Finding the Fix that Fits:
Human Systems Dynamics at Work
April 16, 2008
Seeing and Influencing (continued)
Shaping Possibilities
Glenda H. Eoyang, Ph.D.
[email protected]
April 2008
© 2007. Human Systems Dynamics Institute.
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Finding the Fix that Fits
Introduction: The Fix that Fits
October 3, 2007
Session 1: Self-Organizing
November 28, 2007
Session 2: Fingerprints of Chaos
December 19, 2007
Session 3: Adaptive Action
Session 4: Mental Model Gymnastics
Session 5. Seeing and Influencing
January 9, 2008
February 20, 2008
March 5, 2008
Session 6: Shaping Possibilities
April 16, 2008
Your Next Assignment
(if you choose to accept it)
 Consider a current sticky issue for you.
 Define the relevant containers, differences, and
exchanges.
 Decide how you might want the pattern to change.
 Pick one action to shift one of the conditions.
 Take the action.
 Be prepared to report.
Your Guide . . . Glenda Eoyang
Glenda H. Eoyang, Ph.D.
[email protected]
 The CDE Model helps me
understand the dynamics of human
systems around me.
 BUT, my habits, assumptions, and
prior expectations keep me stuck in
the old way of action.
 A short list of questions helps me
identify my options for action.
Today we will . . . .
 Complete our discussion about the CDE Model for
the conditions for self-organizing.
 Explore seven simple questions that help leaders
cope with unpredictable change.
 Close this webinar series and look to the future.
Change Is Changing
 Static
 Dynamic
 Dynamical
Complex Adaptive System (CAS)
Self-Organizing System
A collection of individual agents, who have the freedom to act in
unpredictable ways, and whose actions are interconnected such
that they produce system-wide patterns.
Examples: termite colonies, stock markets, the Internet, gardens,
human beings, groups of people
Self-Organizing Systems
Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS)
System-wide
Patterns
Agents
What do we mean by
“patterns”?
Similarities, differences, and relationships that have
meaning across space and/or time
Examples:
Responses to questions
Language of participants
Disciplinary identities
Distinctions within and among teams
CDE Model
Conditions for Self-Organizing
 Containers
Hold the system
together until
patterns form.
CDE Model
Conditions for Self-Organizing
 Container examples:
 Physical spaces
 Goals
 Visionary leaders
 Personal affinities
 Identities
 Jargons
 Traditions
 Memberships
 Meeting times and places
 And . . .
Shift the Containers
 More organized . . .
 Fewer
 Stronger
 Smaller
 More unorganized . . .
 More
 Weaker
 Larger
 How do you shift
containers in your
practice?
CDE Model
Conditions for Self-Organizing
 Containers
 Differences
Establish the pattern and build
tensions to motivate change.
CDE Model
Conditions for Self-Organizing
 Containers
 Difference examples
 Power
 Gender
 Experience
 Culture
 Ethnicity
 Location
 Discipline
 Pay scale
 Seniority
 And . . .
Shift the Differences
 More organized . . .
 Fewer
 Clearer
 Smaller
 More unorganized . . .
 More
 Fuzzier
 Larger
 How do you shift differences
in your practice?
CDE Model
Conditions for Self-Organizing
 Containers
 Differences
 Exchanges
Connect agents together within the
container and across differences.
CDE Model
Conditions for Self-Organizing
 Containers
 Differences
 Exchange examples:
 Money
 Respect
 Talk
 Emails
 Phone calls
 Touch
 Non-verbal
 And . . .
Shift the Exchanges
 More organized . . .
 Tighter
 More unorganized . . .
 Looser
 How do you shift
exchanges in your
practice?
CDE Model
Conditions for Self-Organizing
 Container
 Difference
 Exchange
What are the conditions?
How could you shift them to
change the pattern?
Facilitating Organization Change
One: Connections
 What connections help us adapt?
 How can we build stronger connections?
Facilitating Organization Change
Two: Emerging Goals
 What are our current goals?
 How do we know when those goals need to change?
Facilitating Organization Change
Three: Uncertainty
 How do we cope with uncertainty?
 How can we cope better?
Facilitating Organization Change
Four: Exploit differences
 What differences make a difference to us and our
clients?
 How can we make the most of those differences?
Facilitating Organization Change
Five: Find common ground
 What is our common ground?
 What do we share?
Facilitating Organization Change
Define success as “fit”
 What does “fit” mean to our partners?
 How can we improve our fit?
Facilitating Organization Change
Set conditions for self-organizing
 What conditions do we set for self-organizing?
 Can we do it better?
 Container
 Difference
 Exchange
Finding the Fix that Fits
Introduction: The Fix that Fits
Session 1: Self-Organizing
Session 2: Fingerprints of Chaos
Session 3: Adaptive Action
Session 4: Mental Model Gymnastics
October 3, 2007
November 28, 2007
Dec 19, 2007
January 9, 2008
February 20
Session 5. Seeing and Influencing
March 5, 2008
Session 6: Shaping Possibilities
April 16, 2008
Today we have . . . .
 Completed our discussion about the CDE Model for
the conditions for self-organizing.
 Explored seven simple questions that help leaders
cope with unpredictable change.
 Closed this webinar series and looked to the future.
Resources
 Websites
 www.hsdinstitute.org
 www.odnetwork.org/resources/HSD
 Classes from HSD Institute




HSD Professional certification
Leadership
Peace
HSD Group
 Books
 Coping with Chaos: Seven Simple Tools (Eoyang)
 Facilitating Organization Change (Olson & Eoyang)
 Voices from the Field (Eoyang, ed.)
 Webinar Series June to November 2008
THANKS!
HSD in Action means that you can
AND
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