Ways to Improve Your Project With Antifragility

Bruce is the founder of ProjectManagementHacks.com, a resource for growing IT project managers.

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Topics: Agile

The last few months have brought numerous disruptions to the world economy. Many stock markets have struggled. There's increased fear and anxiety about the future of international trade. We must consider how to best respond to the external environment at the project level.

The way we look at these disruptive events is a foundational step. As Frank Herbert memorably wrote in Dune, "Fear is the mind-killer." There are different ways to overcome fear and uncertainty. In my experience, knowledge and fresh perspectives are some of the best ways to address these concerns.

Antifragility for Projects
Nassim Nicholas Taleb introduced the concept of antifragility in his best-selling book Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder. He defines antifragility as follows:

“Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors, and love, adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile. Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness.”

There is a lot to like in the antifragility concept. It acknowledges the reality of stress and disruptions rather than wishing such adverse events would not occur. Antifragility applies effectively to physical fitness. Higher fitness levels can …

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