By George P. Richardson and David F. Andersen
2. David F. Andersen (biography)
What can you do if you are in a group that is trying to deal with problems that are developing over time, where:
- root causes of the dynamics aren’t clear;
- different stakeholders have different perceptions;
- past solutions haven’t worked;
- solutions must take into account how the system will respond; and,
- implementing change will require aligning powerful stakeholders around policies that they agree have the highest likelihood of long-term success?
The fields of systems thinking and system dynamics modelling bring four important patterns of thought to such a group decision and negotiation: