My systems practice

This blog explores What Do I Do When I Do What I Do by describing the same work activity twice. The first (then) how I experienced it at the time, using the language and understanding I had then.  The second description (now) is of the same activity using the concepts and terminology I'm learning in the Managing Systemic Change module

Then

Over the past year at work I worked with a team to develop plans and proposals on how we would engage with a number of other stakeholders in future years to jointly develop and deliver a new UK transport offer.  We were provided with some background and a description of the emerging situation and were able to engage in limited conversations with other stakeholders to understand their thinking.

We were asked to propose how we would manage some specific issues.  One of the key methods we used to help us clarify our thinking and develop solutions was group whiteboard sessions to collectively develop a diagram of our proposals.  These sessions were described by a colleague as "cerebral water boarding" because they felt so intellectually demanding to try to capture the real complexity of the different topics and because of the feeling of utter exhaustion following a session.

Now

What systems practice elements were evident?

• engaging with a complex, messy situation with no single right answer
• drawing our boundary 
• authentic conversation (responsive, mutual understanding, self-organising, intuitive, equal dialogue, progressive)
• using diagramming
• recognising the different backgrounds, traditions, understandings and views of each person involved in the conversation
• sharing our emotions resulting from engaging with such a complex situation.  Frustration was particularly evident - probably resulting from our systematic traditions and project experiences 
• grappling with our different use of language and developing new terms to help articulate our joint understanding of our proposed way forward
• bring a consideration of the current context into our thinking and recognising that the future context is likely to be different
• allowing time for reflection post discussion and accepting that our solution would have to be iterated
• allowing an outcome to emerge from the process

What systems practice elements were not present?

• consultation with a the wider range of stakeholders outside the immediate team (not possible because of commercial sensitivities and procurement rules)