My initial interest in the relevance of evolutionary theory was specifically in a field known as evolutionary epistemology. In its simplest form, this views the evolutionary process as a type of learning process, one involving the selective acquisition and retention of information, happening at multiple levels of scale. In the context of PhD research, evolutionary epistemology was used as a means of understanding organisational learning within organisations, and more specifically, in the operations of a large NGO in Bangladesh (Davies, 1998). It also helped generate two practical proposals – one being a means of participatory impact monitoring and the other being a participatory approach to the exploration of alternate futures. Both involved a particular social implementation of the evolutionary search algorithm: variation, selection and reproduction. The main intellectual influences here…
In today’s post, I am looking at storytelling. We are sometimes referred to as Homo Narrans or humans who tell stories. Storytelling, oral or otherwise, is part of our culture, and part of who we are. Joseph Campbell, the American literary professor, talks about the universal nature of all stories in his famous book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell’s thesis, like those of the ancients—and as put forth also, but in different ways, by Freud, Jung, and others—is that by entering and transforming the personal psyche, the surrounding culture, the life of the family, one’s relational work, and other matters of life can be transformed too. Campbell’s ideas have been distilled into the famous Hero’s Journey. Loosely put, this story structure describes a hero who starts off as ordinary, faces adversities, goes through a transformation, and in the end becomes triumphant. I am inspired by Campbell’s work…
In today’s post, I am looking at the idea of complexity from a second order Cybernetics standpoint. The phrase “only when you realize you are blind, can you see”, is a paraphrase of a statement from the great Heinz von Foerster. I have talked about von Foerster in many of my posts, and he is one of my heroes in Cybernetics. There is no one universally accepted definition for complexity. Haridimos Tsoukas and Mary Jo Hatch wrote a very insightful paper called “Complex Thinking, Complex Practice”. In the paper, they try to address how to explain complexity. They refer to the works of John Casti and C. H. Waddington to further their ideas:
Waddington notes that complexity has something to do with the number of components of a system as well as with the number of ways in which they can be related… Casti defines complexity as being ‘directly proportional…
Imagine that you are on your daily walk in the park. You see a monkey on a park bench, busily typing away. You become curious as to what is happening. You slowly approach him from behind, and try to see what is being typed on the paper. Strange enough, what you see typed on the paper so far is legible prose; complete with grammar and semantics. What could be an explanation for this phenomenon?
This example was given by the great anthropologist cybernetician, Gregory Bateson. He used the example to explain “cybernetic explanation”, as he termed it. He said:
Causal explanation is usually positive. We say that billiard ball B moved in such and such a direction because billiard ball A hit it at such and such an angle. In contrast to this, cybernetic explanation is always negative… In cybernetic language, the course of events is said to be subject…
In today’s post I am looking at “Design” from a cybernetics viewpoint. My inspirations for today’s post are Ross Ashby, Stafford Beer, Klaus Krippendorff, Paul Pangaro and Ranulph Glanville. The concept I was originally playing around was how the interface of a device conveys the message to the user on how to interact with the device. For example, if you see a button, you are invited to press on it. In a similar vein, if you see a dial, you know to twist the dial up or down. By looking at the ideas of cybernetics, I feel that we can expand upon this further.
Ross Ashby, one of the pioneers of Cybernetics defined variety as the number of possible elements(states) of a system. A stoplight, for example, generally has three states (Red, Green and Yellow). Additional states are possible, such as (blinking red, no light, simultaneous combinations of two or…
In today’s post, I am writing about Genchi Genbutsu and drawing. “Genchi Genbutsu” is an important concept in Lean/Toyota Production System. It can be translated as going to the actual place (gemba) to see, and grasp the situation. There are different translations to this such as “Boots on the ground” and “Go and See”.
I have been recently researching on how artists “see” things. When an arts teacher trains students, the most important lesson the teacher can teach is to not think of the object when you draw. For example, if you are not a natural artist, when you draw a face, you will draw what “you” think an eye looks like in your mind. The same for the nose, lips etc. You are not drawing what you are seeing, instead you are drawing what you think they look like in your mind, even though the subject is right…
The Art of Systemic Learning and Practice | Susu Nousala | Spring 2020
Systems Thinking
systemic-design
daviding
9d
It’s a rare opportunity to see 100-minute lecture by Susu Nousala available on web video. Now in Helsinki waiting for the pandemic shutdown to abate so that she can return to Tongji University in Shanghai, @s.nousala was recorded on a web lecture to the Unitedworld Institute of Design, at Karnavati University in Guharat, India.
