Seeing Systems: What I've Learned So Far
A quick recap of the ideas we've been exploring — and where we're headed next...
Hello Wayfinders 👋
I don’t know about you, but when I’m learning something I like to step into the topic and immerse myself in it for a while. I then step back to review, consolidate, reflect and, hopefully see it all a little more clearly. Then it’s back into the deep I go.
Over the past four weeks, I’ve been learning and writing about systems change — not in the abstract, but in the real, messy, everyday work of organisations and communities.
Four weeks in, and it feels like time to step back and recap.
This is where we’ve been so far:
Week 1: Systems Aren’t Machines
We kicked things off by questioning our dominant models of change - the kind that look like:
Problem → Intervention → Outcome
Or,
‘Spot an Issue → Launch a ‘Change Program’ → Tick the box and carry on (regardless of results)’
They’re neat, but not always honest.
Instead, we explored the idea that organisations, communities, and people are more like rivers than machines. They flow, adapt, shift. They respond to what’s around them.
In systems thinking, change doesn’t happen by pushing harder on the parts. It happens when we create the right conditions for new things to emerge, through relationships, feedback, and learning.
When a team isn’t performing, launching a new performance framework or rolling out mandatory training won’t fix it. But when people feel safe to speak up, get useful feedback, and have permission to experiment, performance often improves organically.
People don’t need a new policy to do better work. They need to know they’ll be heard, supported, and it’s safe to try something new.
Week 2: From Parts to Patterns
In Week 2, we explored how focusing only on the “parts” of a system (people, structures, roles) can lead to false alignment.
You can have the best plan, the best team, the best intentions — and still feel stuck.
Why? Because the problem often isn’t in the parts — it’s in the patterns between them.
We started asking new questions:
Where is trust fragile?
Where do people use the same words but mean different things?
What assumptions are quietly shaping our decisions?
Sometimes a group says they’re “working together,” but things still feel stuck. It’s not that people aren’t trying - they just might be imagining very different things. One person thinks “collaborate” means making decisions together, while someone else thinks it means sharing updates now and then.
Unless those differences come to light, everyone keeps pulling in different directions.
But when people take time to ask, “Are we on the same page?” things start to click. Misunderstandings clear up, trust grows, and progress feels easier.
Exploring these invisible dynamics is often where change needs to start.
Week 3: Mental Models
Here, we looked at the lenses we don’t know we’re looking through.
Mental models are the assumptions and beliefs that shape how we interpret the world. They determine what we notice, what we value, and what we ignore.
The challenge? They’re often invisible, even to us.
In a workplace, some team members might see stepping in to help as collaborative. Others see it as stepping on toes. The result? Frustration builds, even though everyone thinks they’re being helpful.
In a community, a group might launch a new local initiative. Some see it as “all hands on deck” - everyone pitches in, however they can. Others believe roles should be clearly defined to avoid overstepping. Tensions rise, not because people don’t care, but because they’re working from different mental models of how community efforts should run.
Exploring and naming mental models can shift conversations and unlock possibilities, especially when people are using the same language but mean entirely different things. It starts with curiosity. Try asking, ‘What aren’t we seeing here?’
Week 4: Power
Last week, we tackled one of the most misunderstood forces in systems work: power.
Power isn’t just about who’s in charge. It shows up in:
Whose needs are prioritised
Who sets the agenda
What gets funded or ignored
Whose voices are heard, trusted, or dismissed
When we ignore power, we often end up reinforcing the very dynamics we’re trying to change.
Let’s imagine a local council runs a community survey to guide funding decisions. The majority of responses come from well-connected residents with time to engage. Their views shape the agenda, not because others don’t care, but because the process didn’t account for who has access, trust, or time to participate. Without noticing this, the system quietly reinforces existing inequalities.
But when we name it and begin to share it intentionally, power becomes a tool for possibility.
That might look like redesigning decision-making processes so more voices can genuinely shape outcomes. It might mean shifting funding criteria to reflect lived experience, not just credentials. Or simply noticing whose voices go unheard - and actively making space for them.
It doesn’t require perfection, just a willingness to see what’s been invisible and to take the next small, thoughtful step.
What’s next?
These ideas aren’t just theoretical.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been applying these systems principles in the design of a new community initiative — one grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and a deep respect for complexity. I’ll share more soon.
For now, just know: this isn’t just about thinking differently. It’s about doing differently.
Next week we’re back to the deep dive. I’ll explore the role of relationships in systems change — not just as interpersonal feel-good factors, but as the connective tissue of transformation and change.
Then we’ll move into topics like learning, leadership, legitimacy, and more (and I’ll share the practical application through my community initiative as soon as I can.)
Onwards and upwards,
The fun stuff this week:
I’m reading novels! Specifically, Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout. It's holiday time so I'm shifting gears from ‘reading to learn’ to ‘reading to relax’ 👏
I’m exploring outback Queensland via trains, planes and automobiles🤠 Back in a week!