The Viable Systems Model: a framework for organisational design

location_city Melbourne schedule Jun 29th 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM AEST place EN 307 (C40) people 22 Interested

The Viable Systems Model (VSM) offers a systematic approach to diagnosing organisational issues and designing organisational structures in consideration of how the organisation adapts to its environment. This session will provide an overview of the VSM's insights and modes of use. 

We propose that enterprises can be considered to have three aspects: setting the strategy (direction), getting the work done (realisation), and structuring for sustainable effectiveness (organisation).

Popular contemporary frameworks for Strategy development include the Business Model Canvas and systems thinking approaches such as causal loop diagrams and system dynamics models.

Realisation methodologies include Lean and Six Sigma techniques for process improvement and BPM for process management, as well as specialist IT practices such as Agile and Enterprise Architecture. 

There appears to be a gap when it comes to methodologies for organisational design.

The Viable Systems Model (VSM), developed by Stafford Beer on cybernetics principles in the 1960s, offers a complementary, systems oriented, approach to the Organisation dimension. 

Stafford Beer's books are not widely available, and much of the discussion on the internet is highly technical and specialised. However, the basic concepts of the VSM can be very useful in analysing and designing organisational structures and interactions.

This talk will provide a non-technical introductory overview to the elements, objectives and application of the VSM, and will invite participants to consider its applicability to their own needs.

 
 

Outline/Structure of the Talk

What do we mean by "viable"?

Why do we need a model for organisational design?

Brief history of the origins of the Viable Systems Model (VSM)

Elements of the VSM

  • System 1 - work units
  • System 2 - co-ordination
  • System 3 - operational management
  • System 3* - audit and verification
  • System 4 - planning and development
  • System 5 - context, purpose, reflection

Recursion in the VSM

Application of the VSM in practice

Learning Outcome

Awareness of the aims and structure of the VSM

Ideas for application of the VSM for diagnosing and rectifying organisational issues

Resources for further investigation

Target Audience

System designers; also team and project leaders with responsibility for organisation.

schedule Submitted 6 years ago

  • AJ M Raashid
    AJ M Raashid
    Sr. Agile Consultant
    DWS
    schedule 6 years ago
    Sold Out!
    45 Mins
    Talk
    Intermediate

    Agile Project Management is completely misled by some of those who practice the so called Agile. It is sometime assumed by them, Agile is the solution for all projects issues without making prior assessment into the project they handle.

    The presenter will focus on 2 risk management tools for Agile project implantation which targets Agile suitability and Agile readiness.  Under the Agile suitability, the presenter will focus on the ESI Model which talks deeper into factors mentioned below in each area that forms the model

    1. Organisations - Innovative, Independent, Risk Tolerance, Resource Allocation, Flexibility and Customer Focus
    2. Team – Autonomy, Cohesiveness, Co-location, Customer Participation, Creativity and Skill Level
    3. Leader - Customer Focus, Flexibility, Tolerance for Ambiguity, Communication, Commitment and Leadership (motivate the team, delegate, and resolve impediments)
    4. Stakeholder – Flexibility, Availability, Risk Tolerance, Collaboration, Involvement and Knowledgeable

     

  • Phil Gadzinski
    keyboard_arrow_down

    Phil Gadzinski - All your Projects are Red until you deliver something working

    Phil Gadzinski
    Phil Gadzinski
    Group Global Head of CoEs
    Bupa
    schedule 6 years ago
    Sold Out!
    90 Mins
    Workshop
    Intermediate

    When we decide to move from big batch, plan driven long dated constructs of change, so projects and programs in the traditional sense, to more agile methods, we need to rethink a whole raft of stuff. Assume for a second, if you will, we are using the historical program and project construct to identify and deliver change. Initiatives are bundled into a sequential approach and governed through stages of largely documentation production accordingly. As long as you are on track to the stages, your documents are reviewed and signed off, you are Green.

    Then we disrupt this. We want more agility on how we identify, plan, deploy and release change. We want to deliver outputs to our customers and ultimately value or outcomes earlier and more regularly, which is one of the significant advantages of an agile delivery model. So we get an ROI uplift. Projects can be self funded.

    So lets start a new theory and trial it. EVERY project is red until your first release to a real customer. No more debate, hand wringing, angst or arguments. Recognise and accept that until you have delivered something that tests your theories, is validated and works, and your customers are using it, you have done nothing. Use the RED as it is meant to be - a call to action to pay attention, provide support , facilitate and break through barriers, provide resources and time. Help the team get to done.

    My goal is for the attendees to use this session to actually crowd source and  develop a model that people can take back to their business and propose, from scratch using design thinking and agile techniques. 

