Open Thinkering

Menu

Weeknote 19/2024

Posted on by Doug Belshaw

I held off posting this weeknote because I thought I’d be accompanying it with an amazing photo of my own of the aurora borealis. We didn’t stay up on Friday night because, living in the north east of England, we’ve been burned too many times with news that the northern lights “may be visible tonight”.

There was some talk of another display being visible on Saturday, so we spent from 22:30 to 00:30 driving around the Northumberland trying to hunt down a place without cloud cover. We failed, just like the legions of people sitting in the dark in their cars in car parks up and down the coast.

Stylized photo of paint swatches on a wall in a lounge

Anyway, I’m happy to report that the photo above no longer represents our lounge. As I mentioned last week, the previous owners were fond of feature walls, including a blue one in the lounge. I’d like to get rid of that fireplace as well, but one thing at a time.

That bookcase in the corner also won’t last long. It’s all a work in progress. For work, I’m currently holed-up in the utility room, stuck between the garage and the kitchen. In terms of a home office, we haven’t decided between extending over the garage, dividing up the garage, a garden pod, or including an extra room when we extend out the back for a new kitchen.

This week, I have not been in the best of moods. I’m tired, partly from not having a chance to relax much after moving house, and partly because I haven’t got enough work on at the moment, which makes me feel less successful in life than I actually am. When it boils down to it, many things are about confidence and attitude; I can jump 105cm onto the plymometric boxes at the gym pretty easily, but sometimes I look at them and think “of course I can” and other times I think “I can’t”. And you know what, it always turns out that I’m correct.

On the positive side, I went to a great Systems Innovation Network open space session on Tuesday evening. It was the first one of its type that they’ve run and was, I would say, a success. Our breakout room focused on building a systems thinking consultancy and featured representatives from five continents! Then, on Wednesday, I had my first tutorial for the next module I’m doing as part of my MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice. I’ve managed to do a bit of studying this week, but my routine hasn’t been as solid as usual.

The temperature has slowly crept up this week, until today was positively warm. Our new house seems to be extremely well-insulated, which is great given the amount we spent on heating in some of the places we’ve lived before. So of course, I’d booked the Nest Pro engineer to fit a Google Nest thermostat when we won’t need the heating at all for a few months. C’est la vie.

I had a couple of interesting chats with people this week, including John Willshire, who pointed me towards some useful resources relating to strategic design. I posted a few other things over at Thought Shrapnel, and also here for TB871, the MSc module I’m currently studying.

Feeling a little sad and lonely in my home office, and with Laura and Anne away, I saw that tickets for the Thinking Digital Conference next week were still available. So I bought one. This event, which is right on my doorstep, used to be one of my favourite. I didn’t have such a great time a couple of years ago, but perhaps it’s got its groove back. We’ll see.

Other than that, I’ve got some work for the DCC, business development to get done, and some MSc study. Routine is everything for me, so I’m going to try and ensure mine, conference notwithstanding, is as good as it can be.

TB871: Avoiding traps in conventional thinking

Posted on by Doug Belshaw

Note: this is a post reflecting on one of the modules of my MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice. You can see all of the related posts in this category. 

There are some really useful spray diagrams in the module materials. However, they all look very similar, with blue boxes and lines. I rely quite a lot on colour to help remember and differentiate things, so I’ve recreated them in Whimsical to help with that.

I’ve listed the three traps to conventional thinking below, along with systems approaches which were designed to counter these tendencies. The five systems approaches mentioned are described in a previous post.

A flowchart titled "Trap 1: Reductionism" illustrating the consequences of simplifying complex situations into fewer variables.

[Trap 1] is a concern about having a limited understanding of a situation because of silo thinking or narrow-mindedness. The two approaches that have traditionally addressed this are System Dynamics (SD) and the Viable System Model (VSM).

The Open University (2020), my emphasis/reformatting
Flowchart diagram illustrating "Trap 2: Dogmatism" in conventional thinking with a circular arrangement of purple nodes connected by arrows, outlining the cycle of adopting conformist perspectives leading to self-righteousness and reduction in perspectives, which results in fear, anger, and alienation, reinforcing the cycle.

