About the Field of Human Systems Dynamics
About the HSD Institute
What is human systems dynamics (HSD)?
Human systems dynamics (HSD) is an emerging field of research and practice that applies principles of complexity, nonlinear dynamics, and chaos theory to the study of groups of humans as they live and work responsibly in teams, organizations, and communities.
As people come together to work or play, to plan, or to make decisions, each brings a myriad of experiences, knowledge, and needs. These complicated and free agents interact with each other, resulting in patterns of behavior that emerge from the diversity of the group. Human systems dynamics is the study of those emergent patterns and what they can teach about productive possibilities for human action.
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How is this different from traditional social systems thought and action?
Based on complex adaptive systems theory, HSD goes beyond the traditional, linear models of systems that rely on step-by-step planning and expectations. Linear models assume predictable environments and predictable outcomes with high levels of agreement and certainty, but such linear models of thinking and functioning break down in the unpredictable, emergent environments of today's social and economic systems. In contrast, HSD is an innovative way to think about organizations. It recognizes that most human systems evolve from complex interactions, so its descriptions better match reality of behavior and action in individual, group, organizational, and community behavior.
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What distinguishes HSD from other fields of study in social sciences?
Rather than using traditional characteristics like self-referencing cliques of practitioners or specialized tools and language, the HSD Institute defines itself by a short list of simple rules for personal and institutional interaction as well as for research and practice. The rules establish the agent-level behaviors that generate system-wide patterns of emergent growth and learning. There are eight rules in the Short List.
- Teach and learn in every interaction.
- Reinforce strengths of self and others.
- Search for the true and the useful.
- Apply emerging learnings in reflective practice.
- Make expectations explicit.
- Give and get value for value.
- Attend to the part, the whole, and the greater whole.
- Engage in joyful practice.
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Why would I want to study or use HSD in my organization?
Using HSD improves the viability and sustainability of your organization by
- expanding your options for understanding and action,
- increasing your capacity for adaptive work,
- focusing the work on what really matters,
- improving communication, and
- reducing stress within your organization.
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Why would I want to use HSD in my community?
Because HSD is built on theories about how complex adaptive systems work as they respond to changes in the environment, people who apply the tenets of HSD in their communities can use metaphors and language that makes sense to everyone. When all constituents are using a common language to describe the interactions and issues they face, they are better able to understand each other and identify creative solutions to their challenges.
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Who benefits from understanding HSD?
- CEO's and other leaders use HSD to understand and respond to the forces that shape their opportunities, such as unpredictable markets, information overload, and shifting demands for change from customers, stakeholders, and employees.
- Educational leaders use HSD to address ongoing, seemingly never-ending problems such as teacher retention, effective Board roles, behaviors and governance, effective parent support of learning, and meeting the needs of increasing numbers of diverse learners.
- Community leaders use HSD to develop a common language and understanding of their local and regional environments as they bring people together to address issues such as aging neighborhoods, decreasing revenues, and increasing need for social supports.
- Organizational change agents use HSD to assess organizational readiness, to design interventions, to implement action, and to evaluate outcomes. HSD models and techniques work at all levels--individual, group, institution, and community, so they bring together diverse and previously divergent methods of understanding and action.
- Planners use HSD to 'see' and describe the complex system, identify the critical constraints to growth, transition and change, and define the specific, do-able steps that free the system to continue to evolve in positive, productive ways. HSD helps generate innovative options that work around and through issues that are obstacles to traditional approaches.
- Parents use HSD to understand the dynamics of humans in family environments and to find more effective ways to interact with their children and to support their growth toward healthy, functioning adulthoods.
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What are some specific examples of people who have used HSD to change their organizations, their communities or their lives?
- An international financial services firm used ideas from HSD to develop adaptive capacity of middle managers involved in operations and information systems development and support.
- A highly diversified international securities and investment company used HSD to develop more flexible planning techniques, increase leadership capacity, and improve communications across the organization and around the world.
- A large community hospital consistently earns the highest ratings for customer service and patient care in the US. They have been using the concepts and theories of complexity –-a foundation of HSD – to examine their services and practices for the past five years.
- Counties in northern Minnesota have used principles of HSD to establish and improve their processes for restorative justice and circle sentencing.
- Two major religious institutions used HSD to recognize and articulate the complex relationships, culture and behaviors at work and have used it as a strategic tool to design and lead organizational change. One of these projects brought about change at an international level.
- One mid-sized school district used principles of HSD to change their central office structure and function from the traditional 'mandate and then monitor' mindset to one of 'service and support.'
