via Virtual Book Launch: “The Hidden Power of Systems Thinking” Tickets, Thu 16 Apr 2020 at 16:00 | Eventbrite

APR 16

Virtual Book Launch: “The Hidden Power of Systems Thinking”

by The Open University, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathem…

Event Information

Join us for a virtual book launch of “The Hidden Power of Systems Thinking – Governing in a Climate Emergency”

About this Event

Please join us virtually on YouTube and Facebook live for the launch of the publication of “The Hidden Power of Systems Thinking – Governing in a Climate Emergency”. We have invited panel members from several governance contexts whose experiences are relevant to the book.

‘The authors’ thesis is that it is only through new systems of governance and new ways of thinking and acting that the human world can manage the climate and associated emergencies. It may be that the Covid-19 has knocked some sense into the those maintaining the current world order sufficient to grasp that the systems we have are but the systems we have, all are human inventions, and all can be reinvented. We explore how and why contemporary governance is failing. New elements in a governance system are needed: the biosphere, social purpose and the Technosphere. Failures of governance go beyond damaging our habitat to damaging inequalities in power, wealth and well-being. Preferential lobbying thrives. Ramshackle political processes are no match for these challenges.

Systems Thinking in Practice is now well into its stride in many settings. We have concluded that applied effectively it would provide the answer. This is a big claim. The book is much more than a critique of the status quo. It details 26 principles for systemic governing. These would form the core of amended constitutions. But just as Shakespeare needs a great cast to do justice to his scripts, so these new systems have to be operated by people who understand the theories of systems thinking and how to apply them in practice. The book describes the what and how of recovering systemic sensibility, acquiring systems literacy and investing in systems thinking in practice capability.

The book has been described as a persuasive, lively book that shows how systems thinking can be harnessed to effect profound, complex change. We would welcome, very much, your feedback on these proposals – and those of many others working to create a sustainable and fair world – and how they can be brought to fruition.

After a welcome from our two authors, Dr Kevin Collins will MC

We have lined up a very exciting panel for you, including:

Professor Eileen Munro from the London School of Economics

Professor John Naughton Director, Press Fellowship, Wolfson College, Cambridge

Dr Julian Corner, CEO of Lankelly Chase

And Dr Piret Tõnurist of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

After each panel member shares their points of view, we will open up to questions both via comment or by emailing STEM-News@open.ac.uk and will share an exclusive discount code to give you 20% off your purchase of the book.

If you cannot join us on the day, recordings will be available to watch on YouTube (search for The Open University: STEM) or on Facebook (@theopenuniversitySTEM) and questions sent to STEM-News@open.ac.uk and response sent within a few days.

Book at: Virtual Book Launch: “The Hidden Power of Systems Thinking” Tickets, Thu 16 Apr 2020 at 16:00 | Eventbrite

via Values and systems again – GentlySerious – Medium

A series of pieces on coevolving.com from January-March of this year, which I’ll be linking out one per week (but all are on David Ing’s blog already). Here is 3/5

via Why (Intervene in) Systems Changes? – Coevolving Innovations

“all the learnings to support you through this transition”

goodies in this newsletter

• learning: methods for the systems change framework
• learning: power in the system
• external learning: grounded hosting and engagement online w/ beehive production

+ starts easter monday – act fast!

• let’s experiment!
• facilitation and hosting guides for online events

dear systems community,

i’ve been grateful that in the last few days, my state of being is slowly shifting, from one of despair and overwhelm to inspiration and expansion.  this is coming from unexpected conversation, connections and dreaming up the future with others and i’m so grateful for it.  in this shift, i’m reminded of this quote from picasso…

inspiration exists, but it must find you working

so we’re transforming here at the systems school. i’m thinking of this less as ‘pivot’ or even adaptation, and more that we’re finding a state of flow within the complexity, bearing witness to the transformation and seeking out the energy and momentum that will carry us forward. it’s presenting us with some pretty incredible opportunities, and we hope you’ll come join us.

yours in learning.

seanna
director, the systems school
upcoming online learning events

systems methods for the systems change framework
an exciting collaboration, with all-star systems thinker dr.fiona mckenzie, director of orange compass https://www.orangecompass.com.au.  in this series we’re getting right down to practice.  each week, we will teach how to apply a systems method for one aspect of the systems change framework http://bit.ly/systemschangeframework.  you will receive facilitation guides to apply the methods, and additional resources to support your learning.

dates: wednesdays 11:00-12:30pm (melbourne time), starting may 6th for 9 weeks
zoom platform, recordings available
sliding scale fees, starting at $350+

