Seeing Systems and Changing Behavior

Systems are back in. Leaders and organizations are coming to terms with the interconnectedness of things. That things are in fact interconnected should not be news to anyone. But for a variety of reasons, we seem to lose track of the point that we do not exist in isolation, what we do has impacts that are expected and unexpected, and that we need to consider the range of effects our actions can have.

Part of the myopic vision we have is that we are by nature myopic. It is easy to consider things in relation to ourselves, to see the world from our own perspective, to process things through how it impacts us. Some cultures, like American culture, can prioritize the individual and promote self-interest. “I got mine, now you get yours” is a motto that does not inspire exploring how things are connected.

Also is the sheer overwhelming nature of thinking how things are connected. We can look at a natural ecosystem and consider how all the elements are tied together, but at what point do we stop? It can start to be a bit of an abyss in terms of the layers we can excavate of being interconnected. From the heavens to digging into the earth, there’s a lot going on. Where do we draw the line in terms of mapping out everything that is interacting with each other?

Finally, there is the question of what do I do with that information of connectedness? How is it supposed to drive my decision making? Do I consider some of it? All of it? None of it? Do I cross my fingers and hope for the best when making decisions or committing to particular actions? Do I try to consider everything that might be impacted or have an effect on what transpires? These are a lot of questions to consider, which in themselves can be overwhelming.

A common response to all this complexity is to simplify it. Ignore the ambiguity, make the big picture smaller, make the incomprehensible more manageable. However, in doing so we also miss a lot of opportunity to expand and create.

In the movie Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee is trying to educate a student on how to feel versus think when engaging in martial arts and fight an opponent. He tells the student the following:

"Don't think. FEEEEEEEEL! It's like a finger pointing away to the moon. Do not concentrate on the finger or you will miss all of the heavenly glory!"

Part of the lesson relates to the importance of seeing the whole, and not just focusing on the parts. More discussion of this scene and statement is found at brucelee.com. Another point made is, “When you feel the connectedness or excitement of the moment, instead of pulling away just be with it.” Experience the connections and connected, because when we only focus on one part, we miss all that make the experience special in its own right.

Thus, we need to explore the ways in which we can embrace complexity and interconnectedness. At the same time, we also can’t let complexity impede action.  and not let it impede action. Even better is if we can leverage the complexity and interconnectedness. To do so, and to be in a better position to understand and act upon the complex systems we face, we need to look at the linkages, as well as make linkages where none currently exist

Jen Briselli, Chief Design Strategy Officer at Mad*Pow, is about making those connections to understand systems. In her role, she needs to look at the big picture while creating a path forward. She draws on her own varied experiences as a high school teacher, student of rhetoric, heavy metal fan, and designer to see how things can be connected, and how an understanding of complexity can lead to better innovation. Like Bruce Lee, she also advocates keeping a beginner’s mind, and using the spirit of discovery as a way to drive her work forward. This is a sentiment that gets embraced through Mad*Pow as they help their clients navigate complexity to find opportunity.

The world is complex, and our attempts to simply it will not make is simpler. But by learning how to embrace complexity and form connections to better understand it, we can start to develop creation solutions to what seem to be insurmountable problems.

Listen to Jen Briselli about integrating ideas for system design here