Change SIG - 1/24/2020

01/24/2020 8:30 AM | Mary Charles Blakebrough (Administrator)

How Comfortable Are You With Uncertainty? Two Models/Methods from HSD for Seeing AND Doing

How comfortable are you with uncertainty? Perhaps you are fine with surprises in some parts of your life but less so at other times - for instance, you may find it easy to rapidly shift things to accept a last minute dinner invite with a dear friend when your calendar is flexible, but when a long-awaited trip is threatened by a nasty weather forecast, you may have less tolerance.

There are times when uncertainty is the very thing we need. Falling in and staying in love can be uncertain, yet could be a life-fulfilling adventure. Sports events draw huge crowds because rivalries thrive on the thrill of an unknown outcome – anything can happen on any given day. The creative process is uncertain. Life is uncertain.

This session will introduce the ways to understand uncertainty and the opportunities that it brings. I will introduce two models and methods (for seeing AND doing) that are as simple as they are powerful, drawn from Human Systems Dynamics (HSD), a field of research and practice that emerges at the intersection of complexity and social sciences.

Mary Nations helps organizations and the people in them become more adaptable and effective in changing environments. Foundational to her work is Human Systems Dynamics - the field of study that addresses the questions of how people work and play effectively in complex times. She is a Consulting Associate of the Human Systems Dynamics Institute (hsdinstitute.org). In this role, she teaches, consults, and coaches. Her interests include exploring resilience that it is essential for health, well-being, and opportunity in our networked, inter-connected lives; and helping individuals and groups develop the capacity to adapt in the midst of tension caused by differences - to create worthy options and possibilities for going forward together.

For more information, contact SIG leaders, Vickie Bevenour  or Mary Charles Blakebrough (919-656-9573).