Transform Systems to Create the Future

WHAT is the challenge?

Systems transformation is the Holy Grail of social movements.  

Philanthropists invest in projects that promise systemic transformation. Governments of all persuasions explore policies to shift health, wealth, and security of citizens. Even the most cynical political investment seeks to shift patterns of interaction at multiple levels across the social and political spectrum.  The hope comes with many different labels: Regenerative, sustainable, resilient are some of the names for the pathway and prize of systemic transformation.

Talk of systems transformation emerges across a wide range of disciplines. Public health and political science; social justice and organization development; education, health care, and community development support dialogue concerning systems transformation. 

Regardless of passion, rhetoric, and investment, systems transformation is elusive and unpredictable at best. The reason is clear. The challenge is daunting. Effective action toward lasting systems transformation must:

·        Engage all facets of human activity, including financial, social, educational, political, cultural, and economic wellbeing.

·        Adapt to local conditions and needs while moving toward a global pattern of transformation.

·        Embrace the wide variety of initiatives that currently deliver on the promise of  system transformation at local scales.

·        Inspire, inform, and enable action at all scales of human endeavor from individual through emergent global networks.

·        Work with surprise and uncertainty that are endemic to complex change.

·        Support transformation for people and for the planet.

·        Succeed within global material limits.

·        Ensure personal freedom and equality, while generating system-wide coherence.

·        Engage deeply held values, spirit, and identity without falling into hegemony.

·        Be simple enough to transfer easily and quickly, but robust enough to serve in the most turbulent and risk-averse contexts.

The challenge seems intractable.

SO WHAT is possible?

Since 2003, a quiet journey of transformation has been underway. At the Human Systems Dynamics (HSD) Institute[1], the goal has been to see, understand, and influence emergent patterns in complex human systems. Based on research in nonlinear dynamics and complexity sciences[2] the praxis of HSD proves that “Nothing is intractable.” This praxis emerges from a post-Enlightenment, post-Neo-Liberal, theory of change where individual agents (people, corporations, communities, governments) interact in a variety of ways to generate system-wide, coherent patterns. The patterns can be observed, but they cannot be influenced directly. Instead, effective action sets conditions to nudge, and to invite all agents  to nudge, the system toward a desired pattern. The HSD praxis within such a complex adaptive worldview is based on three simple, but profoundly powerful, practices: Inquiry, Adaptive Action, Pattern Logic.

Inquiry. Uncertainty is the one thing complex systems guarantee. Discontinuous, dynamical change occurs differently at different scales of the system at the same time. The global economy change may seem slow and incremental, while individuals face crisis of unemployment or homelessness; entrepreneurs find disruptive innovations, and political parties stay stuck in dogma. In addition, at any given scale, change varies from place to place, based on micro-local constraints and opportunities. In such a complex environment, no prediction or rational plan can long endure. The path to success lies in asking transforming questions, listening to the system’s response, and taking action in this moment to influence the next. Inquiry is necessary to transformation, but not all questions are created equal.

Adaptive Action. This simple, three-step, iterative process of inquiry supports learning, sensemaking and action at every scale and in any context. It structures individual and collective inquiry to guide toward action.

WHAT? This question engages the patterns of reality in the moment. Whatever is known or knowable is sufficient to move the process forward.

SO WHAT? This question invites many perspectives and considerations to make sense of the emerging patterns. Whether the challenge is individual or collective, long-term, or short-, this step searches for an interpretation of reality that is both true and useful for everyone involved.

NOW WHAT? This question leads to a next wise action to change conditions and shift the patterns.

Each cycle of Adaptive Action is followed by another. As action shifts the pattern of the past, the pattern of the future is created. The next cycle begins with a  WHAT? that focuses on the  patterns of emerging reality. Intentional  and effective Adaptive Action, however, requires a technical and practical understanding of patterns.

Pattern Logic. Old ways of seeing return to old (and ineffective) ways of acting. The complex future requires that we see differently, so we can be prepared to ack differently. The wisdom of HSD praxis comes from Pattern Logic, a simple, single frame that supports observation, decision making, and action. This new epistemology/ontology was developed to answer the question, “What are the conditions that influence the speed, path, and outcomes of self-organizing processes?” Based on our research into human systems dynamics, the answer is surprisingly simple and captured as the CDE Model[3].

Containers (C) define the boundaries of a system of focus. Complex systems include innumerable Containers, each of which influences the self-organizing processes within it. Containers are massively entangled and mutually causal, so change can ripple across a whole system.

Differences (D) hold the potential energy for the system to change and also give meaning to the patterns as they emerge. Differences are active across multiple dimensions at the same time. Other conditions determine which “difference makes a difference” at a particular time and place.

Exchanges (E) influence the flow and speed of transformation. As information, energy, and material flow in exchange, they can intensify or relieve differences.

Different constraints on the conditions result in different overall system behaviors. Closed Containers, few Differences, and tight Exchanges generate patterns that are stable and predictable. Open Containers, multiple Differences, and dysfunctional Exchanges generate chaos. In between these two extremes lie patterns that can be fit to any function. Options for action—individual and collective—shift one or another of these conditions to nudge the system toward a desired pattern. The complexity of the system makes prediction and control impossible. Inquiry and Adaptive Action cycles support perpetual adjustments to shift the intractable to the tractable.

