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practice


moving from the abstract to application is where systems thinking comes alive, and generates the meaningful insights we need to create change.


here we share our community of practice, method guides and resources we’ve created to support your practice.

'trying and struggling looks like incompetence right up until the moment it looks like success.' ~ shane parrish

RESOURCES


join our virtual community for access to these practice resources 

register here

1.

recordings of our systems community of practice

 

access past recordings from our virtual sessions. 

2.

system thinking method guides

 

we've created a purpose built tool to help you identify and implement a useful systems method based on your systems learning needs. 

3.

systems thinking resources

 

  • systems practice poster
  • pocket guide to systems wayfinding
  • systems storytelling report
  • systems change framework

ONLINE EVENT

systems community of practice

relational infrastructure for systemic change

april 13th 9:30am aest 

in our next session we're joined by a very special guest, and colleague sam rye. sam will join to share more about his thinking on "relational infrastructure' as a follow up to his recent article. the session will hold space for dialogue, questions and small group discussion.

register
 
about sam rye

currently, sam is a senior research officer at monash university supporting initiatives such as net zero solutions and living labs. with a diverse skills set spanning collaborative innovation, complexity, strategic design, communications, experimentation, strategy, systems thinking, and leadership in teams & networks, sam brings these skills and experiences together to support and supercharge projects and organisations which regenerate society and our environment.

ONLINE EVENT

systems community of practice

AMA - Ask Me Anything!

may 18th 9:30am aest 

check your time zone

In our next systems community of practice, we’ll run our first AMA (Ask Me Anything)! we’ll be talking all things systems thinking, wayfinding and systemic change.

engage with director seanna davidson, and colleague fiona mcKenzie from orange compass. together they’ve taught the systemic change for practitioners course 5 times, and collectively have worked in the field for over 30 years. they have shared some of their learning and insights in the pocket guide to systems wayfinding and the wayfinders guide to systems transformation, but we know you have more questions!

you’re invited to submit questions ahead of the session, as well as live during the chat. some questions we’ve heard over the years from practitioners in our work and the course include:

  • i’m a bit worried. if i don’t have support to do systems work in my organization - or commitment from my collaborative partners - what do i do?
  • do we have to define what a systems map is trying to solve before we start it?
  • i’m unsure where to go next.. how do I know what method to use and when?
  • what is ‘the system’ in this work? do we need to know the ‘boundary’ in advance?
  • we’ve said we’re taking a systems approach, but now there is pushback towards a return to business as usual. how do I manage this and sustain my own energy too!
  • i’m excited! everyone wants to do systems change. does this mean they want to do systems thinking?
register and submit a question
about fiona mckenzie

Fiona is the Founder and Director of Orange Compass, a consultancy dedicated to supporting change makers on their journey to transform systems and build better futures. Fiona has spent her career designing and supporting systems change initiatives and founded Orange Compass to focus on transformational work. She brings a specialised set of skills, including a remarkable ability to apply systems and futures thinking to complex issues. Fiona’s practice is informed by her qualifications as a human geographer, with a PhD on innovation and expertise in both public policy and academic research. Fiona has a rich tapestry of 20 years’ experience across academia, business, government, non-government, and intergovernmental sectors. She has worked with State and Federal Government Departments in Australia, as well as for Commissions and Royal Commissions. She has worked with a range of United Nations initiatives as well as other government, academia and non—government groups on every inhabited continent. She is happiest when supporting courageous people and organisations navigate complex challenges and disrupt the status quo.

about seanna davidson

Seanna is the founder and director of the systems school. Seanna works with individuals, teams and collaborations to unpack complex problems through the lens of systems thinking, reflective practice and action learning. Together, she guides them towards better outcomes for the people and places they care about. She is a systems practitioner, process designer, and educator in systems thinking and systemic change. Her work draws on several areas of practice including human geography, art of hosting and theoryU, process work, and developmental evaluation and design. In her work she has designed and facilitated: 5 online experiential learning programs on systems thinking, systemic change, and power to over 500 participants, five systemic inquiry processes, and an Australian water innovation lab. In previous roles across multiple sectors, Seanna was part of the research team to lead systems change efforts in four communities across, built capacity for systems thinking capacity across a collaborative network of policy makers, practitioners and researchers, led a learning lab on the integration of systems thinking into university curriculum, and was the Program Manager for a Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation. Prior to her Ph.D. Seanna worked in the fields of environmental assessment and water governance across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors in Canada.


 
'since attending the community of practice… our team has quickly grasped the practical concept of systems, and furthering our understanding to consolidate and implement an approach to systems relevant to our community. our entire health promotion team now attend the webinars as a team; such is the value and benefit we place and have gained from our involvement and participation in the systems community of practice.' ~ community health service 

we recognise and pay respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, their ancestors, the elders past, present and future from the different First Nations across this country. we acknowledge the importance of connection to land, culture, spirituality, ancestry, family and community for the wellbeing of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families. (ref:  https://emergingminds.com.au)