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Agenda - What to Expect

Are you considering the Waters Center for Systems Thinking Credential Program? Here is what you can expect as part of this year-long opportunity to build your skills in systems thinking, coaching and facilitation.

The program consists of 14 Professional Learning Sessions. For each cohort, sessions are typically all scheduled on the same day of the week, 1-2 times per month and begin at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time / 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

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Professional Learning Session 1
3 Hours
Getting Started
  • Welcome
  • Introductions
  • Waters Center background
  • Overview of Systems Thinking
  • Introduction to Habits
    Professional Learning Session 2: Meet Your Learning Team + Coaching Introduction
    3 Hours
    Meet Your Learning Team
    • Get to know your coach and learning team
    Systems-Informed Coaching Introduction
    • Coaching vs. Advising/Directing
    • Creating a “Coaching System”
    Professional Learning Session 3: Creating Thinking Environments
    3 Hours
    Systems-Informed Coaching
    • Practices of Systems-Informed Coaching
    • Crafting systems-informed coaching questions
    • Using systems thinking tools to deepen conversations
    Facilitating Thinking Environments
    • Creating thinking environments for individuals and groups
    Professional Learning Session 4: Facilitating Group Systems Thinking and Conversations
    3 Hours
    Facilitating Powerful Thinking Experiences
    • Observe effective systems thinking facilitation in action
    • Identify strategies for selecting and using systems thinking tools to support group conversations
    • Design a systems thinking facilitation for your own context
      Professional Learning Session 5: Demo Facilitation Round 1
      3 Hours
      • Facilitate systems thinking using foundational systems thinking tools
      • Use coaching questions to guide deeper systems thinking
      • Strengthen your facilitation practice through reflection and feedback
        Professional Learning Session 6: Demo Facilitation Round 1, cont’d
        3 Hours
        • Demo facilitation and feedback
        • Debrief
          Professional Learning Session 7: Connection Circles and Causal Maps
          3 Hours
          From Causal Connections to Causal Loop Diagrams
          • Build causal loop diagrams from causal links and connection circles
          • Identify reinforcing and balancing feedback loops within systems
          • Use causal loop diagrams to deepen understanding of complex system behavior
            Professional Learning Session 8: Archetypes
            3 Hours
            Archetypes as a Facilitation Tool
            • Recognize common systems archetypes and the patterns they reveal
            • Apply systems archetypes to understand and prevent recurring challenges
            • Design an engaging learning experience to teach a systems archetype to others
              Professional Learning Session 9: Archetypes, cont’d
              3 Hours
              Archetypal Patterns in Complex Systems
              • Teach a systems archetype through an engaging facilitation experience
              • Learn to recognize and apply multiple systems archetypes
              • Use systems archetypes to identify patterns and inform action in complex systems
                Professional Learning Session 10: Stock Flow Maps
                3 Hours
                Thinking about Accumulations and Flows in Systems
                • Facilitate systems thinking conversations using stock-flow maps
                • Design questions that help others identify stocks, flows, and system dynamics
                • Use stock-flow maps to deepen understanding of how change occurs within complex systems
                  Professional Learning Session 11: Demo Facilitation Round 2
                  3 Hours
                  • Facilitate systems thinking using advanced systems thinking tools
                  • Use powerful questions to deepen systems thinking and collective insight
                  • Reflect on and strengthen your systems thinking facilitation practice through feedback
                    Professional Learning Session 12: Demo Facilitation Round 2, cont’d
                    3 Hours
                    • Demo facilitation and feedback
                    • Debrief
                      Professional Learning Session 13: Leading in Complex Systems
                      3 Hours
                      Being the Leaders our Systems Need
                      • Apply complexity principles to leadership challenges in your own context
                      • Explore leadership practices that enable learning, adaptation, and systems change
                      • Lead more effectively within complex systems, regardless of your role
                        Professional Learning Session 14: Close and Celebration
                        3 Hours
                        Celebration of Learning
                        • Open Space
                        • Celebration
                        • Closing