Gardener

Elder

Maker

Creation Tool

Systems Change

Surface hidden dynamics and leverage points to drive lasting impact in complex environments

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Systems change is a powerful approach for addressing complex societal issues by transforming the underlying structures and dynamics that perpetuate problems. By systematically analyzing interconnected elements, relationships, and purposes within a system, you can develop a richer understanding of how to create lasting, impactful change.

Systems change is much more than a tool—it is an entire way of looking at the world. The steps below will help you observe system dynamics, interpret patterns and behaviors, and transform these insights into strategies for meaningful evolution. Recognize that systems change is not about implementing fixed solutions but about fostering ongoing evolution and adaptation within the system. As Donella Meadows, author of Thinking in Systems, notes: the key is to "dance with the system" rather than trying to control it.

‍

2. When to use this tool

Use this tool when you need to:

Address complex, persistent problems that resist simple solutions;
Understand the root causes of issues rather than just symptoms;
Develop more effective and sustainable interventions in social, environmental, or organizational contexts;
Align diverse stakeholders around a shared understanding of a system.

‍

3. How to use this tool

‍

1. Map the system

Create a visual representation of the system you're working with, including key elements, relationships, and boundaries. Pay attention to feedback loops, power dynamics, and environmental factors that influence system behavior. Use tools like Ecosystem Mapping or causal loop diagrams to capture the full complexity of the system.

🔗 Check out the Ecosystem Mapping tool in the Gardener craft.

‍

2. Conduct an Iceberg analysis

The ‘Iceberg’ model is a helpful way to look beneath the surface and recognize patterns that may not be immediately visible or obvious.

Identify the event or issue: Start with the visible problem or situation you're addressing, which represents the "tip of the iceberg" above the water.
Explore patterns and trends: Look beneath the surface to identify recurring behaviors, actions, or trends that contribute to the visible issue. These form the first layer below the waterline.
Examine underlying structures: Dig deeper to uncover the systems, policies, or cultural norms that create or reinforce the patterns you've identified. This forms the second layer below the surface.
Uncover mental models: At the deepest level, identify the beliefs, assumptions, and worldviews that shape the structures and patterns above. These fundamental mindsets form the base of the iceberg.

‍

3. Identify leverage points

Leverage points are specific places in a system where small changes can lead to significant impacts. Imagine a large corporation that shifts 25% of its senior management incentives to their performance on sustainability targets and how that might rebalance decision-making across the board.

Donella Meadows identified several types of leverage points, ranging from simple to more profound changes:

Constants, parameters, numbers
- Example: Adjusting tax rates or speed limits. For instance, increasing the tax on carbon emissions can encourage companies to reduce their carbon footprint.
- Impact: Easy to implement but often results in limited, short-term changes.
Feedback loops and information flows
- Example: Implementing a smart energy meter in homes to provide real-time electricity usage data. This can create a feedback loop where people adjust their consumption based on the information provided.
- Impact: Can lead to significant behavioral changes by making information more accessible.
System rules and structures
- Example: Changing labor laws to improve workers’ rights. For instance, implementing a minimum wage law can protect workers from exploitation.
- Impact: Can lead to more substantial changes in system behavior by altering incentives and constraints.
System goals
- Example: Shifting from a growth-oriented economic paradigm to a sustainability-focused one. This involves changing the overarching goals of economic systems to prioritize environmental sustainability alongside growth.
- Impact: Can lead to profound, long-term changes by reorienting the system's purpose.
Cultural or paradigm shifts
- Example: A cultural shift from individualism to community-oriented values. This could involve promoting community service and social responsibility as core societal values.
- Impact: Can lead to deep, transformative changes by altering underlying beliefs and assumptions that shape system behavior

These examples illustrate how intervening at different levels can be used to influence complex systems, with deeper points typically leading to more significant and lasting changes. Understanding leverage points is about recognizing where to place your intervention so that it has an effect on the entire system.

People who want to drive systems change often believe that they need some form of political influence, but this is not always the case. With democratization of social media, people can develop their own platforms of influence.

‍

‍Why focus on leverage points?

Efficiency: They allow for significant change with minimal effort.
Impact: They can lead to more sustainable and transformative outcomes.
Adaptability: Identifying leverage points helps in adapting strategies to complex systems.

By focusing on leverage points, you can create meaningful and lasting changes in complex systems without needing to overhaul the entire system.

‍

4. Make a power map

Identify key decision-makers and influencers and map their relationships to understand pathways of influence.

Determine the primary decision-maker or institution that can make, endorse or enable the change you're seeking.
Map influencers: Brainstorm and list all individuals, organizations, or groups that have influence over your target decision maker. Include both supporters and opponents.
Position stakeholders: Place each stakeholder on a grid with two axes—one representing their level of influence (high to low) and the other representing their level of support for your goal (strongly opposed to strongly supportive).
Analyze relationships: Draw lines between stakeholders to show connections and relationships. Identify potential pathways of influence and opportunities for building alliances or neutralizing opposition.

‍

5. Generate ideas for interventions

Once you have your system mapped and your leverage points identified, and you have an understanding of who might be your allies in tipping this system in a new direction, start coming up with ideas for where and how you might intervene in the system.

Consider:

Your resources, knowledge, sources of power;
How you want to impact the system;
Potential ripple effects or feedback loops.

‍

6. Evaluate your potential interventions

With your team, look at the list of interventions you’ve come up with. Evaluate each one based on:

Degree of influence: How much change it could create
Accessibility: How easy it is to intervene
Ripple effects: How it might affect other parts of the system
Alignment with overall goals and resources

‍

7. Probe, sense, respond

You’d be hard pressed to find a system that isn’t firmly planted in the Complex realm. As such, you need to adopt the leadership style that is most effective for working with complex challenges.

Probe the system: Conduct small-scale experiments or "safe-to-fail" interventions. These probes are designed to reveal hidden patterns and dynamics within the system.
Sense the response: As these experiments unfold, the next step is to sense the system's response, carefully observing and analyzing the outcomes and emergent patterns. This sensing phase requires acute attention to detail and a willingness to challenge preconceived notions.
Amplify or dampen inputs: Finally, based on the insights gained from probing and sensing, leaders respond by amplifying successful patterns and dampening undesirable ones. This response is not a final solution but rather an adaptive action that continues the cycle of learning and evolution within the complex system.

🔗 Check out the Cynefin tool in the Gardener craft.

‍

4. What outcomes to aim for

Enhanced system awareness: Develop a more profound understanding of the complex dynamics and interconnections within the system you're addressing.
Shared mental models: Build a collective understanding among stakeholders of how the system operates and where change is possible.
Adaptive learning: Become more agile and responsive to new information and be able to act on it more effectively.

‍

5. How to take this further

Intervene at multiple levels: Design interventions that address different levels of the system, from individual behaviors to societal norms. Remember that deeper-level interventions often have more significant and lasting impacts.
Prototype interventions: Develop small-scale experiments or pilot programs to test potential system interventions before full-scale implementation.
Foster adaptive management: Create continuous feedback loops to monitor system changes and adapt strategies accordingly.
Build system capacity: Strengthen the ability of actors within the system to engage in systems thinking and collaborative problem-solving.
Cultivate a systems mindset: Encourage a culture within your organization and network that values systems thinking, making it a core component of your approach to social change.

‍

6. Resources and references

Books: Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows; The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge
Tools: Kumu (systems mapping); Loopy (causal loop diagrams)‍
Courses: The School of Systems Change; Systems Thinking courses on Coursera or edX

This Creation Tool is filed under:

Gardener