• week 1 – introduction to the systems change framework and systemic change
• week 2 – systems practices
• week 3 – purposeful engagement
• week 4 – reflect, learn, adapt
• week 5 – define situation
• week 6 – gain clarity
• week 7 – find leverage
• week 8 – act strategically
• week 9 – ‘ask me anything’ session

register (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/systems-methods-for-the-systems-change-framework-tickets-102232185218)

power in the system
we’re working with superstar facilitator lina patel (https://au.linkedin.com/in/linaxpatel) to bring you this very special offering.  originally planning for an in-person learning event we’re pivoting online to bring this content to you now as we all wrestle with how to engage in these new ways of working.

in this weekly virtual learning series, we will explore and unpack issues of power within the practice of systems thinking each thursday from 11:00am – 12:30pm melbourne time beginning may 28th

• week 1 – how and why is power so critically important to our work in systems?
• week 2 –  how can we examine power in systems thinking?
• week 3 – how is power showing up in OUR system? How can we adapt and become more power literate?

register (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/power-in-the-system-tickets-100456594378)

grounded online hosting and engagement – by beehive productions (https://beehive-productions.net/)

**starts easter monday**
discount available – email seanna(mailto:seanna@thesystemsschool.org?subject=i%20want%20to%20register%20for%20the%20beehive%20course) – we have a group of 3 already registering for a 30% discount

our friends at beehive productions are putting on a great learning series on grounded online hosting and engagement:

“As we find ourselves adapting to a new reality, finding alternative ways to socialize, do our work, and stay in contact with loved ones near and far, many of us are going beyond the initial panic and starting to realize the incredible potential of working online.

How we meet and host each other online is more important now than ever, whether the groups we are hosting are large or small. It can be a deeply meaningful experience or it can be very frustrating. This intensive is designed to minimize the frustration and maximize the value of our online engagements.”

see more details here (https://beehive-productions.mykajabi.com/GroundedResponse)

folks here’s what we know:

• the way we are connecting and working together is rapidly changing and we need to develop skills to do this well
• our meta systems are transforming and breaking open to new possibilities but we need to be active participants in rebuilding these
• we have so much to learn from traditional ways of knowing, now is the time to honour, respect and engage with these practices
• our future possibilities are ALL of ours, to dream into being

incredibly talented folks are coming into conversation to create an experiment and we’d like to invite you to participate.  we’re creating a space to engage with everything i’ve noted above, all while recognizing this as an experiment.

we are in it for the learning, not the precision
we are in it for the connection, not the perfected outcomes
we are in it for the momentum building, not the answer
sign me up for the experiment (mailto:seanna@thesystemsschool.org?subject=sign%20me%20up%20for%20the%20experiment)
good practices for hosting online

i recently held a session and share some insight on hosting online, and in preparing for that came across a number of excellent resources others had already put together.  check them out:

• the definitive guide to hosting remote workshops (https://issuu.com/muralapp/docs/the_definitive_guide_to_facilitatin)
• ten tools for digital engagement  (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/531e5bf9e4b030d9a20a6177/t/5e72a8cddbc5156b756ab5da/1584572631941/10+Digital+Engagement+Tools_MODUS+Engagement+Toolkit.pdf)
• keeping social innovation social  (https://www.tacsi.org.au/journal/keeping-social-innovation-social/?)
• collaborating remotely visual cheatsheet (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iLaUVXYkXEHM2FzWyDjddzZnC0emKeNX/view) by nicole howard

here (https://drive.google.com/file/d/16KIKMiLftq54sRGG75BJ1ISFRAJcjMoo/view) are the slides i shared in the session.

Set up by Rob Young – useful links and a place for systems community conversations

via COVID-19 Resources (Systems Community) | Groups | Facebook

via Centre for Systems Philosophy

Systems Philosophy is the philosophical component of Systemology, the transdisciplinary field concerned with the scientific study of all kinds of systems. In general terms Systems Philosophy arose out of the need to develop a scientific worldview that reflected the realization that everything in the concrete world is a system or part of one, with “system” being understood as “a whole that functions as a whole in virtue of the relationship between its parts”. The implication of this insight is that to properly understand something we have to understand not only its composition (as in the classical reductionistic approach), but also the relationships between its parts, between the parts and the whole, and between the whole and its environment. This calls for a change in perspective in how we conceptualise, study and engage with the concrete world. The central aim of Systems Philosophy is to articulate the systems worldview and find ways to use it to help solve important problems in science, philosophy and society.

Systems Philosophy arose specifically in the context of a search for a worldview that would appropriately reflect not only the physical complexity of the world but also the meaning, value and dignity of life and culture. The central ambition of systems philosophers from the outset has been to contribute in practical ways to scientific and humanistic efforts to build societies grounded in the values of justice, freedom, social welfare and environmental stewardship.

