Resources

November 5, 2020 Some people find meaning in the daily rush of information. They can focus and concentrate. They find the needles in haystacks and diamonds in the rough. While some people have a gift for meaning making and seeing the bigger picture. Either is an asset, but the latter is less understood in today’s complex system of big data, conflicting perspectives, and competing tensions. In this session, learn tools and techniques as you navigate your way to meaning in a sea of data.

October 1, 2020 Complex change cannot be predicted or controlled. It comes in bursts amid long periods of stillness and silence. It happens for individuals, groups, or whole communities in different ways and at different times. It brings unintended consequences and wonderful surprises. In this session, we will explore the hows and whys of complex change and share some fundamental tools to see, understand, and influence it.

September 17, 2020 We continued our discussion of next steps for the HSD community, by sharing the self-organizing efforts going on around the globe.

September 3, 2020 Every complex system sits on top of irresolvable tensions:  speed and quality; identity and flexibility; tradition and innovation; centralized and distributed; and many more. We used to manage these tensions by tradeoffs and compromise, but that didn’t always work. As uncertainty and complexity grow, those tactics lose even more of their power. Instead, HSD helps you embrace underlying tensions to generate energy and opportunity. In this session, learn to use Interdependent Pairs to transform your dilemmas into possibilities. 

August 6, 2020 When you cannot predict or control the environment, the only way to thrive is to see and respond to what IS—whatever it is. Success in an uncertain future is not determined by internal skills and choices. It is not driven by environments and circumstances. True, sustainable, success relies on the fit between external situations and internal choices. This session explores three systemic features (sensitive, responsive, robust) that lead to success in a “fit for function” world.

June 18, 2020 HSD was made for times like these! COVID-19, police brutality, natural disasters, and political unrest are all wicked, wicked problems. HSD practitioners around the world work with others to transform these problems into patterns of possibility for people, institutions, and communities. In this month's Quarterly Virtual Mini-Conference, Associates will host a dialogue about how they use HSD and what they see as the future of the HSD Community of Praxis. Join us for a bit of time traveling and connection!

June 4, 2020 Individuals create political patterns for themselves and others. At the same time, the political patterns force individual choices and behaviors. That’s part of the complexity of living and working in complex systems. Whether you work with an underperforming employee, transform corporate culture, or advocate for social justice, you must understand the nature of emergent patterns before you can shift them. In this session, you will learn about powerful, destructive patterns that emerge in complex systems. At the same time, you’ll discover ways to understand and influence them as your future unfolds.