Some established and also novel techniques in the field of applications of algorithmic (Kolmogorov) complexity currently co-exist for the first time and are here reviewed, ranging from dominant ones such as statistical lossless compression to newer approaches that advance, complement and also pose new challenges and may exhibit their own limitations. Evidence suggesting that these different methods complement each other for different regimes is presented and despite their many challenges, some of these methods can be better motivated by and better grounded in the principles of algorithmic information theory. It will be explained how different approaches to algorithmic complexity can explore the relaxation of different necessary and sufficient conditions in their pursuit of numerical applicability, with some of these approaches entailing greater risks than others in exchange for greater relevance. We conclude with a discussion of possible directions that may or should be…
Agenda (Systems, Viable Systems Model [VSM] and book intro session) 6-8 PM/EST (11 PM-1 AM London/UK):
Steve Morlidge will be present with us from London, UK on our 28th July Meetup session to introduce to you the book “A little illustrated book of Organization” and talk to us in detail about its purpose and what it has to offer.
• Cover his views on Systems Thinking [ST], Viable Systems Model [VSM] and other complexity ideas • Intro his book to the group • Q&A on questions raised and clarifications asked • How the book club will be organized – dates and next steps
A little illustrated book of Organization
The book can be previewed at the link below where you can browse and read portions of the book to evaluate participating in the book club/review process mentioned below.
The book is presented in a form where each topic is well-illustrated to cover knowledge in this vast-topic area, equivalent to reading a score of books in these topics.
Book club, book review session, and final closeout session with the author in September:
We will follow the introduction with a book club with participants who are willing to form a study group and meet weekly to discuss parts of the book. Participants will be provided a special link to buy the draft version of the book for a pre-intro price of USD$5 each. On purchase of the book and sign up for the book review program, we will meet every week after pre-reading a certain of the chapters to discuss what we have synthesized and also funnel back to Steve our ideas, questions, and feedback on his book. This will go on for 5-6 weeks (dates and times TBD) after which we will bring Steve back in September for a final Q&A meeting (timing TBD) to discuss the book review and provide him with feedback and for him to answer questions that we have on his work.
About Steve:
Steve Morlidge has 30 years of practical experience in designing and running performance management systems in Unilever, including three years leading a Beyond Budgeting initiative for the company. He has been associated with our network since its inception and is a former chairman of the European Beyond Budgeting Round Table. He now works as a management thinker, writer, and speaker, drawing on his years of experience at the leading edge of performance management thought and practice and is a member of the non-executive Core Team of the Beyond Budgeting Institute. Steve Morlidge published Future Ready: How to Master Business Forecasting, John Wiley, 2010, and ‘The Little Book of Beyond Budgeting’ published by Matador in 2017. He is on the editorial board of Foresight, a forecasting practitioner’s journal published by the International Institute of Forecasting to which he regularly contributes. He is also a co-founder of CatchBull, a supplier of forecasting performance management software for the Supply Chain. Steve Morlidge is a visiting fellow at Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, UK, and has a Ph.D. from Hull Business School in Yorkshire, the UK on the application of systems concepts to the design of complex organizations. He completed his BA with honors and is a qualified management accountant (CIMA).
1School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
2Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
The self-regulatory executive function (S-REF) model explains the role of strategic processes and metacognition in psychological disorder and was a major influence on the development of metacognitive therapy. The model identifies a universal style of perseverative negative processing termed the cognitive attentional syndrome (CAS), comprised of worry, rumination, and threat monitoring in the development of disorder. The CAS is linked to dysfunctional metacognitions that include beliefs and plans for regulating cognition. In this paper, I extend the theoretical foundations necessary to support further research on mechanisms linking metacognition to cognitive regulation and effective treatment. I propose a metacognitive control system (MCS) of the S-REF that can be usefully distinguished from cognition and is comprised of multiple structures, information, and processes. The MCS monitors and controls activity of the cognitive system and regulates the behavior of neural networks whose activities bias the way cognition is experienced. Metacognitive information involved in the regulation of on-line processing includes metacognitive beliefs, metacognitive procedural commands, and more transient cybernetic code. Separation of the cognitive and metacognitive systems and modeling their relationship presents major implications concerning what should be done in therapy and how it should be done. The paper concludes with an in-depth consideration of methods that strengthen the psychological basis of psychotherapy and aid in understanding and applying metacognitive therapy in particular. Finally, limitations of the model and implications for future research on self-awareness, self-regulation, and metacognition are discussed.
