Transduction — leading transformation — Issue #112
This week:
- Commissioning Academies
- Systems Thinking
- Systems and Complexity in Organisation
- Artificial Intelligence
Upcoming events:
One new commissioning academy: coming this winter!
Exciting News
We will be offering a new In-Person Commissioning Academy launching in January, with in-person sessions held in Nottingham.
Accredited by the PSTA and Cabinet Office.
Join our flagship development program to transform outcomes for the communities we serve!
- Be part of a national network of commissioning practitioners.
- Learn to initiate and lead change across complex systems.
- Develop capabilities to drive real transformation.
- Access expert insights and collaborative learning.
- Apply innovative ideas and approaches to your work.
Here’s what’s in store for you at the National Commissioning Academy:
- Foundation concepts: Working as a system, outcomes thinking, collaborative working.
- Commissioning for outcomes as a system: Systems thinking, asset-based commissioning, trauma-informed practice, prevention and early intervention.
- Creating conditions for change: Systems leadership, coproduction, innovation, and promoting social value.
Expect a transformative experience with masterclass workshops, action learning, expert speakers, peer challenges, practical action planning, and membership in our nationwide alumni community.
Ready to make a difference? Apply now to secure your spot at the Academy! Contact David Mason at david.mason@publicservicetransformation.org
Systems Thinking Apprenticeship (2023)
We are delighted to share the news that there is now a Level 7 Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship available in England.
Systems thinking practice was developed specifically to address highly complex, adaptive, and dynamic situations. It helps you to model each situation as a system incorporating many different parts, dependencies and relationships. Systems thinking practitioners are uniquely equipped for achieving large-scale transformational change.
If you live in England, you can benefit from the scheme. The Apprenticeship is a two-and-a-half year, day release, post-graduate qualification with government funding of up to £18,000 per person. It is fully supported by expert tutors, comprehensive learning materials, and ongoing action learning.
This is a practice-based, portfolio assessed programme which draws on core systems approaches and practice skills. You’ll be supported in your job to actually put the learning to work right away, and you will be evaluated on how you incorporate your continual learning into your practice.
It’s been designed by practitioners for practitioners — the people who have not just read the books, but have written them. More importantly, these are people who have been there, done it, know about all (or at least most) of the pitfalls, and can guide you away from them.
The professional body for systems practice, SCiO, is providing world-class systems practitioner-tutors, and is supporting the curriculum development and overall approach of the programme. They are acting in collaboration with Cherith Simmons Learning and Development, who provide the apprenticeship. Further details are available here.
If you’re not in England, you can still sign up to individual modules here.
And if you are interested in developing your transformation skills, take a look at the RedQuadrant tool shed. This is a small group action learning journey with Benjamin Taylor, founder of the consultancy RedQuadrant, supported by 24 online modules covering all aspects of organisational transformation. Get a 20% discount by mentioning Enlightened Enterprise Academy.
Link Collection:
My Weekly Blog post:
Navigating partnerships is no cakewalk; it’s a journey through a minefield of productive conflict, where the magic truly happens. Picture climbers tethered on a cliff — effective communication is their lifeline. The allure is to stay in the ‘safe’ zone of agreement, but that can lead to uncontrolled explosions. Thriving in the productive conflict zone is key. Vision isn’t about idealistic notions; it’s crafting a shared mission grounded in reality, leveraging diverse perspectives for innovation. Opportunities lie in planting orchards, not picking low-hanging fruit. Facing problems head-on is crucial; dodging them only amplifies the alarm. Relationships form the bedrock, requiring productive learning over platitudes. In the productive conflict zone, ideas clash, but egos don’t, birthing innovation and forging powerful partnerships. Let’s embrace challenging conversations for stronger collaborations — redefining partnership as a propelling force, not just a buzzword. Productive, not merely productive-looking — because talking better leads to working better together.
- Archives
- Vol. 6 №2 (2023): 6.2 Decolonising Systemic Practice
DOI: https://doi.org/10.28963/6.2
Published: 14–12–2023
Editorials
Editorial: Decolonising Systemic Practice i-iv PDF
Articles
Disrupting colonialist language to find knowing in praxis. Cultural Foregrounding and Intra-face. Joanne Hipplewith 1–18 PDF
Decolonising Pedagogy and Promoting Student Well-Being Catherine Richardson/Kineweskwêw, Nicolas Renaud 19–36 PDF
Decolonising Management. Reflections of a Human Resource Practitioner from the Global South Patrick Goh 37–52 PDF
Reflexivity 3. Breaking out the Reflexive Loop to Decolonise Practice Gail Simon 53–71 PDF
Towards anarchy? Mark Huhnen 72–85 PDF
Otto Laske: Celebrating Books and Film — 21 Dec 2023 18:00CET, online, free
We cordially invite you to join us in celebrating the launch of Otto Laske’s groundbreaking three-volume book series titled “Advanced Systems-Level Problem Solving”. This series delves into the practice of advanced, ‘dialectical’ systems-level problem-solving in both the social and natural sciences.
