Large Systems Change: Realizing Our Highest Aspirations

Large Systems Change
To realize our highest aspirations
and greatest potential
Steve Waddell - PhD, MBA
Principal – NetworkingAction
swaddell@networkingaction.net

The Rule
§ Challenge, question, try out,
illustrate…participate!
swaddell@networkingaction.net 2Steve Waddell ©

Scale
§ Lots and lots of people
§ Lots and lots of organizations
§ Long time frames
§ Multi-level
§ Often global

Steve Waddell
Organizing the Change Networks
Inter-
Personal
Organization Inter-Org.
Partnership
Inter-Org.
Network
System
Legally
Distinct
Entities
Many One Small to
Modest
Very large All
stakeholders
Organizing
Structure
Informal Hierarchical Hub and
spoke
Multi-hub Diffuse
Organizing
Logic
Personal Administering
Managing
Coordination Coherence Diverse self-
direction
Operating
Focus
Relation-
ships
Organization Task System Definitional
Partici-
pation
Open Closed Highly
controlled
Loosely
controlled
External

Change Type Incremental Reform Transformation
Core
Question
How can we do
more of the
same?
Are we doing
things right?
What rules shall we
create?
What structures and
processes do we
need?
How do I make sense of this?
What is the purpose?
How do we know what is
best?
Purpose To expand historic
activity, improve
performance
To support moving into
new, defined activity
To innovate and create
previously unimagined
possibilities
Power Confirms existing
rules
Opens rules to revision Opens issue to new ways of
thinking about power
Action Logic Project
implementation
Piloting Experimenting
Archetypical
Actions
Copying,
duplicating
Changing policy,
adjusting, adapting
Visioning, experimenting,
inventing
Tools Logic Negotiation logic Mediation logic Envisioning logic
Success Efficiency Risk Management Inventiveness
LSC is Transformational
Steve Waddell © swaddell@networkingaction.net 5

What Changes?
Natural Environment
Societal memes, values, beliefs
Social-Political-Economic
Institutions
Technology
Individuals
SOURCE:
Waddell, Steve, Sandra Waddock,
Sarah Cornell, Domenico Dentoni,
Milla McLachlan, and Greta Meszoely.
2015. "Large Systems Change: An
Emerging Field of Transformation and
Transitions." Journal of Corporate
Citizenship (58):5-30.

Discussion
Where do you do your work?
§ Transformation-reform-incremental
change?
§ Change sphere?
What questions/insights/challenges arise
for you with these 2 LSC perspectives?

Societal Change Systems
-- The Case of Global Electricity –
Sources:
Waddell, Steve. 2016. "Societal Change Systems: A framework and tool to address wicked problems." Journal of Applied
Behavioral Science 52(4):422-49.
Waddell, Steve. 2016. Change for the Audacious: a doers' guide to large systems change for a flourishing future. Boston, MA,
USA: NetworkingAction.
Networkingaction.net blogs

The Production - Societal Change
Systems Relationship
9
Change
initiatives
pushing for CSR
Corporations
and CSR
Change Objects

A Production System: a complicated
input-output logic
Eg: The Energy Production System

The Change and Production Systems
Change System Production System
Goal Change the production system Produce
Logic Complex adaptive
• Self-organizing
• Emergent
• Directional nudges
• Learning and experimenting
Linear
• Administering
• Buying-selling
• Producing
Participants Change initiatives…NGO, Gvt, Biz,
Science, multi-stakeholder
Producers
Regulators
”Customers”

A Typology of SCS Actors: Global
electricity change system
1. Intergovernmental Organization change initiatives
2. Non-governmental Organization Networks
3. Trade Associations
4. Sustainability-Focused Business Networks
5. Inter-Sectoral Collaborations
6. Research Initiatives

Swaddell@networkingaction.net
Web Crawls: a digital mapping method
Goal
§ Identify issue arena organizations
§ Identify issue arena (virtual) structure
Input
§ URLs of orgs. within boundaries
Eg: www.networkingaction.net
Input source
§ Membership lists
§ Personal knowledge
Output
§ Map of URL connections
§ List of key orgs
Limitations
§ Requires good web-sites
§ Virtual reality ≠ reality
Software http://www.issuecrawler.net, etc.

Seeds
§ Academy for Business in Society
§ Aspen Institute Grey Pinstripes
§ Boston College Center for Corporate
Citizenship
§ Business Alliance for Local Living
Economies
§ Business for Social Responsibility
§ Business in the Community Canadian
§ Business for Social Responsibility
§ Caux Roundtable Principles for Business
§ CERES
§ CR Magazine
§ CSR and the Law
§ CSR Europe
§ CSR Wire
§ Enterprises and Social Policy Institute
§ Equator Principles Ethical Corporation
§ European Social Investment Forum
§ Fair Labor Association
§ Fundacio´n Empresa y Sociedad
§ Global Sullivan Principles
§ Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative
§ Interfaith Center on Corporate
Responsibility
§ No Sweat Apparel
§ Principles for Responsible Investing
§ Principles for Responsible Management
Education
§ Private Voluntary Organization
Standards
§ Responsible Business Initiative-Pakistan
§ Social Accountability International
§ Social Investment Forum
§ Social Venture Network SRI in the Rockies
§ Tripartite Declaration of Principles
Concerning Multinational Enterprises
§ UN Global Compact
§ World Business Council for Sustainable
Development
§ World Economic Forum
§ World Social Forum

15
The Global
Electricity
Change System
Virtual
Structure

16
Efficients
Governors
Renewables
Advocates
Marketers
IQs

Discussion
§ Do the distinctions seem valid? What
questions do they raise?
§ Where do you do your work: change or
production systems? Both?
§ How do you experience the differences?

