Resources

This is the third in a series of blogs where Royce Holladay and Mary Nations explore the dynamics of Generative Engagement. In last week’s blog, I explored a set of conditions that Mary and I believe can shape system-wide patterns of purposeful, meaningful dialogue; productivity across differences; and highly adaptive relationships. This week I want to share some thoughts we have had about what can happen if those conditions get out of balance with each other or when any of the conditions exclude individuals or groups in the system. As you read, consider how you see each situation play out in the systems where you live, work, and play.

In HSD, we teach people to see patterns in complex situations, and to understand them in true and useful ways. The goal is to make choices and take actions that shift those patterns toward greater health and wellbeing—away from oppression.

Engineers know a lot about pressure:  Boyle’s Law, pounds per square inch, and cold fronts that bring thunderstorms in the summer.  You know about pressure, too:  Deadlines, politics, demands, more with less, and forward farther and faster.

Human Systems Dynamics (HSD) helps you see, understand, and influence the patterns of interaction and decision making that shape your world. Over the past three months, I have introduced and explored a set of principles that help you understand change in the complexity of human systems. These principles use the essence of HSD to offer options for understanding and taking action as you navigate change in complex systems.