Systems Innovation’s Post

What is a Complex System? A complex system is a special class of system that has evolved to exhibit complexity, meaning that it is characterized as having many different parts that are highly interconnected and interdependent. Systems start simple and go through a process of evolution to become more complex. The evolution of complexity involves the process of differentiation - meaning the system comes to have more parts, with those parts being more specialized - and integration - meaning the parts become more interconnected and interdependent. Through this process of integration and differentiation during the system's development, it comes to have a large number of diverse elements that are highly interconnected and interdependent, what we call complexity. An except and graphic from our guide to complexity theory: https://is.gd/gJJpiB

Coming up next week we will be running a live session on systems gardening. Systems gardening is about enabling change within complex adaptive systems by recognizing them as living systems and working, similarly to a gardener, to grow new beneficial outcomes over time. Graphic from our Si Concept Cards: https://is.gd/rmKtsA You can find the event here: https://is.gd/VPLDBx Guide here: https://is.gd/YwVkIP

In the Si Learning Series we are currently exploring transition design. This graphic illustrates a key aspect of systems change with reference to the two loops model, that to be successful we must work on both sides of the equation - the growth of the new (innovation) and disintegration of the old (exnovation). You can learn more with this guide to transition design: https://is.gd/qqSn9E Find the next event in the Learning Series where we will discuss this here: https://is.gd/hxF5F5