Introduction
Throughout the last 25 years, the Self-Regulatory Executive Function (S-REF) model (Wells and Matthews, 1994, 1996) has stimulated a large volume of research on cognitive control processes in psychological disorder and is the grounding of an effective psychological treatment: metacognitive therapy (MCT: Wells, 1995, 2009). In this paper, I consider the central principles of the model in light of recent evidence and expand on the functional components of its metacognitive control system. The aim is to provide a theoretical framework to stimulate and advance future research on varieties of metacognitive information, processes, and structures in psychological disorder, self-awareness, and treatment.
It’s my opinion there’s some element or confusion or missing step in this otherwise powerful analysis. I’d value contributions, preferably commetning on twitter or Medium.
twitter thread:
A loose network absorbs shock; a tightly coupled one transmits it. The more complex systems get — the more tightly coupled their component parts. https://t.co/UuYwf7rxjC
Science and technology studies, or science, technology and society studies (both abbreviated STS) is the study of how society, politics, and culture affect scientific research and technological innovation, and how these, in turn, affect society, politics and culture.
We are continuing with our virtual events using Zoom. As we are running sessions every month, we will send out a notification each month with the next couple of months’ events included. We are continuing to alternate a Development Event and an Open Event. There is also a networking event a week after the Open Event (details in next mailing).
Our second members-only Virtual Development Event is in a couple of weeks’ time on the evening of 10th August. Our second open-to-all Virtual Open Meeting is in about seven weeks’ time on 14th September.
SCiO’s Development Days offer an opportunity to draw upon the collective expertise of SCiO members in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. By taking Development Events online, using the Zoom meeting platform, we aim to make them accessible to more SCiO members
Development Events are both for members who are just starting out on a journey to explore systems thinking approaches, and for those who have many years of exploration and practice.
We use break-out rooms within Zoom to keep group sizes friendly and interactive. Each ‘room’ is facilitated by SCiO members who have experience of systems thinking principles and practice. Following brief introductions, groups will discuss three topics, proposed and selected by attendees, which will then be briefly introduced and discussed. During these discussions your confidentiality and IP rights (where relevant) will be fully respected.
Please book via the website (www.systemspractice.org). Members booking prior to 4th August are invited to propose topics for discussion (optional) and to take part in a poll to choose which topics are selected for discussion at the 10th August event. Please provide a title and a brief (75 words or less) description of your proposed topic. Please email lesley.rowan@systempractice.org by clicking on the ‘book’ button and complete these details.
Note that introductions should not exceed 5 minutes and it is important also to consider what you want from the session. Not all proposed topics can be selected but we encourage you to take part even if yours is not.
Members booking after 4th August are still welcome to book to take part. Booking will close on 9th August.
A Zoom meeting invitation will be sent to all booked members.
or via the SCiO website (www.systemspractice.org). The sessions and Q&As will be recorded. Zoom details will be send out 24 hours before the meeting and again 2 hours before.
The programme for the virtual Open Meeting on 14 September is as follows:
18:50 – Session 1 (presentation followed by Q & A ) – Steve Whitla – Creating shared meaning for systemic change
19:40 – Session 2 (presentation followed by Q & A) – Ray Ison – The hidden power of Systems Thinking – governance in a climate emergency
20:25 – Summary and close
More details of speakers and sessions:
Session 1 – Creating shared meaning for systemic change – Steve Whitla
Language is often a problem in complex organisational change, with different departments and stakeholder groups using the same words to mean different things, and using different words to mean the same thing.
As systems practitioners, we are constantly building models of organisations and their environments, but we too bring our own language and assumptions, and it’s often apparent that the models we create to tame complexity make little sense to those affected by it.
· What would happen if we set out to represent systems in ways that maximised shared meaning for diverse audiences?
· What might the consequences be, if a general audience affected by a systemic pattern had a simple, intuitive way of seeing, understanding, and sharing it with others?
