Riding the Waves of Chaos

I'm blessed to live close to the Atlantic Ocean, where I can frequently visit the beach, and watch the waves. While the general patterns of the tide are somewhat predictable in terms of timing and height (predictable does NOT equal uniform),  the waves themselves can vary dramatically, and the wind adds its own 'spin'. This drives different rates of erosion and rebuilding. Sometime, a major storm will drop in huge loads of sand, and at other times it takes huge bites. More frequently, the changes are subtle. Sometimes, people intervene to make changes.

So what does this have to do with technology leadership?  Let me suggest a two parallels:

• Unpredictable:  While we can partially predict / plan for specific components, the overall system is somewhat chaotic. In the context of technology, we experience interacting cycles of development for the sub-components (servers, storage, networks, etc.).  Each cycle can be somewhat predictable, but the overall effect is somewhat chaotic.
• Sometimes Constructive, Sometimes Destructive: With diligence, good leaders can set a course for these 'waves' to create constructive outcomes. However, the 'best laid plans' will occasionally be thwarted due to an unexpected entry, or an unfortunate 'mixture' of things.

As I've worked in the IT industry for over 20 years, a few ideas have developed to deal with these challenges:

• Establish a Solid Foundation: Prioritize and protect the critical (it will differ by situation), change carefully, regularly re-evaluate / confirm.
• Keep Planning, But Don't Over Plan - For the critical, plan carefully, long and deep, but don't apply the same rigor for everything. That would prevent you from learning about future risk scenarios, that your end users will request / 'find' for you.
• Allow for Errors: As much as possible, leave some 'slack' between compoents that will give some cushion for errors and wiggle room for changes.
• Manage Expectations: Make sure your partners, end users and executives recognize that 'one size DOESN'T fit all', and include them in identifying opportunities and priorities (e.g., where can we try something new, where can we take more risk, where do we need to eliminate risk, etc.)

What are your recommendations for managing through the "chaos"?