[Trap 2] is a concern about the restrictive practice of ‘engaging’ through ignoring other perspectives of the situation. The two approaches that have traditionally addressed this issue are Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) and Soft Systems Methodology (SSM).

The Open University (2020), my emphasis/reformatting
Conceptual diagram of 'Trap 3: Holism and Pluralism', showing flow between system holistic and pluralistic approaches to reductionism, dogmatism, and a central idea of complex situations with many perspectives. Arrows illustrate a cycle of thought reinforcing beliefs in holism and pluralism.

[Trap 3] is a concern about avoiding responsibility for boundary judgements often made in situations without awareness (e.g. focusing on road transport rather than all means of transport) by making them explicit with systems thinking in practice. The approach that has addressed this issue is Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH). 

The Open University (2020), my emphasis/reformatting

References

TB871: Three purposeful orientations and five different systems approaches

Posted on by Doug Belshaw

Note: this is a post reflecting on one of the modules of my MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice. You can see all of the related posts in this category. 

A spray diagram outlining three orientations of systems thinking: RESPONSIBILITY linked to Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH), UNDERSTANDING, and PRACTICE linked to System Dynamics (SD), Viable System Model (VSM), Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), and Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA).

The above spray diagram (Activity 1.11) is my attempt at relating five different systems approaches to three different ‘purposeful orientations’. The idea is that different approaches are useful for different purposes.

Overview

Below can be found my overviews of the five different approaches, taken from Reynolds & Holwell (2020, pp.19-21).

System Dynamics (SD)

SD is a method to conceptualise, analyse, and simulate complex systems over time. It helps in understanding the internal structures of systems, including feedback loops and time delays that influence behaviour.

This approach uses causal loop diagrams and other modeling techniques to predict how changes in one part of the system can ripple through and affect the entire system. It focuses on how system structures cause its behavioir and how simulation can be used to explore policy and strategy changes within the system.

This approach is useful for: examining strategic issues and persistent problems by looking at them as part of a feedback system rather than isolated incidents .

Viable System Model (VSM)

VSM is a model of the organisational structure that is capable of surviving in a changing environment. It provides a framework for analysing and designing organizations in such a way that all necessary functions for survival are fulfilled. The VSM helps diagnose organisational issues and suggests where changes should be made to improve viability.

This model uses the concept of recursion to structure organizations, ensuring that each subsystem is itself a viable system.

This approach is useful for: emphasising the importance of adaptability and self-organization, which are critical for maintaining the viability of an organisation in a dynamic environment .

Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA)

SODA is a method that uses cognitive and causal mapping to help groups and individuals explore and solve complex problems. By structuring thoughts and perceptions into a visual map, SODA facilitates a deeper understanding of the situation, helping to identify key issues and develop strategic options.

SODA maps are used to explore different scenarios and their potential impacts before making decisions.

This approach is useful for: focusing on negotiation and consensus-building, making it particularly effective for strategic planning and decision-making where multiple stakeholders are involved.

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)

SSM is an approach designed to tackle ‘soft’ complex, problem situations where there is no clear problem definition. It encourages the use of ‘systems thinking’ to explore the different perceptions of reality held by different stakeholders.

By creating conceptual models of the system, SSM helps to stimulate debate and dialogue about desirable and feasible changes. This methodology is action-oriented and focuses on facilitating structured and informed discussions to bring about improvement in complex situations .

This approach is useful for: situations where human factors and qualitative dimensions play a big role.

Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH)

CSH is a framework designed to support reflective practice through the use of boundary critique. This approach focuses on uncovering and questioning the underlying assumptions and power dynamics that frame how problems and solutions are defined and addressed.

CSH uses a set of guiding questions to explore the boundaries of consideration for problem-solving, which helps to understand the interests of different stakeholders, especially those who are marginalized.

This approach is useful for: encouraging a more inclusive and participatory approach to systems practice by emphasising the importance of transparency and ethical considerations in systems design and decision-making .

References

  • Reynolds, M. and Holwell, S. (eds) (2020) Systems approaches to making change: a practical guide, 2nd edn. Milton Keynes: The Open University/London: Springer.
css.php