Hosts: Ria Baeck & Julian Still
About: People should attend who are interested in working with, holding space for, harvesting and surfing complex issues and environments. Complex human systems arrive with a whole new way of thinking and making decisions. Simple right and wrong often ceases to have meaning, instead the art of navigating, harvesting and surfing become relevant, as we deal with contexts that contain too much information and too many uncontrollable variables for one head to think about and keep under control.
Unlocking the collective intelligence of an organization is one of the important interventions in situations like this. The inclusive nature of complexity means that we map and remap the various topographies involved, so the full extent of the relationships involved in potential interventions and decisions, can be sensed before pressing the button. Avoiding where possible unintended consequences and problem–solution loops. Harvesting the richness of inclusive practice means understanding the differences between linear and non linear contexts. Creating and holding space for complex systems is a whole dimension of thought, design and heuristics.
About: People should attend who are interested in working with, holding space for, harvesting and surfing complex issues and environments. Complex human systems arrive with a whole new way of thinking and making decisions. Simple right and wrong often ceases to have meaning, instead the art of navigating, harvesting and surfing become relevant, as we deal with contexts that contain too much information and too many uncontrollable variables for one head to think about and keep under control.
Unlocking the collective intelligence of an organization is one of the important interventions in situations like this. The inclusive nature of complexity means that we map and remap the various topographies involved, so the full extent of the relationships involved in potential interventions and decisions, can be sensed before pressing the button. Avoiding where possible unintended consequences and problem–solution loops. Harvesting the richness of inclusive practice means understanding the differences between linear and non linear contexts. Creating and holding space for complex systems is a whole dimension of thought, design and heuristics.
Gallery
Collective Harvest by Participants
What is complexity?
Building on the Cynefin framework [kenefin]: a Welsh word meaning the place of our multiple belongings. This model from David Snowden & Cynthia Kurz, shows 5 possible situations:
Cycle of Knowledge Creation – when new knowledge emerges
Journey of Systemic Maturity
Complexity is not a theory: it is life - so we cope with it. It is like surfing or navigating! Key tool: feel in your body while you surf. Approaching Systems If you ask questions you will get answers that people think you want to hear. If the situation is complex – there are only stories. No question (surveys etc) you will get there. You will find out how that thing works through the stories that people tell and share. System Mapping Systems are all tangled up and moving. Mapping is like different perspectives into the mess. Helping to call patterns out. The points of change are interesting. What can be mapped:
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System mapping
System shifting
Only control mechanisms in complexity
Resonance If you feel the resonance – get on your surfboard and surf your way through it. Physical sensing in and through the body is key. Use your intuition, your felt sense. Be attentive to what you feel in your body and in the people. Heuristics Heuristics: are rough guides, rules of thumb. Like following ‘the north star’. In complexity that is the direction we can hold, only in a rough sense. AoH hosting teams have high levels of trust between them, can take in different perspectives and listens to what in the system needs to happen - and a good team hears it and follows it. Our example of heuristics (rule of thumb): Cooking based on being inspired by the recipe (but not following it) Success factors (conditions) to increase the quality over time: - Purpose - Clear Leadership - Good Communication Being a host or a virus in large systems. When a virus invades the large system it tries to change it. Being a host, strengthens the efforts and relationships. Maybe the title could have been : Complexity or surfing with witnessing, fairy dust and glooping |