It may seem that these three practices would only generate incremental change, but the opposite is true. The dynamics of the complex system take over to ensure transformational and unpredictable change. Adaptive Actions at many places and scales shift the conditions within and between Containers. Differences emerge as worthy of attention. Each Difference holds the tensions of potential energy. Exchanges amplify or release tensions. Over time, the accumulated tension within one Container reaches a threshold and the pattern shifts radically and unpredictably. The shift in one pattern disrupts or destabilizes others, and a cascade of complex change ensues. It cannot be predicted or controlled, but this emergent transformation can be influenced.

A strategy for action, based on the three HSD practices, could set conditions for local action around the globe to move toward patterns of systemic transformation.  Such an emergent and diverse strategy will support the practice of Inquiry to:

·        Communicate simply enough to be accessible, while holding the power of action for all contexts. While HSD praxis is deeply complex, it is essentially simple. Such simplification and generation of new questions is to be expected in a true shift of paradigms.

·        Leverage inquiry to engage deeply held values, spirit, and identity without falling into hegemony. The practices of Inquiry are supported by a variety of HSD models and methods. Each one invites humility and openness to honor, learn from, and leverage different perspectives.

·        Prepare people and their systems for surprise and uncertainty that are endemic to complex change. Inquiry is embedded in every aspect of the HSD praxis, so assumptions are tested continually and productively.

The practice of Adaptive Action will:

·        Adapt to local conditions and needs while moving toward a coherent global pattern. While the context changes, the HSD praxis stays consistent. A variety of models and methods have been developed to help groups practice HSD without being distracted or deterred by the theory.

·        Inspire, inform, and enable action at all scales of human endeavor from individual through emergent global networks because Adaptive Action supports individual and collective action at any horizon of planning and action.

·        Embrace the wide variety of initiatives that currently implement systemic transformation at local scales. The three steps of Adaptive Action can incorporate any approach, theory, or practice.

·        Consider realistic constraints to action, including material limits. Every step of Adaptive Action connects actors to practical realities of the moment, so next wise actions are self-correcting, as they use what is to create what might be.

The practice of Pattern Logic will:

·        Apply across sectors and interests to influence patterns of financial, social, educational, political, cultural, and economic wellbeing. Each of these fields privileges certain Containers, Differences, and Exchanges to the exclusion of others. The HSD praxis brings them all together into the pattern of one Container—the vision of a great transformation.

·        Inform transformative action to shift patterns for people and their engagement with the planet. Patterns (CDE) influence reality in physical, as well as emotional, social, and political, systems. Social and environmental changes are served by the same practices of observation, understanding, and action.

·        Ensure personal freedom in individual Adaptive Action. When equality and systemic coherence are essential features of the vision pattern, every NOW WHAT? nudges the system in the right direction.

NOW WHAT are next wise actions?

Paradigm shifts of this magnitude are neither easy nor swift. They are, themselves, complex transformations. It takes time to understand the current patterns, consider current tensions with the potential to influence the future, and move forward in iterative Adaptive Actions to shift patterns of understanding at many scales at the same time.

To make matters even more interesting, our experience is that HSD praxis evolves to meet the needs of every new environment it enters. For that reason, it will be prudent to explore where and how HSD praxis will evolve to meet the needs and resources of any entity that works for systems transformation..

To explore feasibility and spark future Adaptive Action cycles, we suggest the following next steps.

·        WHAT?  Spark discussions, online or in person, to explore the HSD praxis. The goal would be to critique and adapt it to  support the work of those committed to a future of complex transformation.

·        SO WHAT? Test the feasibility and efficacy of the HSD praxis to shift systems thinking into systems action. Explore findings of previous initiatives  through the lens of the HSD praxis. Establish  action research projects to explore explicit paths of Inquiry, Adaptive Action, and Pattern Logic that might inform policy, strategy, and collective action.

·        NOW WHAT? Develop and distribute training and reference materials to help individuals and groups implement their own Adaptive Actions to shift their own patterns, using their own history, intelligence, and tools in their own contexts.

The vision and purpose for a better future for humanity  are compelling. The HSD praxis described here offers a simple discipline that can prepare individuals, organizations, communities, and governments for collective action to shift the world toward a generative and sustainable future. We look forward to a continuing conversation toward transformation.

[1] The Human Systems Dynamics  Institute is a 501(c)3 in the USA. Our Intellectual property policy allows for open access and use, with two requests. 1) Cite HSD Institute website  (www.hsdinstitute.org) as a source. 2) Share learning and discoveries back with the HSD community to sustain our continuing inquiry.

[2] HSD theory and practice draw extensively from the works of Prigogine and Bak, but it draws concepts and tools from a wide spectrum of nonlinear and complexity sciences

[3] Eoyang, G. (2001). Conditions for self-Organizing in human systems. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. The Union Institute and University. https://bit.ly/Eoyangcde