The approach of systems thinking is different from that of traditional forms of thinking. Traditionally in organisational life we work and think with a silo frame of mind. Systems thinking, in contrast, focuses on how the whole system interacts with other parts both in terms of process and people. This results in sometimes strikingly different thinking and therefore decisions.
Systems thinking is extremely effective in thinking about and navigating complex issues. For you as a group of Change Makers seeing the system as a whole and not just where you are in it, can be really useful in planning what to do and then what to do next.
Everything in this section will help you to see the system through a different lens.
Hear Fiona talking about the importance of the whole system approach below.
Resource: Seeing Systems
In his book Seeing Systems, Barry Oshry talks about Tops, Middles, Bottoms and Customers. On first reading I wondered if this was just too simple in terms of helping to understand the tangle, the drama and the chaos that can be organisational life.
However, if you want to get the full impact of the learning then reading the complete book is recommended. There are a number of headlines that can really support a different way of seeing things and understanding and developing empathy for others.
The central tenet of the book is that in certain interactions we are either Tops, Middles, Bottoms or Customers. Tops have overall responsibility for some piece of the action, Bottoms are on the receiving end of initiatives over which they have no control, and Middles are caught between conflicting demands and priorities. And in other interactions we are Customers, looking to some other person or group for a product or service we need.
So, even in the most complex, multi-level, multifunctional organisations, we are all constantly moving in and out of Top/Middle/Bottom/Customer conditions and contexts.
Useful for
- Examining where you are in the system and the impact this has on your communication and interactions with others
- Mapping where others are in the system and having empathy for them and their position
- Planning the steps that you can take to improve your influence
Resource: Seeing Systems
Helpful additional information
-
- This can also be a useful lens to view your Transactional Analysis score. Do you behave differently when you are a Top, a Middle or a Bottom?
- Read a review of the whole book here: https://fionamacneill.com/seeing-systems-reviewed/
Resource: Emotions of Change
The Change Curve is a popular and powerful model used to understand the stages of personal transition and system change. It helps you to think about how people might respond to change.
Experience, patterns of behaviour and current emotional state underpins how people will respond to change. So, understanding the differences in behaviours and emotional responses can help leaders and change makers respond appropriately by looking to get the best from people.
It’s important to remember that these are ‘normal’ and ‘natural’ responses to change and it’s only the part of getting stuck in the unhelpful states that should be any cause for concern.
Useful for
- Identifying your own emotional response to change
- Identifying the emotional responses of others to change
- Engaging others in an open conversation about where they are and how they can shift
- Planning for significant change
Resource: Emotions of Change
Helpful additional information
Listen to Joshua Freedman talking about the emotions of change.
Resource: Stakeholder Engagement Map
Stakeholder mapping is a process of finding out the key stakeholders relating to a project, an outcome or an intention. The process involves identifying all individuals who have an interest. A stakeholder can be one individual or multiple individuals as in the case of larger projects. Once all the stakeholders are identified, the idea is to map or categorise them according to different levels of engagement, influence, interest and power.
By influence, it means stakeholders have power in setting and modifying requirements. On the other hand, interest means that stakeholders are affected by the project outcome but they do not have any power to influence project requirements.
With the tool that we have provided you have a series of images that can be used to represent the feelings of the stakeholders as well as their level of influence represented by the size of the pieces. Once you have fully mapped the stakeholders, you need to create an action plan on how to engage with them.
Useful for
- Creating a fun way to have conversations about stakeholders
- Engaging stakeholders themselves in the process
- Differentiating between influence and power
- Planning to influence more effectively
Resource: Stakeholder Engagement Map
Resource: Empathy Maps
An empathy map is a collaborative framework for inquiry to gain a deeper insight into the world of stakeholders.
Empathy Maps go beyond identifying problems and explore needs that are worth working on, informed by perceptions, experiences and emotions of those engaged or using the system or service you are looking to improve/innovate.
When based on real data they can:
- Remove bias from our thinking, actions and designs for the future
- Discover judgments and assumptions we are holding about need
- Uncover user needs that the user themselves may not even be aware of
- Understand what drives behaviours
- Guide us information and ideas towards meaningful innovation
Useful for
- Diving into the customer segments of a business model canvas
- Elaborating on user personas, emotions, hopes and dreams
- Capturing behaviours when interviewing a customer
Resource: Empathy Maps
Helpful additional information
Watch a heart rendering account of what happens when you forget about Empathy.