Systems Thinking: Take Your Results To The Next Level Lori Steed
Welcome What brought you here?
Do you ever have thoughts like these‌
How can I increase my understanding of (any) challenging situation?
Some things never change!
I’d like to have greater wisdom.
I’d like to be better at‌
One person can’t make a difference.
Dissolving The Puzzle
Key Tools and Processes
Learning Together
What’s your natural high related to learning?
Life everywhere is full of change.
Our ability to flow with change successfully involves how we see...
and what we THINK.
Each individual perceives and responds to change based on how they anticipate.
What would help me see more options when I respond to daily problems and demands?
What would help me see more options when I respond to daily problems and demands?
Our greatest power is in where we direct our attention and our focus.
We need easy-to-use techniques to help us
respond to changes more effectively.
1. Select a focus 2. Explore tonight’s experiences
from that context
3. Reflect on learning
Honor The Moment
Be Present Now
Guided Imagery Process
Outcome = Picture / Drawing / Image
Guided Imagery Process
Outcome = Picture / Drawing / Image
With the rest of your life as your most precious resource‌
what do you want to create?
Create The Future
Next Step / Next Level Looking at my picture, what next step makes the most sense?
Notice where your perspective is right now and how you’re looking at things. Just notice.
Systems
What we will explore • How Do I Interact with Systems in Everyday Life? • What Are the Principles of Systems Thinking? • How Can I Improve My Life Using Systems Thinking?
What we will explore • How Do I Interact with Systems in Everyday Life? • What Are the Principles of Systems Thinking? • How Can I Improve My Life Using Systems Thinking?
Expand Thinking Small Group / Whole Group Dialogue
Model and Process Exploration
Guided Imagery / Reflection
Connection to Resources
Enjoy tonight's experience!
Discover the principles of systems thinking that are relevant to the changes and challenges in your life!
We’re now heading out on our
Systems in Everyday Life‌
Principles of Systems Thinking
Improving My Life With Systems Thinking
Systems in Everyday Life‌
What’s a System?
How many systems did you interact with on your way here tonight?
What are some of them?
Highways
Elements (individual parts)
Context (Agreements, Rules, Boundaries)
Function (purpose)
Definition of a System Organized or interconnected parts, behaving according to a structure existing for some function or purpose.
Types of Systems • Biological • Economic • Ecological • Information & Communication • Mechanical • Social
Common Aspects of Systems • Structure • Behavior • Interconnection (Relationship) • Events • Context
Events (behavior)
Patterns (policies, processes, rewards, culture, norms, rules, hierarchy, power, authority)
Structure How I see the world (experience, beliefs, values)
Principles of Systems Thinking
Habits of a Systems Thinker
Observe System Behaviors
Behavior is a System’s Communication
A Model of Systems Thinking
Menlo Lab Creating Sustainable Community Ecologies— Together
A Whole System, Inside-Out Approach to Transformation Š Copyright Menlo Lab Communities Inc. All rights reserved.
Observe Naturally Occurring Systems PERMACULTURE
Is a naturally occurring system that can teach us several things…
© Copyright Menlo Lab Communities Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Challenge: Plant Species Dying Out
Zoom Out
Another Perspective
Framing Project Goals HIGHEST GENERALIZATION • Sustenance • Community • Environment
If you can’t solve a problem, enlarge it… © Copyright Menlo Lab Communities Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
The Time Element
Time as a Resource
Time as a Constraint
Time as a Competitive Advantage People will pay a premium for a product or service if you can deliver it using less of their time.
Timing is the Key to Excellence Excellence is observable as
Elegance
Timing is the Key to Elegance High Speed Train Passenger Survey Feedback:
“Would use train more if train made fewer or no stops from origin to destination. Train stops make travel time too long.�
Habits of a Systems Thinker
A Model of Systems Thinking
The Time Element
Principles of Systems Thinking
Principles of Systems Thinking
A system is more than the sum of its parts.
Principles of Systems Thinking
There’s Power in Access to Relevant Information
Principles of Systems Thinking
A System’s Structure Generates its Behavior
Principles of Systems Thinking
A System’s Structure Generates its Behavior
Improving My Life With Systems Thinking
What does “Systems Thinking” mean to you?
In your work, how do you spend most of your time?
What problem(s) are you trying to solve?
What do you want to explore further?
Challenge #1: Improving the Customer Experience
Challenge #2: Connecting with More Customers for More Business Challenge #3: Integrating Processes Over Multiple Systems (i.e. multiple businesses/projects)
Analyze the Current State Make a Decision Take Action Analyze a Potential Problem
Gather Information
Facts, figures, data, or any Information I need
Feelings, Intuition, Hunches
Logical Downsides
Logical Positives
Alternatives, New Ideas
Organize, Summarize and Conclude
Adapted from the Six Thinking Hats Method by Edward De Bono
Facts, figures, data, or any Information I need
Adapted from the Six Thinking Hats Method by Edward De Bono
Feelings, Intuition, Hunches
Adapted from the Six Thinking Hats Method by Edward De Bono
Logical Downsides
Adapted from the Six Thinking Hats Method by Edward De Bono
Logical Positives
Adapted from the Six Thinking Hats Method by Edward De Bono
Alternatives, New Ideas
Adapted from the Six Thinking Hats Method by Edward De Bono
Organize, Summarize and Conclude
Adapted from the Six Thinking Hats Method by Edward De Bono
Facts, figures, data, or any Information I need
Feelings, Intuition, Hunches
Logical Downsides
Logical Positives
Alternatives, New Ideas
Organize, Summarize and Conclude
Adapted from the Six Thinking Hats Method by Edward De Bono
Our Systems Thinking Adventure now comes to a close.
What we explored • How Do I Interact with Systems in Everyday Life? • What Are the Principles of Systems Thinking? • How Can I Improve My Life Using Systems Thinking?
Explore the story from another perspective.
Only a change of or to the system will yield different results.
Wisdom accelerates at the systems view-point
One person can make a difference.
Aha’s What aha did you have tonight that can be expanded on going forward? Do you see a connection to how it will help you take your results to the next level?
Reflections What key tools and/or processes did you notice tonight that will help you take your results to the next level?
Guiding Question What question will keep me focused on taking my results to the next level?
Three Suggested Resources • In2In.org • LinkedIn Groups • Lori Steed
Thank You www.loristeed.com www.essencecaptured.com Honoring The Moment Creating the Future™