RSD12 Four Seasons of Systemic Design Evolution

Peter JonesRSD, Strategic Innovation, Systemic Design

RSD12 was the twelfth iteration of the Relating Systems Thinking and Design Symposium, and held 12 RSD12 HUBS in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Local onsite symposia hosted by systemic design groups in China, Canada, Colombia, India, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and the USA. The online RSD program was layered over the local experiences with a sequence of relevant presentations, providing complementary discussions. The first Hub was at UNAL Bogota, co-hosted with the 4th International Design Research congress. Both Tony Fry and Don Norman spoke remotely with bilingual accommodation for the Colombian audience. As there was too much to say at just one talk, I planned four talks for the four hub locations, and presented them in association with the natural cycle of seasons as they move from the “promising emergence” of systemic design in Latin America in Bogota, to the summer heat of practice in Mexico, …

Systemic Design @ Service Design

Peter JonesSystem Leadership, Systemic Design

The Service Design College is hosting this year’s conference as the SDD Leadership Summit, September 15 & 16 in Barcelona. Co-author Kristel Van Ael and I are leading the track on systems leadership and systems thinking in the intensive leadership training. SDD organizer Inge Keizer writes about the event: Leadership is a dynamic and complex process that requires those who lead to navigate ever-changing landscapes and design for the future. To be effective, you must be resilient, adaptable, and capable of embracing uncertainty. Anticipating change, staying ahead of the curve, and working collaboratively with diverse teams are essential qualities for leaders to possess in today’s fast-paced world. To achieve these goals, you must take risks and engage in partnerships for change that can help drive innovation and create positive impact. This requires a deep understanding of the ecosystem in which the organisation operates and a willingness to challenge assumptions, embrace …

New Books Network Interview

Peter JonesMedia Ecology, Systemic Design

Kristel and I held a wonderful interview with Kevin Lindsay of New Books Network last year, and after editing and staging other interviews, it was recently released. New Books in Systems and Cybernetics As I slowly settle into 2023 — reflecting on the blur that was 2022 — I can’t help but think about the complex problems (aka big messes!) we face at every turn: from increasingly devastating manifestations of the climate emergency, to the ubiquitous homelessness crisis, to the perplexing challenge of accessing a family physician in prosperous regions such as British Columbia, Canada. At the same time I am buoyed by the promise of Systems Thinking. Systems practices can take many forms and have the potential to inform — and guide us through — sensible, comprehensive and creative problem-solving. Here on this channel, we have explored some of the origins of systems and cybernetics by talking to knowledgeable …

Shifting Mindsets for Managing Complexity

Peter JonesGovernance, Social Systems Design, Systemic Design

A “Macro” Argument – The Paradigm Shift happening The era of so-called New Public Management is slowly shifting. NPM has seen a significant, worldwide trend in public sector governance, has held the current paradigm since at least 1991, and arguably has survived, or absorbed several emerging movements in public management. Yet I see no academic agreement on what comes next. Recent developments in public management have included sectoral innovation (e.g. De Vries, et al., 2018) and relational public services (Complexity Outcomes, 2023), and these might evolve toward the practices we are calling, for now, complexity management. Yet digital governance, collaborative leadership, and e-governance are more frequently represented in the literature.  Yet these are more techniques with new management, not management innovation. We are looking for the adoption of new structural forms of management, or innovations that address the purposes of strategic leadership.  Digital governance changes the interface between stakeholders and …