Resources

May 5, 2022 Two things sustain a complex system: Similarity and difference. The similarity holds the system together with coherence and identity. Difference introduces the potential energy of tension and possibility. Most tools of applied social sciences focus on “common ground.”  Similarity becomes the platform for building a shared future. We avoid difference. We fear it because we don’t know how to capture and channel its power. In HSD, we recognize difference as a source of energy. It is the driver of change. It is the root for learning and growth. It is full of promise and possibility—if we just let ourselves use it. In this LVW, Glenda Eoyang shares tools from HSD to help us recognize and leverage the possibility in difference. Bring your most wicked issues and leave with a plan to see and leverage the possibilities that hide in the differences you dread.

September 3, 2020 Every complex system sits on top of irresolvable tensions:  speed and quality; identity and flexibility; tradition and innovation; centralized and distributed; and many more. We used to manage these tensions by tradeoffs and compromise, but that didn’t always work. As uncertainty and complexity grow, those tactics lose even more of their power. Instead, HSD helps you embrace underlying tensions to generate energy and opportunity. In this session, learn to use Interdependent Pairs to transform your dilemmas into possibilities. 

April 7, 2022 In a complex, uncertain world time does not flow in a straight, unbroken line. We can reflect on and learn from the past. We can imagine a smooth path into the future, but in the moment of change, anything can happen. And to make matters worse, any moment can be a moment of change. The challenge we face is to be present as change emerges, to be curious to explore options, and find the courage to act, even when the future is unknowable. In this Live Virtual Workshop, Glenda Eoyang talks about how HSD can help you build the Adaptive Capacity you need to thrive in such unpredictable change. Leave with tools to access and leverage your memories and imagination to step off the tightwire and see time as the safety net below you.

June 7, 2018 Many people talk about diversity and inclusion. Too often those conversations don’t influence action in real life. What if you give up seeing “problems” of diversity? What if you learned to create “patterns” of inclusion? Adaptive Action and Pattern Logic help you understand patterns of bias, so you can create generative patterns of engagement.

June 4, 2020 Individuals create political patterns for themselves and others. At the same time, the political patterns force individual choices and behaviors. That’s part of the complexity of living and working in complex systems. Whether you work with an underperforming employee, transform corporate culture, or advocate for social justice, you must understand the nature of emergent patterns before you can shift them. In this session, you will learn about powerful, destructive patterns that emerge in complex systems. At the same time, you’ll discover ways to understand and influence them as your future unfolds.