New Systems Book by Rosalind Armson

At an event at the Open University (UK) office in London last night we had a celebratory launch of the new STiP (Systems Thinking in Practice) postgraduate programme along with the four new books co-published by the OU and Springer as part of the initiative.  The event was recorded so look out for a future Blog with links to the posted material.  A highlight of the night was a presentation by Helen Wilding who spoke from the perspective of someone who has studied both core courses in the new STiP programme and who has consequently engaged with all four books. 

As I have made earlier posts about these books  I will not say more here other than to say that in the first presentation of the courses which these books support they have all successfuly delivered on their design intentions.  The books are:

Systems Thinkers


 
 
Systems Approaches
 








Systems Practice  

Social Learning Systems

Rosalind Armson's new book was also launched having been published (by Triarchy Press) only that day.   Here is what the publishers have to say about this book:

The fifth of Peter Senge's disciplines was Systems Thinking. (I know you knew that). They say The Fifth Discipline sold more than a million copies. 

Triarchy authors John Seddon, Russ Ackoff, Bill Tate, Sally Bibb and Graham Leicester all harp on about Systems Thinking.
 

The result? A lot of people know Systems Thinking is a good thing but not many actually know how to do it. Which may be why we often get asked to recommend a practical guide to Systems Thinking. Now we can.

Rosalind Armson is a respected and experienced teacher of Systems Thinking. In her new book, Growing Wings on the Way: Systems Thinking in Messy Situations, she weaves together the professional and the personal benefits of being able to 'systems think' with her own case studies. Then she sets out the techniques that work best  in approaching 'messes' (with rules and practical advice on each one):

•  Escaping Mental Traps (History, Habit and Action Traps, Double Binds, Value Rigidity) 
•  Diagnosing with Multiple-Cause Diagrams
•  Drawing and using Rich Pictures and Influence Diagrams
•  Understanding messes with Systems Maps
•  Building Human-Activity System Diagrams
•  The 5Es (Efficacy, Efficiency, Effectiveness, Elegance, Ethics)
•  Viewing messes through an Understandascope

If you've ever had to face a mess (from running a national health service to a departmental reorganisation, a company merger or caring for your elderly mother) this book has everything you need to unravel it.

Whether you’re new to Systems Thinking or an old hand, the book helps you work with your own messy situations. It’s aimed at managers, team leaders, strategists, policy makers, students and people with mothers.



I have read Growing Wings and can unreservedly recommend it.  These five books constitute a major milestone and a synthesis of the Open University's systems teaching and scholarship since it began in the early 1970s. Former OU student and Systems consultant Mike Haynes, amongst others, has endorsed Rosalind's book.

“A Systems Thinking primer!  This easy-to-read book makes systems theory accessible to those who do not have time for intensive study but need help in structuring and solving complex problems… A resource masterpiece!”
Mike Haynes, Consultant

Rosalind Armson was, until last month, Senior Lecturer in Systems at the Open University. She has had a key role in Systems teaching and research in the UK and internationally and is widely respected for her grasp of the subject and her ability to communicate it.

As an independent consultant she has worked with banks, development agencies, energy providers, the voluntary sector, governments, health-care practitioners and many others.

She has delivered Systems Thinking workshops in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, South Africa and Europe.