Course 5: Systems Thinking

Keywords: understanding and questioning systems, influencing and changing systems, leadership skills, change competencies, management re-thinking

Introduction to the course topics:

This Workshop in Systems Thinking is an approach to understand complex issues better. The aim is to empower participants to change a system (e.g. a scientific working environment) in such a way, that it becomes fairer, more sustainable or more effective, for example. Systems Thinking is an attitude, a mindset and a way of thinking and offers different tools to understand complex situations in living and working systems and helps to deal with uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. In this Workshop we aim to get a first idea of „Systems Thinking“ and its impact for our work as PhD students and maybe future teamlead by looking at: (course aims).

Course aims:

• Systemic diagnosis - Diagnose complex sustainability challenges using systemic approaches
• Strategy design - Design system change strategies and interventions
• Collaboration and engagement - seek, initiate, build and facilitate partnerships and coalitions for change
• Leadership and learning - Learn and lead into complex and uncertain future

Teaching Methods: We will work with theories, models, simulations in a very active way, understanding our own connectedness in the systems inside the classroom and outside. Also: scientific input, work in goups, (own-)research, coaching-elements, peer-coaching & reflection, collegial advice

Information about the trainer:

Maria Prahl is working since 2004 as a trainer for universities, foundations and companies. She studied intercultural communication and (South-)Eastern European History. She also absolved postgraduate studies in HR / Human Resource Development.

Before she founded Working Between Cultures in 2012 she accompanied scientists within a university funding program for careers, training and continuing education for over ten years.

Her work focusses on diversity management, excellent leadership, appreciative communication in heterogeneous teams and intercultural cooperation.