anticipating the future with the whole system, co creating new structures for collaboration, oeggo...

University of Applied Sciences

ÖGGO Training workshop

Anticipating the future with the whole system

Co-creating new structures for collaboration

Dr. Tonnie van der Zouwen MCM

23-24 October 2014



Part 1

Philosophy Training Workshop

Motto

“The best chefs cook with the principles and

get inspired by the recipes”

(Top chef Escoffier)


Objectives

Knowing when and how to involve stakeholders

for whole system change

Reflect on the principles of Large Scale

Interventions

Experience working elements for anticipating the

future

Discover new possibilities for your own practice

Training process is similar to whole

system change processes

As seen from Large

Scale Interventions

As seen from Theory U

Focus on ourselves: our inner world,

connecting with our feelings and sense

of purpose

Tuning in to other people: empathizing,

building connected relationships

Understanding the large world: the way

systems interact and create webs of

interdependence

Triple Focus in growing awareness


The error of a top-down approach

“I have shared my vision, so now we have a shared vision”

Cartoon by Mark de Koning


Alternative: Participative approach

Working interactively to build a shared vision on the system,

looking for common ground for action

Cartoon by Mark de Koning


1. Behavioural, hands-on:

Addressing behaviour directly (as in training,

therapy, education, rules and prescriptions)

2. Structural, hands-off:

Provide structures and settings that invite

people to self manage new behaviour (as in Large Group Interventions)

Two philosophies of facilitation


A different view on organisations

THE ORGANISATION AS DESIGNED


Part 2

Large Scale Interventions (LSI)

as approach

for anticipating the future

with the whole system


What is LSI?

Large Scale Interventions (LSI) form a participative

approach for change with the whole system.

On one or more occasions the whole system is invited

into one room to work on strategic issues.

The task/issue determines what the system is: Who do

you need for successful change?

LSI comprises a whole family of methods for working

with the whole system in the room, such as Open

Space, the World Café, Future Search, Search

Conference, and Whole Scale Change.


Four basic principles of LSI

1. Systems Thinking:Things are connected in time and space, change in part of the system will influence the whole system

2. Participation of stakeholders: Active participation and self-management enhance commitment to change and learning

3. Action learning:Not separating thinking and doing in time, or in roles of participants, facilitates real time change

4. Understanding the whole (sensemaking)When participants find common ground, by sharing views and experiences, it is possible to move forward; focus is on future possibilities, not on past problems


The 4 principles produce a web of success factors


Different names for LSI:

Whole Scale Change®

Whole Systems Change

Whole Systems Working

Large Scale Change

Large Group Interventions

Collectief organiseren

Groß-Gruppen Arbeit


Large Group Intervention methods

Best known methods for working with large groups:

Future Search

Search Conference

Open Space

World Café

Real Time Strategic Change (Whole Scale Change)

Related methods: Appreciative Inquiry, Team Syntegrity,

Gaming

See the Change Handbook (Holman & Devane), the

toolbox LGI methods, Whole Scale Change Tool Book

(Dannemiller)


Change strategies and development of

change capacity in the system

Strategy: Tell Sell Test Consult Co-create

What

leaders do:

Demand

compliance

Seek

buy-in

Invite

response

Request

assistanceCollaborate

Develop-

ment of

change

capacity

Very low Low Little Limited High

Level

Theory U

Level 1.0

Unilateral

Level 2.0

Bilataral

Level 3.0

Multilevel

Level 4.0

Generative

Large Scale Intervention approach

Nothing so practical as a good theory(Kurt Lewin)

The Logic of Feeling (Arnold Cornelis)


Theory: The Logic of Feeling

Honours complexity and layerdness of our reality

Role of time

Show dynamic relationships

Both informal aspects (power, relationships, features of

individuals) and forma aspects (structures, procedures)

Central role of feelings

Framework for interventions for development and

meaningful change

Time

Development of

Capacities

Grief

Anger

Fear

Safety

Justice

Acknowledgement

Informal

capacities

Formal

capacities

Communicative

capacities

Stored in: Structures,

rules, procedures,

functions, management

systems

Stored in:

Symbols, traditions,

stories, rituals, styles

Stored in:

Images for

the future

Natural System

Internal steering by

will

Social System of rules

External steering by

discipline

Communicative self-

steering System

Self-steering in

communication

The Logic of Feeling, model for

development of a living system

Our feeling makes us aware of the

character of new experiences

Knowledge System

Driving force

Urge todevelop

Development ofcapacities

Rules, norms,structures

Evaluation incommunication

+ -

Changes inenvironment

+

Communicativeself-steering System

New learningprocesses

+ +

+


Rules, norms,structures

+

Social System ofrules

-

The Logic of Feeling:

Dynamic representation of the three systems

Urge todevelop


+

Influence onenvironment

+

NaturalSystem

Capacities inenvironment

+

+

Time

Development of

collective learning

in a system

Phase 1: Zero-order collective learning:

