Do not be put off by the terminology as it is a technical term - not to be viewed pejoratively. The machine metaphor that has dominated western thinking for generations is now being challenged by the new Complexity Sciences. They view living systems as adaptive organisms, capable of collaborative and evolving action. To succeed in an increasingly complex world, human beings and organisations must embrace systemic thinking, interactive learning and dynamic change.

The term 'edge of chaos' was made popular by researchers at the Santa Fe Institute in America to indicate a phase in the evolution of a complex adaptive system. The concept is conceived as a 'phase transition' in the way water transforms into ice at 0°C. It's where there is a balance between too much rigidity and too much laxity. It represents a critical threshold where self-organization and emergence are dominant processes. Organisations and Coaches now support transformational change by facilitating 'edge of chaos' like conditions.

A State of Tension or Transition Phase
At the 'edge of chaos' we interact and adapt because we are in a state of tension between stability (order) and chaos (disorder). See Bounded Instability. It is through human interaction that groups self-organise to develop, discover and change direction. As a trainer I would judge what I could do to create 'edge of chaos' conditions to maximise their learning and create new mental models.

The tension between order and chaos can be seen as the result of two constantly interacting dynamic processes. The autopoeitic urge which resists change and focuse inwards to retain and recreate an identity and the vital urge of all living things to want to change, to grow and explore the limits of its capability by focusing outwards. They merge ina state of flow, a dance in which the interactions produce unpredictable insights or patterns of behaviour. It is often referred to as loose-tight behaviour, shifting to survive in different environments.

Implications for Coaching
The role of the Change Coach is to contain the anxiety that being in the change zone generates, not to tell the client what to do. What emerges therefore, co-evolves through the richness of the coaching environment and the rules governing the relationship. The coach's role is to stimulate the client's internal feedback mechanisms. If the coach tries to overcontrol the client the relationship becomes unstable and the potential for change is much reduced with existing behaviours continuing to be repeated.

The challenge for change leaders and coaches is how to contain the anxiety and unpredictability of operating at the edge of chaos - not trying to control it. It is at 'the edge' that interesting things happen, where learning is maximised and it is possible to observe rules and patterns in relationships.

Inside the Change Zone
The dynamic nature of relationships when operating in the change zone led Steve Trivett to create his own Dynamic Change Model. In this model there is a set of principles or a vision dimension that focuses energy from the top-down, imposing a way of thinking and the rules governing the interactions of agents in the sysetm. This creates tension as this energy is often opposed by the self-organising energy coming from the bottom-up as the agents in the system develop their own culture or spontaneous ways of working.

Another source of tension is generated by intelligent agents in a human system. Their impact on the system is variable depending on the inside-out energy that reflects their individual capability in response to the conditions that influence the amount of outside-in energy or feedback from their environment.

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