Supporting and creating transformative innovations to engage all levers of change.
“We define systems innovation as coordinated interventions across economic, political, technological, and social systems along entire value chains.”
Building on this definition, a system is a set of interconnected parts that produces specific outcomes. These systems can be physical (like an ecosystem) or abstract (like a financial system).
For those of us working in the social impact sector, the desire to make a positive impact is what drives us, but it can sometimes feel overwhelming. We know that everything is connected, from the way our cities work to the choices we make every day. But how do we actually drive positive, innovative change when things are so complex?
To create a positive impact at the required pace, we need people to be able to support and create transformative systems innovations in as many spaces as possible, from policymaking and funding to education and prototyping. This requires developing competencies and establishing practices that enable us to work with others; to explore and make sense of complex, dynamic systems; and to cocreate, test, and implement effective interventions.
That’s where a systems thinking approach comes in. It’s not just a theory; it’s a way of seeing the world, of understanding how interconnected pieces fit together, and of embracing these complexities. Imagine being able to see all of the levers of change – the policies, the funding, even the everyday habits of people – and knowing how to gently nudge them in the right direction.
This mini masterclass will empower you to do just that. You will explore the nuances of complexity relating to your role, learn to look at things through a new lens, and discover simple practices to help you better embrace ambiguity, complexity, and uncertainty.
Learning outcomes
- Be equipped with systems thinking practices that support your resilience in a complex, changing world.
- Better understand your own role in a system (as a person, as part of a team, and within an organisation).
- Be better able to envision system innovation and its potential pathways in your context of work.