Pontifex Consulting

03/07/2023

Honored to be part of the ReThink Health team presenting this Friday. I’ll focus on how communities are actually using this systems technology to create change…to build a community where everyone thrives…no exceptions.

FREE WEBINAR! ▶️ First Look at ReThink Health’s Multisolving Investment Model with Jack Homer, Bobby Milstein, and Chris Soderquist

This session will showcase how the dynamic model allows stakeholders to visualize the impact of investments on thriving together. The Multisolving Investment Model is the first to track population-level changes in well-being separately by race/ethnicity, which in turn lets planners see how everyone benefits if we invest more among those who have the most to gain.

📅 March 10, 12:30-2:00pm EST
📍 Jay W. Forrester conference room, E62-450, and via Zoom
🔗 Join event: http://ow.ly/Te9V50N9HwK
🔗 About ReThink Health: http://ow.ly/x8Uh50N9HwN

04/18/2022

Even without conscious and disciplined study of systems thinking, system dynamics—or as I refer to the intersection, systemic intelligence—we can approach life in ways more harmonious and congruent with the systemic principles of the universe. Barry Richmond referred to this as Systems Being.

Systems Being is the core way of living that allows us to achieve Global Citizen status (Donella Meadows).

This first blog in a series on Systems Being describes a foundational trait of Systems Being: Ripple Across Time Awareness.

Our awareness that all actions leave traces. Some are intended consequences. Some are unintended consequences. And many we never know about. But our intent—the awareness we bring to our actions—will determine the quality and goodness of the impacts we make. Even if we are unaware of them.

I use a story of the musical lineage—the cascading impacts—between individuals and across generations to highlight the nature of Ripple Across Time Awareness.

Ripple Across Time Awareness is a foundational trait of those embodying Systems Being. Systems Being is beyond systems thinking and beyond systemic intelligence. It’s the ability to live in ways that are consistent with the way the universe works…and in ways that improve the health of the cosmos...

04/02/2022

Why AI and Machine Learning benefit from system dynamics. There's also an excellent summary of the system dynamics value proposition in this article.

The framework is especially valuable in understanding complex social systems like communities—and why it is absolutely effective for understanding global issues (including conflict and sustainability/climate challenges). The approach can accelerate learning about and solving adaptive challenges at all scales.

https://lnkd.in/eaFD4nnV

Donald Martin discusses working with communities to understand complex societal issues and proactively mitigate machine learning bias.

03/26/2022

Excellent use of data visualization. Given what it's describing, I can't use the words "love it". But it's an amazing application of using spatial and animation visualization.

The visualization presents monthly global temperature anomalies between the years 1880-2021. These temperatures are based on the GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (GISTEMP v4), an estimate of global surface temperature change. Anomalies are defined relative to a base period of 19...

03/06/2022

My new video on how to apply STOCK AND FLOW THINKING (aka Bathtub Dynamics) to understand and address high leverage, adaptive challenges.

The key to finding leverage is to build useful mental models that capture the physics of the “system” you’re trying to influence. Specifically, you need to h...

02/26/2022

Visit the Pontifex Consulting channel if you want to learn more about how building systemic intelligence improves our capacity to resolve wicked, complex issues—often referred to as adaptive challenges. This channel will be updated frequently and serve as a library of resources.

The initial set of videos provides answers to the following (and more):

• What are adaptive challenges, why do we need fundamentally different approaches to solving them, and why is systems thinking essential?
• What is double-loop learning and how do we orchestrate it?
• Why is systemic intelligence perhaps a better frame for the concepts of systems thinking and system dynamics?
• What are mental models and why (and how) do we improve them?
• What are the core components of high leverage mental models?
• How can using a six “I” mnemonic convert the systems thinking iceberg into a practical framework that generates insight?

Besides the Welcome Video, I suggest the video on double-loop learning and mental models, because it provides a foundation for many concepts.

You may wish to subscribe to the channel; I will frequently add videos with new concepts, as well as case studies and systemic analysis of the news. Please share with colleagues you think might benefit.

Wishing you all the best,

Chris

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

07/07/2020

An excellent article on how to improve the usefulness of models.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01812-9?fbclid=IwAR0o5ZwDr_rfuMJ75cRHP4CqumwZg6i5Cw9G-eK8prJTpNb5Nq6SGnD7VG8

07/02/2020

I just uploaded an interactive learning lab applying systemic intelligence to understanding epidemics. There's a tablet (desktop) version and a smartphone version. The lab will run in browsers, so can work on all platforms. Here's the link.

https://bit.ly/2VGeKYt

The lab won't tell you the exact policies we should implement nor predict the exact number of deaths we can expect. But after using the lab, you should be more informed about the basic structure behind epidemics (and pandemics). And you should enjoy having an interactive, visceral experience of "flattening the curve". Given what's happening in the world, that's satisfying!

Added benefit? You'll have a chance to learn more about the system dynamics framework.

04/28/2020

An excellent article about system dynamics-based games.

'Sterman likes to start his presentations with a devastating assessment of how well facts, diagrams and figures change people’s minds: “Research,” he deadpans, “shows that showing people research doesn’t work.”

What does work is playing games. The latest game takes the shape of an easy-to-use, deceptively sophisticated model called En-ROADS that turns hypothetical policy scenarios into climate impacts, projected out to the year 2100.'

https://bloom.bg/3cQ9yaw

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04/21/2020

Our latest webinar – An Introduction to Systemic Intelligence – is now available for free. Follow Pontifex Consulting to continue receiving news about upcoming webinars and other materials to support you in increasing your systemic intelligence (SysQ).

Many people claim to apply systems thinking to their most difficult challenges. In reality, many are simply working on systems...but not THINKING systemicall...

04/09/2020

An Introduction to Systemic Intelligence (SysQ)–Practical Skills for Navigating Tumultuous Circumstances
April 21, 2020
2-3 PM ET

We have entered uncharted territory. Within just a matter of weeks, unemployment spiked to record levels. Whole sectors of the economy have all but vanished. Business once conducted in person–because it had always been so–is now virtual. There’s been an immediate spike in the uninsured (in the US) and globally, health systems have seen demand well beyond the capacity to meet needs.

How will you and your team navigate this time to address the new urgent, unforeseen challenges you now face? How can you ensure your actions of today not only address these new challenges, but prepare for the new future–without creating long-term, negative unintended consequences?

One essential skill you'll need is systemic intelligence (SysQ). In this one-hour webinar, you will learn:
Why we need greater SysQ, the basics of SysQ , and how you can build and successfully apply SysQ by using a proven process and toolkit.

To learn more, click this link:
http://findinghighleverage.com/introtosysqwebinar/

Registration link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kzelnm11T3ym0TLgonObjw

03/30/2020

An article about how "asystemic thinking" contributed to multiple failures in response across state and local levels...even when we did have more time to prepare and respond.

A compelling argument for why we need to increase our collective SysQ (capacity to think systemically)–significantly and rapidly.

https://bit.ly/2X0XGOe

America’s coronavirus response failed because we didn’t understand the complexity of the problem.