Why take this masterclass?
Many people today are interested in making a positive contribution to society and the world. We often hear the phrase "we need systems change" to address life's and societies' many interconnected social, cultural, political and environmental challenges. Many people are interested in or work in the field of sustainability because they feel this is where they can create such change but often lack the foundational thinking, sensibility and literacy that is required to effect positive systems change.
Systems thinking offers essential skills and tools that will help build a deep understanding and experience of complexity. Systems thinking thrives on curiosity for exploration, experimentation, innovation, collaboration, co-creation and a commitment to continual learning.
The course consists of 4 modules that will take you on a journey to discover how systems thinking has the potential to create systems change and change the change-maker in the process. The course is therefore relevant to anyone who has an interest in creating positive change and requires no previous experience with systems thinking. For those who have experience in systems thinking, this course offers a refreshing new angle on contemporary systems thinking.
What will you learn?
There are three different layers of systems thinking capability which we will reveal in this course - systemic sensibility, systems literacy and systems thinking in practice:
- Discovering systemic sensibility - We begin by (re-) discovering an innate but often dormant talent that many people have, systems sensibility. It is a tacit appreciation that the nature of the world is relational.
- Developing systems literacy - Throughout the course, we develop systems literacy and the knowledge of systems characteristics and their behaviours. We expand on systems sensibility by introducing key systems concepts, thinkers and language to develop your systems literacy.
- Cultivating systems thinking in practice - We give you tools and ways of thinking and reflecting to engage with complex situations and challenges that can't be solved with a strategic plan or generic problem-solving approach. We will explore what it takes to use systems thinking in practice in the real world and within your context.
Through these levels of learning, we intend the build six specific skills including:
- skills in managing your own thought processes - using trans - and metacognitive ability
- skills in distinguishing complex situations or problems from complicated, chaotic and simple situations and their characteristics; as well as defining ‘systems of interests’ and their boundaries
- skills in recognising and organising systems parts and wholes
- skills in recognising relationships and interdependencies
- skills in taking and switching perspectives – shifting worldviews
- skills in embodying and applying systems thinking to complex real-world challenges.
Who is this course for?
- professionals in planning and decision-making roles (business, enterprise, NGO sector and government)
- consultants
- educators and researchers
- students and life-long learners.
Course format/features
Four live interactive and tailored webinar sessions.
Speakers and facilitators
Isabel Sebastian, Research Principal, ISF
Isabel spent a decade working in Asia where she experienced how different cultural worldviews lead to vastly different approaches in stakeholder engagement, decision-making and problem-solving. She felt inspired to learn about the Eastern philosophies, which view the world and all life as interconnected. This exploration led her to the art and science of systems-thinking and its potential for accelerating sustainability practices and behaviours. She has a professional background in tourism and environmental management with more than 20 years of experience in natural area management, business sustainability and an interest in Eastern cultures.
Katie Ross, Research Principal, ISF
Katie is curious about ways to create improvements. She wonders what types of strategies and approaches work best in certain situations, and what ‘palette’ of approaches leads to the most meaningful and well directed change towards sustainable futures. Luckily, she is a Research Principal at the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney, where she can explore this interest daily. She specialises in transdisciplinary action research that agitates for change in social, technical and governance systems.
