SYSTEMS INTELLIGENCE & DIALOGUE

1. SYSTEMS INTELLIGENCE & DIALOGUE Sebastian Slotte Seminar on Creative Problem Solving E. Saarinen & R. Hämäläinen Systems Analysis Laboratory Helsinki University of Technology http://www.sal.hut.fi

2. TheSystems IntelligenceResearch Group http://www.systemsintelligence.hut.fi • Systems Intelligence is a concept conceived by Raimo Hämäläinen & Esa Saarinen and the Systems Intelligence Research Group http://www.systemsintelligence.hut.fi/people.html • For initial ideas on Systems Intelligence see Systeemiäly!in Finnish. English Abstracts.

3. The Systems Concept A complex is a set of elements without necessary coactive or interactive relationships Examples: -Man, Woman, Child -Children -Bussdriver, passenger A system is a system due to relations between its members. -Husband, his wife, their child -Siblings -Bussdriver, his passenger Note: -the boundaries of a system are flexible and can be extended or narrowed -qualification as a member is determined by human agreement (law, morals, customs, tradition, culture etc.)

4. Examples of Human Systems • Family • Organization • Team • Neighborhood • Village • Community • Country • Traffic • School

5. Some Characteristics of a System • A system is a complex that is more than the sum of its parts, i.e. exhibits emergent properties. • Without knowledge of the relations between the parts we do not have a system but a complex. • Simple alterations in interaction between parts have complex consequences. • Systems strive to maintain internal balance • Individual and cultural biases (morals, law, social system) have an impact on how a system is labeled.

6. The Special Nature of Human Systems • Human systems do not follow laws of nature or general systems principles in any exactly predictable way. • Human system generally exhibit self-awarness and therefore the possibility to determine its own actions and consequences • Human systems are a subset of Natural systems + Culture.

7. Individual & Collective Intelligence Concepts • Individual intelligences; Traditional intelligence concept;Enlarged intelligence concepts (multiple intelligences, tripartite definition, emotional intelligence). • Collective intelligences; Collective mind, Group intelligence, Collective intelligence, Systemic intelligence.

8. Systems Intelligence: competence to change, maintain and strengthen a human system in a beneficial way • The systems intelligent individual knows the purpose, motives and goals of the system, shares the values and the vision of the system and acts in ways that enhance, strengthen and re-create these. • Systems intelligence is manifested in the success of the individual AND in the success of the system.

9. Systems Intelligent Person Compared to Emotional/Interpersonal Intelligent Person • Systems intelligence links the individual to the systemic level. Compare the emotionally intelligent person who considers the system and the individuals in it in order to succeed personally. In contrast, the systems intelligent person is concerned with the success of the system, not only of personal success.

10. Drivers of a Human System: • Aspirations and goals • Purpose • Motives • Values and ethics The systems intelligent person knows, maintains, strengthens and re-creates these drivers in a way beneficial for the person and the system.

11. Why Systems Intelligence? ”The harder you push the harder the system pushes back” *Knowledge about the system! *Knowledge about individuals in the system! *Designing systemic interventions that have a positive and real effect on the system. Predicting and succesfull intervention. -

12. Dialogical methods Dialogue is here understood as the dialogical methods invented by for instance David Bohm, Leonard Nelsson, Paolo Freire and many systems thinkers. Dialogical methods and tools are used to build consensus, understanding, shared vision and action in communities, organizations and families.

13. Dialogue • Internal: Reflection on personal values, motives, worries, goals. • External: Reflection with other people on their values, motives, worries, goals.

14. Dialogue is • a means to understand, strengthen and create shared meaning, vision, purpose. • and end in itself. ”The unexamined life is not worth living”

15. Listening Suspending assumption Investigating Inquiring Asking Testing Analyzing Synthesizing Finding common ground Building on new ideas Thinking together Focusing on issue See ”Dialogisen vuorovaikutuksen taidoista” In Finnish. Dialogical Skills and Virtues

16. Why Dialogue? • Value crisis. In contemporary society values are not given once and for all. Shared values is a prerequisite for the realization of Systems Intelligence. • Investigating and determining relations • Finding out about the internal balance of a system – What pushes back!

17. PERSONAL LEVEL Leadership Intervention skills Systems Intelligence SYSTEMS LEVEL Self managing systems knowledge and realization of values and motives Intelligent system with Systems Intelligent individuals From Dialogue to Systems Intelligence

18. Case: Lake Kemijärvi • Focus from individual to collective values, aspirations, goals • Re-thinking/examining of personal values • From dispute to collaboration • Shared decision making • See ”Decision Structuring Dialogue” Systems Analysis Laboratory Research Reports, E13, April 2003.

19. Limits to Dialogue • No ground for shared values • Unwilligness to seek shared meaning • No interest to create or uphold a system Still: Dialogue can help us learn about the lack of common ground and when intervention is futile

20. Ways to Promote Dialogue & Systems Intelligence Philosophical Lecturing See Saarinen & Slotte "Philosophical Lecturing as a Philosophical Practice", Practical Philosophy. Vol 6.nr 3 2003 Abstract. See also, for instance Korhonen, P. & Ollila, J. in Cameo- filosofin elämää, Slotte, S. & Siljola, S. (eds). 2003. Helsinki: WSOY. In Finnish. Dialogical Intervention See Slotte, S & Hämäläinen, R. "Decision Structuring Dialogue” Systems Analysis Laboratory Research Reports, E13, April 2003. Väntänen, A., Marttunen, M.,Turunen, J-P., Slotte, S.”Collaborative planning methods in the development of regulation at Lake Kemijärvi, Ympäristö&Terveys Vol. 34 nr.6. 2003. In Finnish.

21. References Bäckström, T & al. (2003) Systeemiäly! Systems Analysis Laboratory Reseacrh Reports b23 Flood, R.L. (2001) Rethinking the Fifth Discipline. Routledge: London Gardner, H. (1983) Frames of Mind-The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Basic Books, New York Georgiou, I. (2003) ”The idea of emergent property” Journal of the Opeartional Research Society 54.Operational Research Society. Lewis, H.M. “Introduction - Upon the Anthropological Challenges of Digging Up Archaeological Frames of Reference”. Http://www.lewismicropublishing.com Saarinen & Slotte (2003)"Philosophical Lecturing as a Philosophical Practice", Practical Philosophy. Vol 6.nr 3 Slotte, S. & Siljola, S. (eds). (2003) Cameo- filosofin elämää, 2003. Helsinki: WSOY. Slotte, S & Hämäläinen, R. “Decision Structuring Dialogue” Systems Analysis Laboratory Research Reports, E13, April 2003 Väntänen, A., Marttunen, M.,Turunen, J-P., Slotte, S.(2003)”Collaborative planning methods in the development of regulation at Lake Kemijärvi, Ympäristö & Terveys Vol. 34 nr.6. 2003.

22. Systems Intelligence!