectivity to lead to opportunity.”
- N . T A L E B ( A N T I F R A G I L I T Y )

41. T E N E T : O B J E C T I O N
I Know it to be wrong.
I think
I guess
experience

42. C H A L L E N G E S
S W A R M I N G

43. M A N A G E M E N T B Y A B S T R A C T I O N
R E S O U R C E = M E A T B A S E D F U N G I B L E P R O G R A M M I N G U N I T
K E Y P E R F O R M A N C E I N D I C A T O R S
P R O X Y A U T H O R I T Y
E M P L O Y E E S E X P E C T E D T O D O W H A T T H E Y A R E T O L D
L O C A L I Z E D M E T R I C S
D I S S E C T E D G O A L S
M A T R I X , H I E R A R C H I C A L , B U N C H O F B O X E S A N D A R R O W S
P E R F O R M A N C E A P P R A I S A L S
“ M O R E I S B E T T E R ”
T A N T R U M D R I V E N : I W A N T A L L S C O P E , O N T I M E , O N B U D G E T , I W A N T I T , I W A N T I T , I W A N T I T …
“ R U N I T B Y M E F I R S T ”
L O C A L O P T I M I Z A T I O N S
P R O X Y M E A S U R E M E N T S
T O K E N M I L L E N N I A L
S H A R E H O L D E R V A L U E O P T I M I Z A T I O N
B A D P R O F I T S
U N I N S P I R I N G L E A D E R S H I P
R E P O R T I N G
C H I E F M O T I V A T I O N A L F A C T O R : C Y A
C H A I N O F C O M M A N D
D I S E N G A G E D E M P L O Y E E S
N O I N V E S T M E N T I N D E V E L O P I N G E M P L O Y E E C O M P E T E N C Y
F E A R O F R E J E C T I O N
M O D E L O B S E S S I O N
I G N O R I N G “ R O U G H N E S S ” O F R E A L I T Y
L A C K O F P R I O R I T I Z A T I O N
W O R K E R S A R E P E R C E I V E D T O B E L A Z Y & M A N A G E M E N T T O B E D U M B
“Thereisnoproblemthatadding
anotherlayerofmanagement
cannotresolve”
OPERATINGMANTRA

44. MANAGINGTASKS
MANAGINGPEOPLE

45. B L A M E
Desire to have someone to blame will
always impose hierarchical
ineffectiveness to cooperation

46. L I M I T I N G O R G A N I Z A T I O N
I N T E L L I G E N C E ?
Managers often live with a
problem they do not
understand, but cannot
accept a solution they do
not understand.

47. - Y V E S M O R V E U X
“When we don't cooperate we need more time, more equipment,
more systems, more teams”

48. M A N A G E C O N T E X T
C O N T R O L O U T C O M E S
“All gardeners live in beautiful places because they make them so”
- J O S E P H J O U B E R T

49. G R E A T E R C A U S E
“We are little men serving great causes,
but because the cause is great, something
of that greatness falls upon us also.”
- J A W A H A R L A L N E H R U , 1 9 4 6
RESHAPECULTURE

50. - C E O L E G O G R O U P : J O R G E N V I G K N U D S T O R P
“Blame is not for failure. It is for failing to help or ask for help”

52. C H A M P I O N F O R M O R A L A N D E T H I C A L
R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

53. - D A V I D M A R Q U E T
“When people feel like they matter, they make decisions as if the
CEO is behind them or make even better decisions”
H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = O Q M D L C Y E S _ Q

