Building Capacity

Overview:

Think Systematically. Communicate Strategically

In today’s fast-evolving environment, leaders must navigate multifaceted and interconnected challenges. Without a systems perspective, communication and decision-making risk being misaligned or short-term. This 2-day Systems Leadership Foundation programme equips participants with essential frameworks and tools to think systemically and communicate strategically. It builds the foundation for leaders to plan, structure, and present ideas with impact in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

Programme Outline:

Day 1: Systems Thinking Foundations for Strategic Communication

• Systems Thinking vs Analytical Thinking: Introduction to systems as a mindset for synthesis and influence
• Mapping Complexity and Leverage Points: Recognising interdependencies and identifying systemic leverage
• Hierarchy of Choices: Aligning vision, scope, and action to communicate with logic and coherence
• Creative Tension: Understanding the nature of structural gap and how that can lead to vicious or virtuous cycles of intervention
• Levels of Perspective: Reframing diagnostic content to suit diverse stakeholder mental models to evaluate systemic structures causing the patterns and events

Day 2: Structuring and Delivering Presentations with Systems Intent

• Translating Systems Thinking into Presentation Framing: From systemic insight to communication clarity for collaboration
• Executive Messaging and Narrative Design: Using story arcs and message maps to engage logically and emotionally through Quality of Conversation
• Audience Mapping for Persuasion: Matching tone, content and data to the thinking style of decision-makers and activating Double-Loop learning
• Slowing Down and Decision Making: Understanding logical leaps and making better decisions through Ladder of Inference
• Connecting the Narrative: Understanding the inter-relatedness of Systems Models.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the programme, you will: 

• Understand how synthesis (systems thinking) complements analysis in communication
• Use Levels of Perspective to align messages to different stakeholder mindsets
• Apply Hierarchy of Choices to structure logic across scope, strategy, and implementation
• Understand the nature of structural tension using the Creative Tension Model
• Translate complex systems into systemic narratives for collaboration and co-creation

Who Should Attend:

• All business leaders
• C-Suite executives
• Directors and Managers in the Public Service
• Private and Social sectors.