How can we disperse systems | complexity | cybernetics thinking into the ambience of organisations?
What happens when #systemsthinking clashes with traditional organisations?
#SystemsInnovation2024 I facilitated a brilliant trio to unpack the challenges and opportunities that emerge when introducing systems approaches into complex environments.
The discussion was eye-opening. We heard from James Stauch of APCO Space Lab on the power of systems mapping to drive deeper understanding, Dr Victoria Herrington of the Global Police Innovation Exchange shared insights on translating systems theory into practical change for senior leaders. And Carl Davies, a former NHS clinician now in healthtech, highlighted the critical role of navigating structure vs agency when trying to shift entrenched cultures.
Ingrained behaviours, incentives, and short-termism in leadership and decision-making are natural and necessary ‘resistance’ to transformational change, #innovation, and radical thinking.
Simple tools like the iceberg model and journey mapping were highlighted as practical methods for understanding and influencing systems in #complexity — things that help uncover deeper layers of issues — beyond the visible symptoms — enabling better decision-making. Yet systems thinking often still faces resistance because KPIs and reward structures tend to focus on short-term outcomes, stifling innovation and deep change.
The common thread? Real #leadership means intellectual humility, empathy-driven strategy, and a relentless focus on the long-term. Too often, systems approaches get stuck in ivory towers or reduced to simplistic templates. The real magic happens when you’re willing to get your hands dirty, understand diverse perspectives, and keep chipping away even when the path isn’t clear.
And as a usenet commentator said, ‘If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea’.
The audience took it deeper, including into the importance of silence and death. I was encouraged to make the point that — in contradiction to the Italian encouragement not to drop litter, ‘Non disperdere nell’ambiente’, it’s the duty of systems | cybernetics | complexity people to find ways to ‘disperse themselves into the ambience’ — as we will all do physically one day — embed everything we have to offer into the wider ‘system’.
Here’s the question: Can we really shift organisational behaviour to embrace long-term, systemic change when the culture is wired for immediate results? What kinds of KPIs might incentivise organisations to balance immediate needs with broader, future-focused impacts? How do you create that all-important buy-in?
