LDRV
305 / Systems Map
The essence of seeing systems is to think in circles rather than in straight lines. This is especially important when looking at societal issues and challenges, as well as large organizations.
Your assignment is to choose a large system and map the feedback loops, e.g., how one thing affects another. (The reason I’m having you do this is to identify the processes and relationships that form/evolve in systems. These can parallel what we see (on a smaller scale) in organizations.)
The essence of seeing systems is to think in circles rather than in straight lines. This is especially important when looking at societal issues and challenges, as well as large organizations.
There are no rules re: complexity or how big it should be or what it should be about, because it needs to be interesting to you for this to be a good exercise and I cannot define that. You just need to be willing to share it with a few other classmates in breakout rooms, as you’ll be asked to do that in our live session.
Examples of possible systems for mapping include, but are not limited to:
· The systemic issues in some current social issue or challenge (urban poverty,students at risk, alcoholism or drug abuse, ethnic conflict, etc.).
Here’s a video version of mapped systems issues in the educational system
.
· One of the classic examples from
On the follow of rewarding A, while hoping for B
(Kerr, 1995)
would make excellent subject matter
· Any leadership triangle scenario would make a great map as well or one of the cases from that course.
· Back in the day I mapped my family’s feedback/control systems as an exercise for my therapist (Dr. Perkl), it was incredibly interesting and useful for helping see how to disrupt the parts of that system that were damaging and make new patterns to move forward.
· Any scenario involving power/influence/resources/control from your own life you want to explore and try to figure out can be a great candidate!
MORE Examples: Still not sure what a system’s map is or how to complete one? Here are some resources:
·
Example: System Map of Human Exploration
(note that the arrows are all labeled to indicate how things affect one another)
·
The System is Us
from the Interaction Institute
·
Line Diagrams and System Maps
from The Open University
·
https://medium.com/disruptive-design/tools-for-systems-thinkers-systems-mapping-2db5cf30ab3a
For Credit:
· Turn in a photo, scan, link, etc. of your map to the appropriate D2L Dropbox. You will turn it in a few times, so may turn in a few versions, and that’s encouraged!
· First: As preparation for the live session under Systems Map
· Second: In your ‘final’
· NOTE:
·
You can use any method you like to make your map.
A lot of people prefer to draw a few drafts, some people prefer to do more of a ‘notes with lines and links’ approach, some like online methods, whatever works for you. Turn it in using the format that makes sense for your method.
·
The most correct, detailed, and mistake-free map will receive extra credit on this assignment.
If work stands out to me from the rest, I’ll let you know in your grade, just like a boss would acknowledge you going above and beyond at work.
· Come to our live class prepared to discuss your systems map and what you took away from this assignment!
Refer to the
Grading Rubric
for details on how I will grade this assignment.
