Organisational Systems

Whether we’re aware of them or not, we’re surrounded by systems every day - from public transport, to healthcare, to education. They’re found at every scale - from international trade, to festivals, to families and groups of friends. Systems can be implicit (based on assumptions or unspoken agreements), or explicit (based on agreements that have been named and talked about). We believe that having clear, explicit systems that work for everyone is key to creating a safe, collaborative and thriving environment.

When we work with grassroot groups, co-ops and organisations, we’re keen to make the implicit explicit, see what’s been working and what hasn’t, and find the common ground to work from. From there, we're looking for agreements that address issues and help you achieve your goals.

Often, these agreements will have multiple layers or aspects to them. 
One way of naming these layers or aspects is:
Information Flow - how are we communicating? Who is communicating what to whom?
Resource Flow - how do we get resources (like money, rooms, paint…), and when we have them, how do we distribute them?
Decision Making - how do we make decisions? Who makes decisions? 
Feedback - how is feedback given, and how is it integrated into what we do?
Conflict Engagement - what happens when there’s a conflict? 
Care & Support - how do we care for our emotional and physical wellbeing? What kind of support do we have access to?

When thinking about systems, we also need to think about power, privilege and accessibility, and embed this awareness into what we’re creating, in order not to replicate patterns that lead to hurt, distrust and silencing certain voices. Systems can be a way of anchoring purpose and values into what we do everyday, and consciously shaping them can be a great way to help shift the culture of a group.
Curious to learn more? Check out our resource page.