2020 was the year of taking stock. I had run public sector innovation programmes, done pilots with governments and private sector and experimented with methods to encourage collaboration between unlikely stakeholders.
All of this was done with a common sensical approach because it felt like the best way to do it. And all the time, I had support of my organizations and at least one partner who was willing to try something different.
As the Head of Experimentation at the Accelerator Lab Pacific in Fiji, all of this experience came together. I had to become an organizational ecologist, an intrapreneur sowing seeds of reform in UNDP. It gave me a huge opportunity to codify what I intuitively knew and build on that.
I reached out to the hivemind of the internet and experimented with several ways of demystifying and processing my previous experience and learnings along with my more current endeavors. I located that experimentation at the praxis of complexity, facilitation and systems thinking. My working hypothesis was that for systems change, I had to make complexity palatable and exciting without giving into the temptation to simplify and lose nuance and meaning. I had to build a container for these discussions and interactions which could allow colleagues and partners to step into complexity. I had to create a welcoming learning space into which people could breathe life with their tremendous experience and expertise. And finally, through the methods of careful facilitation and working with complexity, build capacity and curiosity for systems change.
For anyone in a similar spot, here are list of resources / trainings I explored through this journey:
Complexity / Facilitation
Human Systems Dynamics by Glenda Eoyang
I attended their Adaptive Action Lab and it is an easy introduction to complexity methods. Glenda in a brilliant, nurturing thinker.
Cynefin Foundation, Cognitive Edge + Complexability
The foundation course in Cynefin (now called Basecamp) introduces the Cynefin framework and complex facilitation methods with an example of how to run it. The course I did was led by Australia-based organization Complexability. Viv Read and Julie Cunningham who ran it are excellent guides to handhold you through this complex?! process. They have a wonderful community of practice on mightynetworks where they have practitioner clinics and highlight speakers and new developments. More on my experience with them here.
Systems Thinking
Systems Practice, Acumen+ and Omidyar Group
This is a short 11-week program run virtually which takes you through the systems design process step by step. It was a fun course and I did it alone as I was familiar with systems mapping but can be more fun with colleagues. I would recommend this as an introduction to systems thinking.
An array of programs curated by Tatiana Fraser and Rachel Sinha, Systems Sanctuary is an easy way to learn new methods and frameworks and learn from peers who are working in similar spaces. I did their In The Thick Of It program and enjoyed their ritual dissent / troika method of peer consultations.
Illuminate, a network which they are part of has many more similar resources / opportunities.
Theory U, MIT and Presencing Institute
I did the Edx online course and then again a similar program that the UN ran internally for staff. Though some of their methods seem a bit non-traditional when compared to more classis style workshopping, I particularly enjoyed the bodywork elements like Social Presencing Theatre and Levels of Listening.
Systems School by Seanna Davidson
I haven’t attended any of the courses here but look forward to all the sessions Seanna curates as part of her community of practice.
Facilitation
Liberating Structures, Anna Jackson and Fisher Qua
I found Liberating Structures (LS) through Systems Sanctuary and Anna and Fisher were the first facilitators I saw in action. Since then, I am fully in love with it and have used several structures in my sensemaking work. On and off, they run free LS events here.
Liberating Structures Studio, Enspiral / Greater Than
I dove into LS with Susan and Stefan at GreaterThan. They do a short studio style sprint where they demonstrate some of the 33 LS and build a space for experimentation.
Sensemaking with Liberating Structures by Alibi Design
I haven’t attended this one yet but knowing the team, it will be whirlwind experience with many new learnings and possibilities. Hoping to sign up for the next one.
Empathy Circle by Edwin Rutsch
The Levels of Listening at Ulab and sessions with the Stoa Community brought me to the Empathy Circles. It is a very simple format but oh-so-effective to build compassion and care between people. Highly recommended. More on my experience with empathy circles here.
CoResolve Leadership, Lewis Deep Democracy by Complexity University
Working in new realms is not without conflict and that led me to Deep Democracy. This social change grounded methodology is simple and provides hacks into building better and sustaining connection.
This website is a great repository of everything happening in the art of hosting universe. The methodologies have borrowed from different worlds and made them better through the careful art of creating safe and vibrant spaces. I have experienced these but haven’t studied them. Chris Corrigan is running a course this year if you are interested. They also have a super active Facebook group.
It would be a disservice to Nora Bateson and her work to attempt to categorize this phenomenal experience so this goes in a meta category:
Warm Data Lab / People Need People, International Bateson Institute
This is just a mind bending experience which I don’t know how to describe. It has been so useful to give language to a lot of my own personal experience. Two highlights of this program are the community support on mightynetworks and the possibility of attending the training again and again once you join the community.
If there is something you found useful and I missed it, please share it with me. And good luck!
This is a great list! Thank you for posting in one place. Another super useful resource I value in this systems/facilitation space is the Waters Center for Systems Thinking. https://waterscenterst.org/
Thanks, this is an amazing resource. I just stumbled across this post on substack. I saw you stopped writing (at least for a while), but I'm subscribing anyways in hopes for you to start posting again.