54. T O B E C O N T I N U E D …
E V O L U T I O N I S A W O R K I N P R O G R E S S

55. I N S P I R A T I O N
Yaneer Bar-Yam : http://new.livestream.com/wikimania/saturday2014/videos/58728433 : Wikimania 2014 London
Yves Morveux : https://www.ted.com/talks/yves_morieux_as_work_gets_more_complex_6_rules_to_simplify#t-7329 : Ted
Talks 2013
Eric Bonabeau and Christopher Meyer: Swarm Intelligence
Steven Johnson : Emergence
Principles of self-organizing systems - W.Ross Ashby
Requisite variety and its implications for control of complex systems - W. Ross Ashby 1958
David Marquet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqmdLcyES_Q
Nassim Nicholas Taleb : Anti-fragility : Things that gain from disorder (Incerto)
Dee Hock : Birth of Chaordic age

56. M E D I A C R E D I T S
F I R E F L I E S S Y N C : H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = S R O K Y E L A W B O
T O O M A N Y C O O K S S P O I L T H E B R O T H : N E I L M O R A L E E : F L I C K R
S T A R L I N G S W A R M : G A I L J O H N S O N : F L I C K R
B E E C O L O N Y : U S D E P T O F A G R I C U L T U R E : 2 0 1 3 0 5 2 2 - N R C S - L S C - 0 1 8 0
S W A R M O F B I T I N G M I D G E S O N S O C C E R F I E L D : W O O D L E Y W O N D E R W O R K S : F L I C K R
S O U T H W E S T 7 3 7 P R E P A R E S F O R E A R L Y M O R N I N G D E P A R T U R E : A N G E L O D E S A N T I S
T H E R E T U R N O F T H E K I N G S C E N E 1 3 8 : A N D Y Z E I G E R T : F L I C K R
Q U A D R A T U R E S : G R A S P L A B : H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = Y Q I M G V 5 V T D 4 # T = 7 4
W R O N G W A Y : R O B E R T F O R N A L : F L I C K R
R O B O T B U S I N E S S M A N : I O S P H E R E : H T T P : / / F R E E D I G I T A L P H O T O S . N E T
I N D I A N A L P H O N S O M A N G O - P A R S H O T A M L A L T A N D O N : F L I C K R
C H O C O L A T E B O X : J A S O N S E B B A R B E R : F L I C K R
A N T S A S I M U L A T I O N : D I G I T A L F R O N T I E R S : H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = K N 0 M 4 9 I Q F R C
M E X I C A N W A V E 2 0 1 3 H D : H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = 9 I F C F W S E T D Y
T H E L I V E R P O O L C E N T R A L L I B R A R Y : T E R R Y K E A R N E Y : F L I C K R
C O S C H D A : 4 6 / 3 6 5 : F L I C K R
M I N D T H E G A P : M A R C O L E O : F L I C K R
E A R T H E A S T : N A S A
Y O U H A V E F A I L E D M E B R A I N : R O B O C O L D E C A L : C O P Y R I G H T U N C E R T A I N
T H A N K S G I V I N G P O S T C A R D S - 0 9 5 : A R T V I N T A G E 1 8 0 0 S . E T S Y . C O M : F L I C K R
D Y E : I K A M A Y A M A : F L I C K R
T H E M I R R O R : R I C C A R D O C U P P I N I : F L I C K R
M I R R O R M I R R O R : M A R K O K I V E L A : F L I C K R
R A M B O : W I K I P E D I A
B L A M E : 周 小 逸 I A N : F L I C K R
D O N T B L A M E U S : R E D W O L F O Z : F I C K R
C H I L D E R N P L A Y I N G A T G R E E N W I C H P A R K 4 : V I S I T G R E E N W I C H : F L I C K R
S T O P 1 : T E U N I E V A N H E R N E N : F L I C K R
J A N M A S H T A M I C E L E B R A T I O N S I N M U M B A I , I N D I A : S A N D E E P A C H E T A N : F L I C K R
C O M P A S S S T U D Y : C A L S I D Y R O S E : F L I C K R
R A N D O M S C A L E F R E E N E T W O R K : S I M O N C O C K E L L : F L I C K R
C R Y S T A L C A S T L E G A R D E N W O R K E R S : J O H N : F L I C K R

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