Key publications – http://www.systemsphilosophy.org/recommended-reading.html

History and development – http://www.systemsphilosophy.org/history-and-development-of-systems-philosophy.html

Scope – http://www.systemsphilosophy.org/scope-of-systems-philosophy.html

via ME_WE game | Inspire people to adhere to the new existential concept of the Me-We-World through gamification.

Dialogue is sought by M. Nadin – https://www.nadin.ws/

Machine Intelligence – A Chimera. AI & Society. London: Springer Verlag (Springer Nature) 2018, pp. 1-28

Rethinking the experiment: a necessary (R)evolution, AI & Society 33:4, pp 467–485. New York/London: Springer. 2018

Rethinking the Experiment. https://arxiv.org/abs/1612.02491

Machine Intelligence – A Chimera. AI & Society. Heidelberg: Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s00146-018-0842-8

http://www.nadin.ws/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Machine_Intelligence_Chimera_AI-society.pdf

Medicine: The Decisive Test of Anticipation, Anticipation and Medicine. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishers, 2016, pp. 1-27 (978-1482208191)

https://www.nadin.ws/archives/2926

G-Complexity, Quantum Computation and Anticipatory Processes, Computer Communication & Collaboration, 2:1, 2014, 16-34. (DOIC: 2292-1036-2014-01-003-18).

https://www.nadin.ws/archives/2220

The Intractable and the Undecidable – Computation and Anticipatory Processes, International Journal of Applied Research on Information Technology and Computing, 4:3, 2013, 99-121.

Predictive and Anticipatory Computing, in Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology, Second Edition DOI: 10.1081/E-ECST2-120054027
Copyright © 2017 by Taylor & Francis.

https://www.nadin.ws/archives/2972

via (PDF) G-Complexity, Quantum Computation and Anticipatory Processes

G-Complexity, Quantum Computation and Anticipatory Processes

A little bit of a confusing hodge-podge – a centre set up by Skoll at the Said Business School at Oxford University, which seems to have suddenly sprung to life with both a newsletter (copied at bottom) which links to a blog page (copied below) which has a bit of a different set of links.

via Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship | SCO – Initial Convening

SYSTEMS CHANGE OBSERVATORY

SCO – Initial Convening

Latest blog update from the Skoll Centre’s main research initiative, the Systems Change Observatory.

In March 2019, we had a daylong session that integrated in-person attendance with contributions from participants around the world. This meeting incorporated opinions from previously conducted unstructured interviews to identify the most relevant issues and concerns regarding systems change among this first round of Observatory contributors.

The discussions raised were far from exhaustive. The value of this study lies in starting an exploration of topics that have not yet been systematically studied and understood with practitioners who, despite sharing similar concerns, are approaching problems differently.

Emergent themes

From our discussions, four key themes emerged:

1. Definitions and conceptions of systems change
2. The intersections of systems change, social entrepreneurship, and scaling solutions
3. Implementing systems change
4. Measurement and evaluation of systems change interventions.

The first two refer to the connections between systems change, social entrepreneurship and scaling-up an intervention in the social impact space.

The last two themes consider the principles for designing and implementing systems change activities and the challenges in setting up measurement and evaluation instruments for system change interventions. Given the diverse experiences of our interviewees, our findings highlight different mechanisms, challenges and prospects to positively drive and evaluate system change. We will share snapshots on these themes to map relevant issues and spark deeper conversations.

Looking ahead

One of the salient issues in systems change work is the relative lack of over-time data on ventures that pursue a systems approach to social innovation. This limits our understanding of how system change is conceived and pursued to address a wide range of challenges. Beyond this initial study, the SCO intends to explore what happens in the life-course of these ventures, shedding light on aggregate patterns across ventures and over time.

The SCO can contribute by providing key outputs on systems change in action. This includes identifying the skills required to engage in systems change, approaches and pathways to change that organisations follow over time and their experience with implementation. This can help entrepreneurs identify what skills to build and activities in which to engage.

The ambition of the SCO is to add value to the field by keeping in mind the relevance of our research for our stakeholders. We intend to offer value by leveraging our academic skills to undertake translational research in order to produce, compile, and disseminate knowledge that can be useful for academics and practitioners in the field of systems change.

Stay up to date with the latest news and research insights from the Systems Change Observatory, sign up to receive the newsletter.

