Pay Attention to Tension!
We’ve had several requests for Glenda Eoyang, Founding Executive Director at the Human Systems Dynamics Institute, to return to the ODNE conference and we’re really pleased to say that she’ll be with us for a virtual-interactive session on Friday 9th May.
Pay Attention to Tension
You may think of tension in terms of headaches, arguments, and not-so-pleasant family reunions. We are taught that tension is something to be ignored or resolved before it explodes or collapses. Complexity, through the lens of Human Systems Dynamics, offers an alternative view. Tension is the source of energy for change. Different perspectives on a team open the door for learning and innovation. Tight muscles signal a need for movement. A symphony plays with tension of harmony and discord. Cognitive dissonance sets conditions for learning and personal growth. In all natural and human systems, tension is a necessary pre-condition for sustainable change. The question is, how do you respond to harvest the energy in tension when it arises for yourself, your family, or your clients and community?
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About Glenda
Glenda Eoyang works with public and private organizations to help them thrive in the face of overwhelming complexity and uncertainty. She is a pioneer in the applications of complexity science to human systems, and she founded the field of human systems dynamics (HSD) in 2001. Through Human Systems Dynamics Institute, she leads a global network of over one thousand scholar-practitioners. They apply HSD to wicked problems ranging from early childhood education to violent extremism, public health, and corporate futures and strategy. Her clients include the Finnish Research Institute (VTT), USA Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oxfam International, and UK National Health Service.
Her published works include scholarly articles in a variety of fields and Coping with Chaos: Seven Simple Tools (Lagumo Press, 1996), Facilitating Organization Change: Lessons from Complexity Science (Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2001), and Adaptive Action: Leveraging Uncertainty in Your Organization (Stanford University Press, 2013). Her theory and practice provide a roadmap for anyone who chooses to work at the intersection of order and chaos.