This talk by Steve Whitla will provide a simple model for how we think about shared meaning, the pre-conditions necessary to create it, and some practical suggestions on how to bring systems models to life.
About Steve Whitla
Steve Whitla is the founder and director of Visual Meaning, a consultancy that draws together systems thinking and visual thinking for organisational change, and the co-author of the recently published Visualising Business Transformation (Routledge, 2020).
Session 2 – The hidden power of Systems Thinking – governance in a climate emergency – Ray Ison
In the age of the Anthropocene the need for new ways of thinking and acting has become urgent. But patterns of obstacles are apparent in any action, be they corporate interests, lobbyists, or outdated political and government systems.
In this presentation Professor Ray Ison will show how and why failure in governance is at the heart of the collective incapacity to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies. He will go beyond the analysis of the problem and demonstrate how incorporating systems thinking into governance at every level would enable us to break free of historical shackles.
The talk will also highlight some of the systemic failures of contemporary governance systems. A new generic governance system with three additional elements is proposed. To make the new system functional, effective, recovery of our systemic sensibilities, investment in cybersystemic literacy and systems thinking in practice (STiP) capability is needed. In addition to praxis reform old institutions that restrict STiP will have to be discarded and new institutions invented, Ray proposes 26 principles for designing/enacting systemic governance.
About Professor Ray Ison
Ray Ison is a Professor of Systems at the Open University since 1994, his research and scholarship spans the biophysical and social and is primarily interdisciplinary and collaborative. At the Open University, he was the head of the former Systems Department and Director of the Environmental Decision Making Program.
In addition to this he is also involved in: (i) managing and presenting the post-graduate program in Systems Thinking in Practice (STiP) and undertaking associated Systems scholarship; (ii) contributing to the activities of the Applied Systems Thinking in Practice (ASTiP) Group, including leading an initiative to create a LEVEL 7 (Masters) Apprenticeship for the Systems Thinking Practitioner based on the UK Apprenticeship Levy and (iii) undertaking international research.
See also: Past Open Meetings Videos (Members only)
While you are in lockdown could be a good time to watch videos of previous Open Meeting Sessions. These videos of many past Open Meetings are available on the website – mostly for members only. The videos from the sessions are in the resources section as sessions. If you want to find just the sessions with attachments, select “resource type – sessions” and “attachments – yes”. For each session the videos are visible as a video icon at the RH side of the blue bar under the main item. Other links/attachments also appear there.
to email them: https://thesystemstudio.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89fce6d309dd2c3bf267c2848&id=e39ed9f88f&e=8f21bfcb89
their twitter: https://thesystemstudio.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=89fce6d309dd2c3bf267c2848&id=6daa1c9338&e=8f21bfcb89
TOP LINKS & INSPIRATION ON SYSTEMS CHANGE
We are amid a major moment in response to structural and systemic anti-black racism and violence and to how COVID is laying bare inequities, highlighting the intersectional nature of this crisis. We are committed to our on-going learning and practicing in ways that center equity, decenter dominant systems, and that name systemic violence.
Coming up: We will launch another round of our virtual program Interrogating Whiteness for systems leaders with key leaders and thought partners. We are launching a publication series featuring incredible leaders that will share key insights & practices that support centering equity and ‘working across difference’ for systems change.
We have been working on Illuminate – an International Systems Change Field Building project. As part of this we are launching new learning cohorts and an inquiry into the role of ‘Bridgers’ in systems change.
We launched a special Systems Sisterhood virtual Retreat so our Sisterhood Alumni could journey together through April and May of the COVID pandemic. We were joined by wonderful speakers Lopon Charlotte Rotterdam to introduce transformation practice, Melanie Goodchild on Healing in and Decolonizing systems practice, Marilyn Struthers on Reflections on the Long-view and Vanessa Reid on Sense making during transitions.
We’ve been teaching Systems Change 101 and Systems Mapping with The Beneficial State Foundation. And we are just about to launch a learning ecosystem pilot in partnership with Be The Peace focussed on addressing systemic gender based violence in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Rick Davies (Dr), Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant, Cambridge, United Kingdom | UK. Websites: http://www.mande.co.uk and http://richardjdavies.wordpress.com/ | Twitter: @MandE_NEWS | rick.davies@gmail.com Skype: rickjdavies
Systems Community of Inquiry 
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