Core Analysis: Need to Develop Change
System Coherence and Convergence
18

Electricity Change Subsystems
Connective tissue of
vision and goals
Technology
Subsystem
Service Provider
Subsystem
Policy
Subsystem
Consumption
Subsystem
Finance
Subsystem

Seven Functions
4.
Learning,
Capacity
Dev.
3.
Measuring
/
Certifying
5.
Prototyping
6.
Advocating
2.
System
Organizing
1.
Visioning
7.
Mobilizing
Resources
What is necessary for
an effective change
system?

World Bank Change Profile

Electricity Change Subsystems
23
Connective tissue of
vision and goals
Technology
Subsystem
Service Provider
Subsystem
Policy
Subsystem
Consumption
Subsystem
Finance
Subsystem

Systemic Change Matrix
Policy Technology Finance Service
Provision
Consumption
Visioning
Organizing
Learning
Measuring
Financing
Advocating
Prototyping

Discussion
§ Are there particular cells in the matrix that
you tend to work?
§ Are there particular cells that you find
“problematic”…conceptually or in your
work?

A full spectrum of change strategies
Steve Waddell © swaddell@networkingaction.net 26
Confrontation Collaboration
Creation
Destruction
Doing
Change
Supporting
Change
Forcing
Change
Co-creating
Change
LoverEntrepreneur
Warrior Missionary
Committed
corporations
Social
entrepreneurs
Capitalism’s
critics
Multi-stakeholder
processes

Change Strategies
Name Supporting
Change
Forcing Change Co-creating
Change
Doing Change
Archetypical
Role
Missionary Warrior Lover Entrepreneur
Components Destruction
Collaboration
Destruction
Confrontation
Creation
Collaboration
Creation
Confrontation
Dynamic Working with the
system
Hierarchical-led
Mobilizing
Confronting
Collaborating
Co-evolving
Working with
grassroots
Experimenting
Necessary
conditions
Willingness to
change
Willingness to destroy Willingness of all
to change
Willingness to be
outsider/start small
Popular
terms
Insider strategy Forcing
Demanding
Advocating
Partnering
Collaborating
Co-producing
Social enterprise
Alternative
Danger Suppression Marginalization Co-optation Irrelevance
Archetypical
tactics
Policy change
Changing
measures
Changing supply
chains
Community
organizing
Strikes (capital, labor)
Demonstrations
Multi-stakeholder
fora
Public
engagement
Social labs
New business
start-up
B-corp, co-ops,
etc.

Discussion
§ Are there particular strategies you focus
on?
§ Can you apply this to some change
challenges, to explain where effort should
be focussed?

LSC Tools
Tool Family Purpose Examples
System
Mapping
Develop an understanding
of the change system and
its dynamics
Social Network Analysis, System Dynamics
Analysis, Value Network Analysis, Strategic Clarity
Analysis, Systemic Change Matrix, Web Crawls,
Sense-maker
Scenarios Create alternative views of
time-lines and possibilities
Trend Projection, Organizational Futures, Societal
Issue Futures
Intra-meeting
processes
Generative dialogue,
honoring diversity
World Café, Open Space, Charrettes, Wisdom
Circles, Appreciative Inquiry…
Collective Action
Processes
Develop action that
transcends differences
Future Search, Consensus Conferences,
Sustained Dialogues, Appreciative Inquiry, National
Issue Forums, Public Conversations, Theory U
Social Media Connect large numbers of
people and organizations
Avaaz, U-tube, Madmundo TV, MOOCs,
Crowdfunding, Facebook, Kickstarter, Razoo
Learning
Processes
Invent and build capacity Action Research/Inquiry/Science, Learning
Histories, Learning Journeys
Evaluation
Processes
Understand how to do
better
Developmental Evaluation, Outcome Mapping,
Realist Evaluation, Systemic Evaluation
Big Data
Collection
Understand the change
field
Analysis of spatial relationships, text and concepts,
time/trends, and objects’ relationships

Discussion
§ Is anything missing in terms of tool
families?
§ What tool family(ies) do you work in?
§ What tools do you use?
§ Are there priority tools (families of) for
you to learn about? Why these ones?
§ What tools would you add to a particular
tool family?

Next
§ www.transformations2017.org
§ 25% discount code to buy Change for the
Audacious…a doer’s guide : specialpay
…

Large Systems Change: Realizing Our Highest Aspirations

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