- Volume 1, “Approaching Real-World Complexity with Dialectical Thinking,” introduces the theoretical foundation for dialectical systems analysis, offering crucial insights into understanding physical systems under threat due to the climate crisis; link
- Volume 2, “How to Measure and Boost Thought Maturity,” focuses on the nature of work and uncovers the intricate structure of complex thinking; link
- Volume 3, “Manual of Dialectical Thought Forms,” is a unique resource offering practical guidance on applying dialectical thinking in real-world scenarios; link
In addition, we will also highlight the release of a documentary film “Forging a Life,” which explores the extraordinary life and lasting legacy of Otto Laske.
Through Otto’s own reflections and experiences, audiences are invited to witness the transformative power of creativity and intellectual pursuits. His dedication to pushing the boundaries of knowledge serves as an inspiration to all who aspire to make a difference in their chosen fields. This film is not simply a documentary but rather an exploration of the human spirit and its capacity for growth and self-expression. It serves as a reminder that a life well-lived is one that embraces curiosity, creativity, and the pursuit of knowledge.
Elements of the approx. 1h meeting:
- Testimonials of Graham Boyd, John Stewart, Iva Vurdelja and Lawrence Wollersheim highlighting how Otto´s work has influenced and supported their own work
- Watching the trailer of the film “Forging a Life”, directed by Marko Stanić,
- Find the trailer here.
- Facilitation by Jan de Visch
- Q&A with Otto Laske
Join us in this celebration of knowledge and inspiration.
The Event is free — please register here: https://app.tickettailor.com/events/mod/1042373
Further links: Otto Laske on linkedin / Interdevelopmental Institute (IDM)
The Zoom Link for the event:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84217101589?pwd=VjY2ZUlFOGh4bGlBNS9BZXdobXV5dz09
Meeting ID: 842 1710 1589, Passcode: 393979
Otto Laske: Celebrating Books and Film
Register for free — Otto Laske: Celebrating Books and Film — Zoom, Thu 21 Dec 2023 18:00–19:00
Human centred system design — Trond Hjorteland (YouTube)
[A nice history of Emery-flavoured Socio-Technical Systems as advocacy for adapting such approaches in modern (tech, I think) businsesses]
Alidad Hamidi on LinkedIn:
In our last Systems at Play, we learn at depth about Viable Systems Model and Organistional Pathologies.
In this new session, which is mostly practionioner’s lead, we will be learning ways to explain VSM in an easier term to our clients. Also learn how to use the model practically with some exmaples. Or did you every wanted VSM to be explained to you in 2 minutes?Demystifying the Viable System Model: A Practical Approach
In this practical workshop, we will Dive into Stafford Beer’s Viable System Model (VSM) in our concise workshop lead by strategy and organisational clarity-maker Adam Thompson.
We’ll see how to apply this powerful tool for diagnosing and improving any purposeful system, which of course includes organisations.
We ask that you bring along your most pressing organisational pathology so we can apply the model in real-time to create insight and solutions while showing you how to put it to use.Adam also has a wonderful way of explaining complex concepts in a simple and fun way without losing the essence of the concepts.
He has a video that explains VSM in 2 minutes accessible from here: https://lnkd.in/guSUQ24C
If you want more, there is even more fun videos that expands on System 2 in VSM: https://lnkd.in/gnXgNmFr
And another short video that briefly explains System 3: https://lnkd.in/gqFRzd72When: Thursday, February 15, 2024 6:00 PM AEDT
See the registration link from in the comment or scan QR code.
We look forward to seeing you for an engaging and practical session.
Demystifying the Viable System Model: A Practical Approach, Thu, Feb 15, 2024, 6:00 PM | Meetup
Self managing management of the self managing organization — Hamidi (2023)
October 9, 2023
Self managing management of the self managing organizationAlidad HamidiEcosystem and Adaptive Organisation Development | Collaborative Democratic Workplace Architect2 articles FollowingOctober 9, 2023
Self managing management of the self managing organization | LinkedIn
Santa Fe Institute update and list of learning opportunities
Undergraduate Complexity Research (UCR)
June 2 — August 10, 2024
Application deadline January 11, 2024: https://apply-sfi.smapply.org/prog/ucr2024
For guidelines on creating a strong application please enroll in the following free tutorial.Complex Systems Summer School (CSSS)
June 9 — July 5, 2024
Application deadline February 1, 2024: https://apply-sfi.smapply.org/prog/csss2024Graduate Workshop in Computational Social Science (GWCSS)
June 30 — July 12, 2024
Application deadline February 29, 2024: https://apply-sfi.smapply.org/prog/gwcss2024Complexity-GAINs International School (GAINs)
October 17–31, 2024
Applications will open in early 2024. More information will be available then.SFI Complexity Interactive (SFI-CI)
SFI-CI has not been scheduled for 2024 at this time. An update will be available in the spring of 2024.Should you have any questions, please check any corresponding program pages first, as well as the FAQs, before contacting us at education@santafe.edu.
AI Alignment Problem:
“Human Values” don’t Actually Exist — LessWrong
We are #hiring! Know anyone who might be interested?
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