- One large suburban school district utilized the HSD theory and leadership frameworks in developing a coherent education leadership system of structure, roles, authority, policies/procedures and processes for visioning, operational planning and budgeting, situation assessment, conflict resolution, decision making and inclusive process development.
- A large senior care and services provider used HSD to reframe the organizational mission and vision, re-pattern its structure and relationships and shift the culture to a client care and services model with accountability and feedback systems for performance and viability.
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If HSD is working so well in so many places, why is there a need for this Institute?
During the past 15 years, researchers and practitioners have investigated chaos and complexity theories and applied their learnings to theory and practice in organizations. These investigations have been quite diverse, building from the wide variety of scientific and mathematical disciplines that deal with the behavior of nonlinear dynamical systems and making use of a variety of organization development and management approaches that are common in the field. Researchers continue to focus on tools and techniques that are appropriate in various contexts. Practitioners explore specific applications of the theory to practice. Much of this exciting work has taken place in isolation from other researchers and practitioners. Many potentially useful threads are being spun, but there is currently no loom that allows the threads to weave themselves into coherent and useful patterns. The result is a field that is rich in diversity but weak in coherence.
The purpose of the Human Systems Dynamics Institute is to establish the conditions that will allow these divergent threads to self-organize into a more coherent, though no less varied, field of study and practice. Based on one field of research in complexity, the Eoyang CDE Model for conditions of self-organizing in human systems, three conditions set the speed, path, and outcome of such emergent processes.
- The container holds a system together as its parts interact to form new system-wide patterns.
- The significant differences within the container focus the resources of the system and establish the emerging patterns.
- Transforming exchanges among the agents within the container allow for individual and system-wide evolution of new learnings and patterns.
The Human Systems Dynamics Institute is designed to provide these three conditions and to facilitate the development of a coherent grounding of the theory and practice of nonlinear dynamics in human systems. The HSD Institute web site discussions, events, and publications provide the container where conversations, dialogues, publications and training (exchanges) between and among the theorists and practitioners (differences) within those settings will allow for self-organization into a richer, more viable field of study..
The vision for the future of the HSD Institute is a conversation in which
- each participant is teaching and learning simultaneously about theory and practice of effective human systems dynamics;
- two people or many may be participating at any given time;
- the interaction may be virtual or face-to-face;
- participants focus on detailed actions (like what to do next) or broad-based philosophical issues (like whether the patterns exists before the interaction);
- the symbol sets of mathematics, computer science, physical sciences, medicine, poetry, or engineering may be used separately or simultaneously; and
- ideas and options for action may develop in a moment or over a lifetime.
It is an exchange, within a framework, and across significant differences, that generates new system-wide patterns of understanding and action.
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What are some of the other organizations that support the study of HSD?
Over the years, other groups have formed to support exploration into applications of chaos and complexity in human systems. Each of them has served an important function in helping individuals and groups come to new understandings and develop new practices. For a contact information with some of these organizations, look in our Resource Links page.
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How is the HSD Institute different from these organizations?
In contrast to these organizations, the Human Systems Dynamics Institute will
- Invite individuals and institutions that are currently involved in the work to further the development of their theory and practice.
- Provide a single umbrella for all applications of new sciences to organizations and give the field a name – human systems dynamics.
- Promote a mission that embraces all applications of nonlinear dynamics to human systems, including the potential competitors, as collaborators in the work.
- Provide resources to support a variety of interest levels, from visitors through researchers.
- Provide industry-specific services and products that incorporate the principles of human systems dyamics.
- Publish print and on-line resources.
- Support face-to-face and on-line interactions.
- Provide vehicles for teaching, coaching, and sharing among equals.
By establishing and maintaining these conditions, the Institute will provide a context in which the theory and practice of human systems dynamics can reach its next level of maturity.
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Where can I learn more about HSD and the HSD Institute?
Human systems dynamics is an emerging field, so the best way to learn about it is to stay in contact with others who are working to develop related theory and practice. The Human Systems Dynamics Institute was designed to bring people like you together into generative conversations about how lessons from complexity and chaos theory can inform innovative practice and theory in human systems. You can join the conversation by:
- Exploring the HSD Institute web site to learn about some of the emerging lessons of the field.
- Becoming an HSD Professional.
- Attending an HSD Institute training function or retreat.
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What do I get when I join the HSD Institute?
Associates gain many benefits from their interactions with each other and the Institute. Individuals develop themselves, their businesses, and contribute to the development of the field.
As an Associate, you will gain many advantages. The benefits will help you develop yourself and your professional practice. Finally your participation in the HSD Institute provides you with the potential to contribute to the development of the field of human systems dynamics. If you want to be added to our mailing list, without the benefits of membership, please contact us and give us your email address.
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