Mindset
As philosopher Karl Popper observed, problems can be categorized as either clocks or clouds. Clock problems are mechanical and predictable, allowing analysis of their discrete elements, fixing of broken components, and replicability. Clocks are ’complicated’ – they require technical know-how, but then you can deal with them consistently.
However, many real-world challenges are more akin to clouds – ever-changing and interconnected, subject to the surrounding context. These cloud problems, also referred to as adaptive or ’complex’ problems, require a different approach. Unlike clocks, clouds cannot be taken apart, replicated, fixed or understood by analyzing components. If we try that, sometimes our solutions end up making things worse – and we certainly cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. Instead, we need a holistic view, focusing on the surrounding patterns, interactions, context, and relationships among the elements.
Consider a city, where the dynamics and vibrancy emerge from the intricate interplay of people, buildings, policies, and various other factors. The essence of understanding such complex adaptive systems lies in studying them holistically, recognizing that they possess emergent properties that extend beyond the sum of their parts. A systems approach allows us to make sense of the interconnected elements, relationships, and dynamics within complex systems. This understanding empowers us to identify leverage points where small actions can create transformative change.
It is important to note that systems innovation is not about finding a magic lever or a quick fix. Rather, it enables us to act strategically and find the most promising opportunities to grasp, conversations to have, stakeholders to involve, and experiments to run. With it as our guiding principle, we can bring together diverse perspectives and expertise, and challenge assumptions to develop solutions that actually work. It aims to address the tension between uncertainty of an open-ended process, and the ambition of governing such a process.
At CSI, we thrive on such questions and unraveling the mysteries of cloud problems. We combine analytical rigor with intuitive understanding – applying both reductionist analysis that breaks down problems into their fundamental components (clock-like), and holistic thinking that tries to grasp the dynamic nature of the system as a whole (cloud-like). We believe this is the key to driving positive and lasting impact.
Systems innovation is not just a mindset; it is a holistic approach with practical processes and tools that provides a framework and ’red thread’ to follow. Through systems innovation, we engage with the messy world, map what we can, adapt to constantly changing environments, tell stories, and learn from the ripple effects of our actions.
We believe that learning is a construction: we are not passive receivers of information, but creative builders of mental knowledge structures and the bridges between them. Learning is an elaborate effort to upgrade and extend this structure with new building blocks, and connect new information with existing knowledge.
We found that our successful learning sessions and innovation processes have similarities: they include real world challenges, collaboration across disciplines or stakeholders, gamified co-creation, discussion, interaction, reflection, peer and self-evaluation, and they produce a shared output and understanding to which everyone contributed in some way, beyond what they thought they were capable of. Therefore, our goal in both education and consulting is to gain a broader perspective, to diagnose systems that surround a challenge, the profound change that is needed, how to identify leverages, get stakeholders on board, create visions, solution ideas, goals, strategies, and action plans, and follow through with lots of room for learning and reflexion. We wish to create a learning environment that facilitates critical thinking and ignites curiosity, where participants learn how to think, rather than what to think, through employing active learning techniques, such as simulations, modelling, role-playing and interviews to supplement lecturing. As technology is so prevalent in education and consulting, we also utilize online tools, such as various e-learning, videoconferencing, collaboration platforms (Miro, Jamboard), and digital simulation games to enhance sessions – but do so in meaningful ways and with purpose.
Our approach is built upon the following eight principles that guide our work:
Process
Archimedes, while explaining the principles of the lever, declared to his friends: „give me a place to stand, a lever long enough, and I shall move the world”. And now it’s our turn to find leverage and see if we can move the world to sustainable development. Therefore, in real life settings we often build and rely on unlocking the adaptive and transformative capabilities of actors, and help them find their own leverage, while in education of future leaders we role play such settings.
In terms of starting a systems effort, you usually need a team with different perspectives, experise and angles – it is not a process where you can lock yourself in a room, give your best, and come out victorious. For example, in consulting and large projects we often create traisition arenas, which are sustainability partnerships that identify and reframe persistent problems, commit to a vision, develop common perspective and sensitivity, participate and form a network. This allows them to look beyond daily routines and perspectives, put their personal interests and aspirations aside (or forward), open up for understanding interrelations within the system, as well as gain insight about how small scale interventions through cumulative impact, might alter system trajectories over a long period of time, and lead to a new, more sustainable state of equilibrium.
Systems are emergent, and understanding them requires an emergent practice. We engage in exploring, framing, designing, experimenting and strengthening in an iterative, cyclical way to ensure learning and reflexivity throughout the process. For more details about the theoretical foundations of the process outlined below, read our scientific literature review.