FEBRUARY 10, 2020/BY SKOLL CENTRE

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Why research matters for social entrepreneurship

via SIGNAL@cocreative.com

Dear Systems Change Allies, Thank you for joining us for the SIGNAL: Fostering the Emergence of System Leadership Worldwide session, part of the Skoll 2020 Virtual Forum. We’re inspired by the interest and momentum in exploring together how we might support people doing systems change work around the world. SIGNAL is a step toward gaining actionable insight into what these diverse folks need to deepen, quicken, and sustain their work on our most complex challenges. Would you like to get involved in SIGNAL? Please let us know. As we shared in the session, SIGNAL is a collaborative research initiative and as we advance the project, we want to connect more and more partners into the learning, sharing, and action. Would you like to learn more about SIGNAL? Here’s how: Get the information deck we shared online, which also includes some information on Illuminate, the parent initiative of SIGNAL (and you can learn more about Illuminate here). You’ll find more information about SIGNAL plans and partners, as well as some early insights from our first interviews. See and share the recording of the session. Skim and comment on the session outputs in this shared document, including participant reflections, resources shared during the session, and more about who attended—and feel free to comment and add more! You can find out more about the session’s presenters here: Norma Rodriguez, Skoll Foundation Laura Winn, Forum for the Future and School of System Change Seema Patel, Global Knowledge Initiative Russ Gaskin, CoCreative Pape Samb, Ashoka Africa Joshua Cubista, Social Innovation Institute Florian Rutsch, Ashoka Paulo Savaget, Systems Change Observatory, Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford Annabel Membrillo, Institute for Strategic Clarity and Vibrancy Network Mary Tangelder, Mastercard Foundation Ruth Rominger, Garfield Foundation In gratitude and collaboration, The SIGNAL Collective P.S. See some of what emerged below, more in our shared notes. Please note: This is the only email you’ll receive about SIGNAL unless you opted in to receiving future project updates. Visual scribing by Katherine Haugh at Global Knowledge Initiative. “In one work, what’s one value you’re bringing to our session today?” “Where are you joining from today?”

(WAS listed as 6pm)

Guest speakers

Rika Preiser

Ray Ison

Louis Klein

via Systems Thinking & Sustainability – Systems Innovation

A massive expansion in demographics, technology, and economic activity has ushered in the age of the Anthropocene as the new reality of the 21st century. As more of us pack into cities, as technology becomes ever more pervasive and we alter Earth systems on an ever-larger scale, the systems that now surround us and coordinate our everyday lives are no longer given by nature but instead created by us. The complex sustainability challenges of a water crisis, energy transition, climate change or pollution are the product of the very systems we create and support our way of life, with these systems in turn created and sustained by our ways of looking at the world, our paradigm. This insight has lead many to the conclusion that a shift to a more sustainable world will start with a shift in our ways of thinking to a way that helps us to better see and act in relation to the whole – the promise of systems thinking. In this talk we will explore the relationship between systems thinki

(View Full Event Description Here: https://systemsinnovation.io/event/systems-thinking-sustainability/)

From the same source as ‘the Threshold Concept’ (https://stream.syscoi.com/2019/12/03/the-threshold-concept-an-introduction-and-overview-to-the-concept/) – the wonderful Martin McNamara at UCD (@celticowl):

via Theory – Legitimation Code Theory (How To Teach Powerful Things)

Semantic Waves

Semantic waves – repack!

I’m usually pretty allergic to discussions about map/territory relationships – they usually devolve to being as simplistic as the average discussion about ‘mental models’ (to which my default response is: there aren’t models and they aren’t mental, but it’s a 50%-decent metaphor) – but this is a good summary.

via Map–territory relation – Wikipedia

As so often, the best insight is in the Bateson quote:

We say the map is different from the territory. But what is the territory? Operationally, somebody went out with a retina or a measuring stick and made representations which were then put on paper. What is on the paper map is a representation of what was in the retinal representation of the man who made the map; and as you push the question back, what you find is an infinite regress, an infinite series of maps. The territory never gets in at all. … Always, the process of representation will filter it out so that the mental world is only maps of maps, ad infinitum.

See also:

https://stream.syscoi.com/2019/12/28/a-curriculum-for-meta-rationality-what-they-dont-teach-you-at-stem-school-meaningness-and-some-summary-posts-on-david-chapmans-ideas/

Perhaps not truly systems thinking but a powerful set of practices.

The groan zone journey: https://amandafenton.com/2013/12/the-groan-zone-journey/

Seven little helpers for dialogue and action: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/seven-little-helpers-for-dialogue-and-action-part-5-make-a-wise-decision/

Breath pattern: https://www.mnartofhosting.com/breath-pattern.html

Core concepts: http://francois.thunus.org/aohCoreConcepts.htm

via Core Art of Hosting Practices – The Art of Hosting