People: Systemic Thinking

The forest is alive with thinking creatures, from the trees that seem to whisper secrets in the wind and the foxes that plot their next hunt.

Let’s get Human.

Systemic thinking allows us to see the bigger picture, viewing complex systems as interconnected and interdependent, allowing us to solve problems holistically and sustainably by understanding their relationships and interactions.

In this blog, pen down the role of People in Systemic Thinking and later tie the insights from this pillar to integrate with other pillars of Systemic Thinking.

People are integral components of complex systems, whose behaviors, decisions, and interactions influence and are influenced by the broader system. They are both contributors to and products of the system’s dynamics and understanding their roles and relationships is crucial for addressing systemic issues effectively

Role Types of People: Dreamers, Creators and Operators

We can identify the Role of Dreamers, Creators, and Operators in any human-made system.

This is core to the System and note the dynamic complexity around this role

Interchangeable Roles: A single person can embody multiple roles across different systems or even within the same system

Variable Roles: The role an individual performs in one system may not be the same in another system, showcasing the fluidity and adaptability required in systemic thinking.

Collaborative Role: Multiple individuals may perform the same role, either in conjunction or in opposition, emphasizing the complexity and interdependence that drive the creation, sustenance, and improvement of intricate systems.

Dive to Roles

Dreamer

Though the word may seem a misnomer, this is an important phase in forming the system. At this stage, the idea’s inception is formed, often from the operational difficulties experienced by operators.

Creator

Creators can understand the dream and create a tangible version, thereby addressing the difficulties faced by operators.

Operator

The operator’s capability lies in operating the creator’s creation and driving its sustainability. The operator is the longest-serving individual within the system, ensuring its continued functionality and improvement.

Roles in action

Let’s take a real-world example where people are personally attached mostly. This helps to embed the role in Business, Technology, Social and Technology spaces.

An Individual dreams of building a house, and once that is fully formed and firm, An architect and builder create the house, once that is fully formed and firm, the Dreamer starts living in the house by operating from the house. During this phase, new ideas and issues pop in, triggering the Dreamer in the individual for new renovation, new home or even different shelter methods.

Interactions between Roles

When Dreamers, Creators, and Operators align at the right time, their combined efforts can trigger significant progress, although it is not often to get and sustain the winning combination, solely because it involves People.

• Timing and Resonance: It’s rare for Dreamers, Creators, and Operators to identify and resonate with each other at the right moment, but when they do, it leads to a powerful bias for action within their respective spaces.
• Role-Specific Limitations: Not every Creator can transform a Dream into a tangible outcome, nor can every Operator effectively manage the outcome of a Creation, highlighting the distinct strengths and limitations of each role.
  Equally, not every Dreamer can envision an outcome that meets the expectations of an Operator
• Character Dynamics: While the individual agnostic of the role, in the setup there should be one Strong Leader with the Sponsor capability for the system.

Modes to engage with Roles

The above are chronological steps to engage with the people to find what they want and to validate for themselves and others that the idea is formed and understood. This is an iterative process, which may be quick or take a few cycles.

Article from d.school elaborating on this mode and the rules of engagement. which is core to design thinking.

https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources/the-bootcamp-bootleg

What to look for in an engagement

Having roles and modes in mind will craft clarity for the People driving the foreseen system. Also appreciating each other’s Human values thereby enabling radical collaboration.

Golden Circle Framework, introduced by Simon Sinek in 2009 provided an encapsulation to the thought process, which was followed in various Systems built before by People. But his manifestation of the concept was a classic example of Simplification in the confused world.

But in Circle Framework, Why is the centrepiece, before all other questions. No doubt, this is a core question to be answered, but mostly not the first to be encountered. The sequence of questions will vary when there are multiple Roles in this case Dreamers, Creators and Operators are involved.

Simom’s Circle framework holds perfectly when all the roles of Dreamer, Creator and Operator are done by a single person. Not when the roles are held by multiple people.

Since Dreamer, Creator and Operator, has a journey to do in a System. The idea of the future System is passed to another role firstly with What to do and is facilitated by a Dialogue

Once What is conveyed, to the next role, the next role has to answer the Why they have to do it, among one or multiple things they have to do. There may be a few or more interactions back and forth with other Roles to get the answer for this question of Why. The system will pass through this barrier with only those people in that role who have the dedication to that future System that is conveyed by other roles.

Lastly, the How is answered by the Dreamer, Creator and Operator through the skills acquired by experience and learning to fulfil the role in the future System

The sequence is simplified in the below figure

Red Flags to look for in an engagement

But sometimes the engagement can be a rabbit hole, with no tangible outcome and Bias for Action. What are the characters and actions to look for, What can be termed as highlight or lowlight? How to spot the red flags in Dreamer, Creator and Operator.

The three Red Flags to look for in the role

• Multiple engagements are confined to answering the question “HOW to do”
• Multiple engagements are confined to answering the question “WHY to do”
• Multiple engagements are confined to answering the question “WHAT to do”

While above scenario, will enable a quick fail to embrace failure as a learning opportunity, and ensuring that any potential issues are discovered and addressed promptly, thereby saving time, money, and effort in the long run.

Dangerous of all trends in People is an engagement where there are no questions. It is a precursor for Disaster