stefan PRO
Enterprise Change Agent
Exploring the Intersection of Systems Theory and Scrum
Meetup Enterprise Changemaker United,
16. Oct 2024
Welcome!
Be open for a different way of observing
Systems Theory is an interconnected net of aspects and we will merely scratch the surface today
My Motivation
Why does Scrum seem to "work" only in some circumstances?
We will use Systems Theory German style (in the tradition of Niklas Luhmann), there are many other flavours...
Keep in mind
THE PLAN
Introduction to Systems Theory
Introduction
Warm-Up
Systems + Exercise --> Conceptboard
Communication - Observation/Decision/Change + Exercise --> Conceptboard
Ending
Introduction to Scrum
What's in it for me?
The Scrum Guide provides no explanation why Scrum works except empiricism and lean thinking
Systems Theory stipulates a radically different way of thinking and thusly broadens your perspective
In its labyrintic, connected approach it reflects "reality" and acknowledges organizational complexity
So some complementary pillars might be useful
The role of both SM and PO might get a profound new spin
Systems Theory in a nutshell
1. Society is composed of autonomous, self-organizing systems (like politics, law, economy) that operate based on their own internal logic or "codes".
2. Social systems are communication systems. They don't consist of people or actions but of communications that continuously reproduce the system.
3. Systems are self-reproducing (autopoietic), meaning they create and maintain themselves by generating further communication within their own boundaries.
4. Each system is operationally closed, meaning it processes only information relevant to its own logic, even while interacting with other systems.
5. Systems interact with each other through structural couplings but remain distinct in how they process and interpret information.
In essence, Luhmann's theory presents society as a complex, self-referential web of communication systems, each with its own logic, that coexists and evolves through continual communication.
Text
Kindly provided by ChatGPT
Scrum in a nutshell
Scrum is a lightweight framework based on empiricism and lean thinking, that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.
In a nutshell, Scrum requires a Scrum Master to foster an environment where:
- A Product Owner orders the work for a complex problem into a Product Backlog.
-
The Scrum Team turns a selection of the work into an Increment of value during a Sprint.
-
The Scrum Team and its stakeholders inspect the results and adjust for the next Sprint.
-
Repeat
Kindly provided by the Scrumguide
Three key aspects of Systems Theory
Systems
Communication
Observation/Decision/Change
Aspect No.1: Systems
Systems perpetuate themselves by making a distinction between the system and its environment.
Systems only communicate by means of the system and reproduces itself through communication
A system always reduces complexity by filtering all communication from the environment.
Aspect No.2: Communication
Communication is the final element and the specific operation of systems
Information cannot be "transported", it must be produced (through selection). Communication consists of three elements: information, message and finally comprehension.
Only communication can communicate!
Aspects No.3: Observation/Decision/Change
Observation is a specific operation, making a difference and thusly can gain information
Systems only communicate by means of the system and reproduce themselves through communication
A system always reduces complexity by filtering all communication from the environment.
Idea Board
Thank you and think systems!
stefan@strukturmeister.de
Up next: Exploring the Intersection of Systems Theory and Lean (TPS)
Meetup | Exploring the Intersection of Systems Theory and Scrum
By stefan
