One of the more interesting extensions of Chaos theory is that it is impossible to plot all the possible outcomes of an action or a series of actions. The "law of unintended consequences" is a statement that should be taken to heart by all project managers. While the act of planning allows a time line to be drawn up along with risks and issues to be identified it should always be remembered that the plan in itself is nothing more than a set of assumptions that reality will blow away.
The use of Agile tools can reduce the impact of this law by building teams and processes that can react to new information and changes in assumptions a lot quicker than more traditional processes.By building teams that can act on information as it arises rather than needing to assimilate that data back into a central plan allows the project to morph and grow and as long as the key principles are maintained then the project will be successful.
