Resources

June 1, 2023 Most people agree that there is no “getting back to normal.” Still, many of us hope for a time in the future when change slows down, the world stabilizes, and we can at last redefine what it is to be in a “new normal.” The problem is that complex dynamics are often unstable. They shift from one semi-stable state to the next, passing through various levels of turbulence in between.  There is no golden future where change stops and normal returns. Instead, we live in the turbulent space between more-or-less-stable states. In any moment, we must remember the past, cope with the present, and prepare for whatever is next. We are always prepared for the “next normal.” In this Live Virtual Workshop, we will explore concepts and tools to help you deepen your preparedness for whatever is next for you, your team, organization, or community

May 4, 2023 Children’s conversations often end with, “Yes, it is!” “No, it isn’t!” “Yes, it is!” The stakes can be much higher when adults fall into such a pointless exchange. The more power and privilege the people hold, the more distressing and destructive such “discussions” become. What is the alternative? In HSD we depend on Four Truths to help us navigate the turbulent waters of completing claims. Drawn from the 20h Century philosophy of Jurgen Habermas, the Four Truths open options for individual reflection and shared understanding to escape the traps of competing perspectives. Watch this Live Virtual Workshop to see how the Four Truths can help you get and stay unstuck from old habits of thinking, talking, and acting.

April 6, 2023 In General Systems Theory, Von Bertalanffy laid the foundation for the field of systems science. He focused on closed systems. They were bounded, complex, sometimes unpredictable, but ultimately knowable. Under some circumstances, such closed system models give us insight into human systems from the individual to the global scales, but not always. Sometimes, humans—alone or in groups—transcend their boundaries. When they do, their natures and their futures can become unknowable. Human Systems Dynamics was developed to inform understanding and action in human systems that work outside the bounds of Bertalanffy’s traditional systems logic. Watch this webinar and explore how HSD gives options for insight and intentional action, even when the system and its future are essentially unknowable.

March 2, 2023 The world isn’t black or white. It isn’t even shades of gray. The world of complexity invites you beyond expectations for simple either/or answers. It stretches you beyond naïve both/and solutions. Emergent uncertainty of complex adaptive environments demands more. You will thrive in the turbulence and instability when you see, understand, and navigate the tensions of irreconcilable paradox. Join this dialogue to master Interdependent Pairs and find the power in “Which? To what degree? When?”

Happy Anniversary! We marked the 20th anniversary of HSD Institute with a meeting in the HSD Community Commons. The earliest members of our community connected with the most recent, as we shared stories and impacts! We closed the celebration with a musical and visual walk down memory lane. We hope you enjoy it, too.  This was the first in a series of quarterly HSD Community Commons sessions where Associates share their questions and discoveries. Join us for the next one on June 21.

February 2, 2023 Everyone I meet feels unsettled about the future. Climate change and economic instability, personal health and racial justice, global pandemic and political upheaval drive conversations and distort dreams of what is to come. How do we prepare for a future we cannot predict or control? Adaptive Action! WHAT are the current patterns and what possibilities hide there? SO WHAT can our collective experience and intelligence teach us?  NOW WHAT are options for action today to create the tomorrow we desire? Join the HSD Community to explore what is possible when we: see patterns clearly, seek to understand, and act with courage to transform turbulence and uncertainty into possibility for all.

December 1, 2022 A new year brings opportunity for a new start. It can be a time to reflect on the past and resolve to change patterns that no longer serve us. The problem is that those plans usually go awry after a short time. We plan a game we think we can win and often lose before we really get started. In HSD we call that playing the Finite Game. We plan for the short term, without considering the long-term implications. The alternative is an Infinite Game that recognizes the value of a lifelong commitment to systemic and continuous self-improvement. In this LVW, Glenda explores Finite and Infinite Games as she prepares for the new year. You, too, can shift your patterns of planning and change. Leave this workshop with some new skills and ideas to build New Year’s Resolutions to change your life for the better in 2023.