Based upon a presentation by Dr. Rob WeinbergDirector, Experiment in Congregational Education

Thinking, Planning, and Acting Systemically in Communities

Tikkun Middot ProjectInstitute for Jewish Spirituality

Goals How systemic thinking enables

long-lasting, far-reaching, significant change;

What such change looks like in communal life; and

How you might apply it to support your innovations.

Our Agenda

Connection question Systems Thinking Principles: An

Introduction Systemic Innovation: Action

Continuum Reflection

Connection Question

Share one system that you are a part of in your personal life. What

evidence do you have that you are part of a living system (not an isolated

“silo”)?

Systems Thinking: The Iceberg View

Events

Patterns of Behavior Over Time

Systemic Structural Causes

Increased Leverage andOpportunity for Learning

and Change

Systems Thinking: The Iceberg View

Events

Patterns of Behavior Over Time

Systemic Structural Causes

Reactive: We react to each event as it happens

Responsive: We try to respond to patterns

Generative: We take the time to understand how the dynamic interaction of variables generates behavior

Systems Thinking:Interconnections

Three ways to look at systems: A collection of parts Parts in interaction with one another

Parts embedded in a system

How We Tend to Think and Systems Thinking Principles

How We Tend to Think

Connections between problems and causes are obvious and easy to trace

Others are to blame for our problems; they must change

To optimize the whole, we must optimize the parts

Systems Thinking Relationships

between problems and causes are indirect, not obvious

We unwittingly create our own problems, have control/influence to solve them by changing our behavior

To optimize the whole we must improve relationships among the parts

How We Tend to Think and Systems Thinking Principles

How We Tend to Think

The best way to implement change is to tackle many independent initiatives simultaneously and aggressively

Policies/decisions designed to achieve short term success will also assure long term success

Systems Thinking A few key

coordinated changes sustained over time will produce large systems changes

Most quick fixes make no long term difference or make matters worse in the long run

Benefits of Systems Thinking

Systems thinking enables us to: Change thinking to match the

interconnected, dynamic complexity of communities

Spot unintended consequences of our actions

Communicate with others, challenge ways of thinking, and create shared understanding

Benefits of Systems Thinking

Systems thinking enables us to: Change our behavior to work with

the complex forces in the system (instead of against them) to realize our vision

Identify and test a variety of possible actions; expand the choices available to us and focus on highest leverage changes

Scope and Duration of Change

Ignore Systems: Small Changes Vanishing

Effects

Systems Thinking:

Long-lasting Far-reaching Significant

change

Seven Core Practices of Systemic Innovation

1. Collaboration in Service of Shared Vision

2. Alignment to Vision3. Feedback4. Coherence5. Community of Learners and

Innovators6. Resources7. (Re)-Creating the Memory of the

Whole

1. Collaboration in Service of Shared Vision Leaders applying Systems Thinking to

generate long lasting, far reaching and significant change:

Organize and collaborate with teams across traditional boundaries to create, disseminate and develop a shared compelling picture of a future state.

Desired Outcome: Engages multiple stakeholders in dialogue, study and reflection to identify shared hopes and dreams.

2. Alignment to Vision

Leaders applying Systems Thinking to generate long lasting, far reaching and significant change: Create, develop and implement with partners across traditional boundaries, innovations that are experiments in a spiraling series of innovations toward a shared picture of the future. Desired Outcome: Develops capacity of the community to focus resources and attention so as to assure that innovations are aligned to vision.

3. FeedbackLeaders applying Systems Thinking to generate

long lasting, far reaching and significant change:

Work in partnership to identify overarching goals, measurable goals and participant outcomes derived from a shared vision that will change based on assessment.

Desired Outcome: Set an agenda that focuses on identifying participant outcomes, based on overarching long term goals derived from the vision, and assures those outcomes are measured and fed back to the innovation process to inform decision making.

4. Coherence

Leaders applying Systems Thinking to generate long lasting, far reaching and significant change:

Identify and develop strategies to link (grow connective tissue between) parts and people of congregation.

Desired Outcome: Utilize the launch and development of each innovation as an opportunity to further connect programs, people, ideas and structures in to a unified community striving to live and work toward a common vision.

5. Community of Learners and Innovators

Leaders applying Systems Thinking to generate long lasting, far reaching and significant change:

Guide continuous learning, reflection among all governing/innovating teams and participants to enrich individuals and to establish a culture of experimentation and learning.

Desired Outcome: Ensure innovations are viewed by planners, governance and participants as learning experiments created by teams not products to be consumed or reviewed.

6. Resources

Leaders applying Systems Thinking to generate long lasting, far reaching and significant change:

Advocate for resources of time, money and person power to support innovations.

Desired Outcome: Advocate for budget to reflect values of the congregation including a primary value on innovation toward a vision.

7. (Re)-Creating the Memory of the Whole Jewish leaders applying Systems Thinking to

generate long lasting, far reaching and significant change:

Utilize Jewish stories, symbols, heroes, rituals and language to create the experience of a whole community working and living together to reach a common shared vision.

Desired Outcome: Communicates a Jewish narrative and language to be shared by lay members and professionals that conveys the value of a whole community striving to reach a common vision.

Taking it home Use the materials

PowerPoint Systemic Innovation Action

Continuum Study each practice Assess where you are Work together in “learning labs”

Embark on a collaborative, deliberative process