1. Exploring
Map and understand the system
A first step in changing a system is getting to know it by attaining an integrated, comprehensive perspective. This entails determining the relevant actors and their interrelations, trends, governance, analysis of formal and informal institutions using a mix of quantitative (modeling data, historical data, statistics) and qualitative data (stakeholders, routines, power relationships, values).
1. Exploring
Key competencies
1) Knowing capabilities and resources, 2)Network development, 3) Systems thinking, 4) Transdisciplinary communication
2. Framing
Problem structuring and envisioning
The next step is finding the hotspots and co-defining the challenges in the system, creating focus areas, then identifying some key leverage points and opportunities. This is followed by crafting an appealing, shared, and inspiring vision (or several alternatives) that can provide long-term direction, fuel commitment, and mobilize support and resources for the implementation phases.
2. Framing
Key competencies
1) Challenge definition, 2) Identifying opportiunities, 3) Collective creativity, 4)Shared visioning
3. Designing
From ideas to strategies
Starting from clearly defined challenges and a vision, alternative solutions can be developed and evaluated along multiple criteria from feasibility to impact. Strategies on how to realize a desired future or solution idea are developed with action planning and back-casting. Strategically breaking down long-term goals into actionable steps allows prioritization and allocation of responsibilities.
3. Designing
Key competencies
1) Solution development and evaluation, 2)Goal setting, 3) Formulating strategies, 4)Action planning
4. Experimenting
From experiments to impact
Experiments are high risk, deliberate demonstrations and pilots in real-life context that put the solution idea, strategy, and plan into action. This cultivates and consolidates shared resources and custodial practices, enables the take-off and acceleration of ideas and helps them mature. It allows us to learn and see if the ideas work, without overcommitting resources.
4. Experimenting
Key competencies
1) Piloting, 2) Motivating and mobilising others, 3) Coordination, 4) Measuring impact
5. Strengthening
Learning, adaptation, and scaling
Monitoring focuses both on changes (impact, developments, learnings) and governance (reflection on actions, events, activities, partnerships, learning, barriers). This fuels a continuous cycle of collective learning, iteration and improvement that leads to mainstreaming and scaling. Monitoring serves not only as an ex-post measurement of impact, but an ex-ante construction of future baselines.
5. Strengthening
Key competencies
1) Monitoring and Learning, 2) Adaptation, 3)Perseverance, 4) Scaling
Working in the field of sustainable development, entanglements of social and technological innovations, and future scenarios, involves constant training, adaptation, and experimenting with new methods – often with unforeseen outcomes. As systems are evolving, our approach is constantly evolving too, which is why we strive to learn from other organisations, partners, renowned thinkers and pioneers, and look forward to partner up and explore areas where we can have a positive impact together. Over time, more of our resources will be added here. Please enjoy to browse our ever-growing list of systems content and articles.
Transition theory and management literature review by Attila Katona
Visual Toolbox for Systems Innovation by EIT Climate-KIC
Young Innovators Handbook
Sustainability, systems and business Jargon Buster
HEI Systems Thinking Visual Tools: Training Guide for Educators by HEIGHT & MCAST
Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella Meadows and Diana Wright [Book]
The art and science of systems change by Joe Hsueh
The art of systems thinking in driving sustainable transformation by Jo Confino
Complexity 101: Behind the hype, what do we actually know? by Harry Jones
The 10 skills you need to survive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by World Economic Forum
Systems Grantmaking Resource Guide – Causal Loop Mapping
Three Keys to Unlocking Systems-Level Change by Susan Misra and Jamaica Maxwel
Systems Thinking for Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results by David Peter Stroh [Book]
A systems approach to increasing the impact of Grantmaking by David Peter Stroh and Kathleen Zurcher
Toward Principles for Enhancing the Resilience of Ecosystem Services by Kimberly Bowman et. Al
Systems Archetypes at a Glance by Daniel Kim and Colleen Lannon
Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System by Donella Meadows
Strategy as a Wicked Problem by John Camillus
Collective impact by Jeff Mohr, referencing Richard Rumelt’s book “Good Strategy/Bad Strategy”
Networks: The New Organizational Strategy by Charlie Brown
Transformer: How to build a network to change a system. A case study of the Re-Amp Energy Network by Heather McLeod Grant
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World by Ronald Heifetz, Marty Linsky, and Alexander Grashow [Book]
Emergent Learning: A Framework for Whole- System Strategy, Learning, and Adaptation by Marilyn Darling et. Al
Teaching Smart People how to Learn
Strategies for Learning from Failure by Amy Edmondson
All Changes Great and Small: Exploring Approaches to Change and its Leadership by Higgs and Rowland
The Dawn of System Leadership by Senge et. Al
A Leaders Framework for Decision Making by David Snowden and Mary Boone