     

     

  • Rob Manger
    keyboard_arrow_down

    Rob Manger / Many Joy - "How do I test this?" - Exploring test plan design

    45 Mins
    Workshop
    Beginner

    In this interactive session, Rob and Many from REA Group will go through an exercise designed to explore the agile testing mindset.  Together with the rest of the room we will build up a mindmap of a test plan for a simple application.  

    Testing is an often mis-understood, under-estimated role.  We hope to challenge people into thinking outside the box and give people a better understanding of what a "QA" role brings to a high performing agile team.

  • Brian Rankin
    keyboard_arrow_down

    Brian Rankin - Building quality products as a team

    Brian Rankin
    Brian Rankin
    Head of Delivery - Search
    Seek
    schedule 6 years ago
    Sold Out!
    45 Mins
    Talk
    Beginner
    Our organization is on the journey of transitioning from "you build: I test" to "we build quality by learning together" we've borrowed heavily on the philosophies from various organisations in the industry as well as these two principles
    • a humble questions can be powerful
    • the best way to learn is to teach someone else.
    We started this journey because we know that a waterfall project with all the testing at the end is painful and full of risk.  Smaller units of work like a 'story' reduce the scale of the problem but do not solve it.  We believe the benefits of building quality in from the start can be achieved by shifting the mindset of teams and individuals as to how quality is achieved and who's responsibility it is?  
    This session will describe the problems we are looking to solve, the benefits we are chasing, the challenges we've faced and the techniques we've taken to achieve adoption.  
  • Andrea Blundell
    keyboard_arrow_down

    Andrea Blundell / Pru Gell - Leading through disruption with Deep Democracy

    45 Mins
    Demonstration
    Intermediate

    In a time when it is the in thing to support and be onboard with workplace disruption genuinely discussing the challenges it evokes can be career limiting. We hear a lot of talk about having the courageous conversations, are we really having them? And do we know how? And if we don’t what is the impact for the organisation and humans within. And aren't we all at least a little worried about what it means for us?  

    Making space for and hearing people's concerns and making it safe for people to share them could make a positive difference on the effectiveness of any evolving organisation.

    This isn't a program of work, this is the future of work and our new life.  Is it really adapt or die, or could it be adapt together?

    What if you had a simple but powerful roadmap, just 3 steps to take your groups through, so that you can have effective discussions safely. We'd like to share one with you.

  • Andrew Dodgshun
    keyboard_arrow_down

    Andrew Dodgshun - Customer Obsession by Working Backwards

    Andrew Dodgshun
    Andrew Dodgshun
    Agile Coach
    Avid Agile Pty Ltd
    schedule 6 years ago
    Sold Out!
    45 Mins
    Talk
    Beginner

    Amazon are famous for their Leadership Principles and pride themselves on being peculiar because of them.

    Customer Obsession is one of the principles that is not hard to grasp but easy to overlook.  It reads...  

           "Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers."

    One of the ways this is done is specifically to construct a "Working Backwards" document before a project begins - its not hard and anyone can do it and it can be a great leveler for delivering real value for your customers.

    Having done the inhouse training for this method and contributed to a few of these (and seen the benefits they bring) I want to briefly outline the approach

  • Brian Rankin
    keyboard_arrow_down

    Brian Rankin - Failure: why people don't like it

    Brian Rankin
    Brian Rankin
    Head of Delivery - Search
    Seek
    schedule 6 years ago
    Sold Out!
    45 Mins
    Talk
    Beginner

    When you encourage people to "Fail fast; fail often" or "Embrace failure!" have you noticed a lukewarm response or blank stares?

    This session will be a discussion on why people don't like "failure" and question if we should really be asking them to embrace something they define as repulsive.  The discussion will touch on the effect failure has on people plus how the god complex and society itself all play a role in our natural distaste of failure.  

    Finally, we'll discuss whether successfully embracing failure is actually re-framing/redefining failure.  If so, why not drop the word "failure" and ask them to embrace .... ?

  • Miles Jordan
    keyboard_arrow_down

    Miles Jordan - The philosophical nature of ignorant discovery

    Miles Jordan
    Miles Jordan
    Head of Technology
    LeaseEagle
    schedule 6 years ago
    Sold Out!
    5 Mins
    Lightning Talk
    Intermediate

    In contemporary product development, affirmation bias has one foot in the door, but we can learn a few things from philosophers like Socrates to build better products. Socrates took great pleasure in questioning the ideas of the people around him, with the goal of them knowing more about what they do not understand. Socrates questioning often led people to a state of aporia - the literal meaning of which is puzzlement. I like to call this "progressing to a state of still now knowing s**t, from a state where you knew less s**t that you do now."

    This lightning talk will explore how two different states of ignorance can product vastly different product result.

help