- Only individuals learn

- Implicit rules, mostly tacit

- Internal steering by will

Phase 2: First-order collective learning:

- Collective learning of explicit

procedures and rules

- External steering by discipline

Phase 3: Second-order

collective learning:

- Collective learning of

principles behind the rules

- Testing against goals

- Continuous collective learning

Depression

Collective communication

is invited, but it does not

lead to readjustment

Disorientation:

Lack of a guiding vision for

the future leads to frequent

changes in strategy

Growth fixation

Doing without

thinking

Stagnation

No development

Chaos

No explicit

agreements for

cooperation

Bureaucracy

Too many rules and

norms cause inflexibility

Emancipation

Disciplining

Burn-out

Aggression

Obstacles

Learning phases

Natural System


will



discipline

Communicative self-

steering System

Self-steering in

communication

Sustainable change:

Ongoing collective learning


Important notions Logic of Feeling

Development of layers is sequential, you first learn to crawl

and then to walk

For a new layer ripens in the last layer

For a new layer in a system to unfold it has to be ripe

enough

All three layers continue to exist and are equally important

Roles and tasks of a consultant

Time

Roles and

tasks of a

consultant

Central authority

ObserverEducator

Development and

improvement of

procedures and practices

ExpertAdvisor

Facilitate building of

shared views, invite new

insights

Methodologist

Help to develop new

perspectives and strategies

in co-production with client

Coproducer

Facilitator

Coach

Natural System


will



discipline

Communicative self-

steering System

Self-steering in

communication

Knowledge System

Driving force

Midwife

Time

Development

of views

- Energetic processes

- Facts

- Thruth

- Who am I?

- Several social realities

- Possibilities

- Politics

- Justice

- What am I doing?

- Integration of facts and

possibilities

- Evaluation based on values

- Freedom

- How do I think, steer myself?

- Can be falsified

- Objectivity is central:

right or false observation

- Is context bound

- Methodology is central:

right or wrong method

- Positivism

- Physiocentric

- Social constructivism

- Sociocentric

- Integration through

communicative

self steering

- Anthropocentric

- Has an intention and a meaning

- Goals are central:

matching a goal or not

Reality Knowledge Science

20th Century18th Century

Quality control over

observations by disciplines

Quality of observations

judged by authority

Natural System


will



discipline

Communicative self-

steering System

Self-steering in

communication

Knowledge System

Driving force

Quality control over observations by communication about meaning

Development of world views


Part 3

Steps in an LSI process

Architecture of an LSI process, a mixture

of small and large group meetings

(example)

Leadership alignment

Determine space for participation of stakeholders

Determine scope

Form a planning/design team, a micro cosmos of

the system

Workshops about principles of LSI

Start LSI process


Role facilitator

Provide approach, methods and work forms

Facilitate meetings and conferences

Facilitate development of powerful questions

(Prepare overviews with summaries of data)

Invite stakeholders to participate and contribute

Stimulate focus on the larger process, not on

events

Get the whole system in the room

Define the whole system. Who ARE – IN? A group that has within various people with:

A = Authority to actR = Resources, such as contacts, time, or

moneyE = Expertise in the issues to be

considered

I = Information about the topic that no others have

N = Need to be involved because they will be affected by the outcome and can speak to the consequences

Control what you can, let go what you

can’t

Forget about being able to control behavior of people

• Exercise maximum control beforethe meeting, on structure andconditions

• Exercise minimum control duringthe meeting, just keep the spaceopen for everyone who wants tocontribute


Role design team

Data gathering

Purpose and direction

Planning of work processes

Evaluation and follow-up

Planning group meeting

Exploring the whole with timelines


Role formal leaders

(Co)Setting the goals

Being clear about the playing field: What is

decided upon, what is the space for co-

creation?

Showing commitment to this approach, taking

the contributions of stakeholders seriously

Provide time and resources

Making final decisions and supporting follow up


Five examples of LSI processes

for co-creation


1. Seen, Heard, Known in higher education

For development of a professional learning community

http://youtu.be/lqI9xxkzS7Q




2. University: Discussing priorities for

organisational development

Stakeholders:

Professors, teachers, managers, service employees,

students, board members

3. Local social care: simulation of client

procedures

Stakeholders:

Local government, clients, healthcare organizations,

volunteer workers, food suppliers

4. Twenty four primary schools:

involving parents in school

development

Stakeholders:

Parents, teachers, directors, board members

5. Action research workplaceParent support project local community

Diversity of stakeholders Clients share their

stories and ideas

Stakeholders:

Clients, Workers, Researchers, Teachers, Students

Stakeholders do their

own data gathering and

analyses

and draw their own

conclusions


Part 4

Connections with Theory U


U-process for systems

Understanding the whole: The Iceberg Model

A surface of symptoms and structural disconnects (bubbles) below it

Four levels of growing awareness with corresponding economies

From the book ‘Leading From The Emerging Future: From Ego-System to Eco-System Economies’

by Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer, 2013

Levels in transformation

Stage Health Schools Teacher

1.0 Traditional

Awareness

Hierarchy

Authority-and-input-

centered:

