On 16th March 2022, I was privileged to be part of a webinar panel hosted by ASPIRE to discuss circular partnerships to create behaviour change. I joined with @Cam McKenzie, CEO of ASPIRE and Dr Sarah King of CSIRO Circular Economy and my contribution focusses on transforming organisations for sustainable and circular transitions. I recommend following the whole webinar. For those interested I come in at the 32:30 mark. In the presentation I outline some different ways of thinking about the transition to a circular economy.
Key themes include promoting a healthy approach to technology and the importance of creating culture. I also advocate implementing my Living Systems Design patterns for holistic sustainability practice. Living Systems Design is a pattern-based approach to creating sustainability transformation that can be applied to activities, teams, projects, programs, organisations and stakeholder networks.
The deep purpose of this Living Systems Design practice pattern is to “sustain the sustainability” into the future. Living Systems Design is not a simplistic “pull lever – get result” short-term quick-fix practice. It takes time, commitment and a change of mindset from linear to holistic. The key phases are: Activate – Implement – Embed – Sustain with a Strategic Design cycle spiralling through each phase, with the real work of transformation lead by people as change agents in their own communities and organisations.
I developed this practice model in: my doctoral research work from 2001-2011; my sustainability practice as an independent consultant from 2004 to 2016; and through action research and teaching in the Master of Design Strategy and Innovation Course at Swinburne University from 2015 to 2021, as applied in over 40 real-world client-based student projects.
Most change practitioners use a “tool-driven” process. My approach is “pattern-driven” – specific “tools” are selected in response to the complexity of the organisational context and the problem space; and people’s capability for change.
My Living Systems Design practice patterns enable and empower individuals, teams, managers, decisionmakers and leaders to sustain the change through continual application and adaptation of Living Systems Design practice.
Here is the link to Circular Partnerships to Create Behaviour Change. Enjoy!