Institution driven

Authority-and input-

centered:

Teacher driven

Authority

2.0 Ego-System

Awareness:

Markets and

Competition

Outcome-centered:

Managed care-driven

Outcome-centered:

Testing driven

Expert

3.0 Stakeholder

Awareness:

Networks and

Negotiation

Patient centered:

Need-driven

pathogenis

Student-centered:

Learning-driven

Coach

4.0 Eco-System

Awareness:

Awareness-Based

Collective Action

(ABC)

Citizen-centered:

Well-being-driven

salutogenises

Entrepreneurial-

centered

Co-sensing,

presencing and co-

creating driven

Midwife

Principles LSI and Theory U

Principles LSI Notions Theory U

Systems thinking:

• Explore past-present-future

• Explore dynamics and trends

• Notice the context and the

opening of cracks

• Understanding the whole

Active participation of

stakeholders:

• Self-management, shifting

leadership roles

• real time working

• Invite stakeholders in a holding

space

• Letting go of old models

• Co-creation

Action learning:

• Learning by doing

• Real time working

• Learning by doing,

• Act from the now

• Practice, don’t preach

Understanding the whole,

sensemaking:

• Making a shared view of the

situation

• Looking for common ground

and new meaning with head,

heart and hands

• It is not about knowing but

about understanding

• observe, observe, observer

and let the data talk to you

• Mind, heart and hands

• Co-sensing

• 4 levels of listening


Notice the opening of cracks


Part 5

Evidence Based Consultancy:

Success factors and effects of LSI


Evidence Based Consultancy

LSI is evidence based, this means:

Evidence from scientific research that the more you

can apply to the principles and success factors of LSI,

the higher the effectiveness

LSI has to be the right approach though

How do you know? Read the Practical Guide or the

Client Information Leaflet


54

Research looking for evidence

When and how is LSI successful?

What does success look like?

A disturbing gap between success stories in literature and my own experiences as a consultant and trainer of LSI methods

Growing use and abuse of participative change approaches for organisational change

Claim on “sustainable change” in literature, but hardly any research done on effectiveness on the longer term

Why Client Information Leaflets for medical treatments and financial products and not for consultancy interventions?

Research ModelBased on the model “The elements of an intervention” of Jac Geurts et. al. 2006

Context/Task

Effectiveness

Client

Consultant

Intervention

Methods

Large Scale

Interventions

Conceptualisation

Concepts

Relationships

Theory

Logic of feeling,

Collective learning,

Systems thinking,

Sensemaking

Sustainable change

Results in : Insights

Results in:

Insights

Selects

& steers

Fills &

deepens

Structure

&

steer

Structure

&

steer

Contribute to

Operations

Actions &

Events in LSI

trajectories

Loading

Characteristics

of the cases

Results in : Experiences


56

Research design

A Naturalistic Inquiry, using multiple methods and sources

Looking for patterns that connect rather than linear causality

Deduction, induction and abduction

Success factors and effects of LSI


Primary success factors of LSI

LSI has to be worth the effort, stakeholders need each other for success

The system has to be ready for a participative approach, leaders are willing to take contributions of stakeholders seriously

Facilitators have to ‘cook with the principles’, making a good match between situation, task and design

Getting the right people in the room, the choice of what the system is, is crucial

Expectation management is essential to build and keep trust

Sustainable change requires follow up: Focus on the larger change process (prolonged engagement), not on events


Effects of LSI on the short term

Getting more and better work done

Logic of Feeling: Development of the Natural System and

Social System of Rules

Theory U: Development of levels 1.0 and 2.0

1. Better decisions and action plans

2. Commitment and energy for implementation, innovation

and learning

3. More trust


Effects of LSI on the longer term

Sustainable change:

Logic of Feeling: Development of the Communicative Self-

steering System

Theory U: Development of level 3.0 and 4.0, from ego to eco

systems

1. Ongoing collective learning and increasing power to

change (more reflection and steering capacity)

2. More permeable boundaries: opening up the

organisation, inviting diversity, focus on how good the

system is (more unity in diversity)


So what is LSI?

A holding space for:

True listening with the whole system to anticipate the future, to put fleshon the bones of the U-process

Co-creating new structures forcollaboration

Action research for prototyping


Practical guides to LSI

Book: Building an evidence basedpractical guide to Large Scale Interventions. Towards sustainableorganisational change with the wholesystem

Article “Practice what you preach: Large group conferences as member check”

www.LargeScaleInterventions.com

www.tonnievanderzouwen.com

http://www.tonnievanderzouwen.com/

anticipating the future with the whole system, co creating new structures for collaboration, oeggo...

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