Visualizing ideas dates back to prehistoric times, but we are learning more and more each day about the power of imagistic thinking and using object-oriented visual grammars to understand, innovate, take action, and push us toward better ideas.
Not all visual maps are created equal. The best maps help us align our ideas with the real world and real action, in a natural way. This is why it’s important to evaluate the cognitive style that underlies visual mapping tools and techniques before using them.
Most problems we face in the world result from the misalignment between how we think the world works and how it actually works. The real world works in systems—complex networks of many interacting variables.
Plectica helps to structure your thoughts by prompting you to use systems thinking to clarify, analyze, connect, and more fully understand your ideas, from conception through every iteration of development.
Organizational design, change, and leadership in today’s complex and uncertain environments can lead us to assume that complex problems require complex solutions. By identifying and leveraging the inherent functions of nature’s own systems, we can instead find simple solutions to solve complex problems.
Organizational silos lead to a range of harmful results, from decreased employee engagement, and therefore, reduce organizational effectiveness. Silos are the result of a naturally-forming need to distinguish between systems and their functions.
Like many start-ups, Zuora began as a small team where communication was organic and personal and the synthesis of ideas to action occurred quickly. But as it grew to over 200 employees and a full management team, differing perspectives on the company’s strategic goals began to translate into varying and disconnected approaches to operational responsibilities. To address this, Zuora used our VMCL systems leadership framework (Vision, Mission, Capacity, Learning).
GE set its vision to lead the digital industrial era. CEO Jeff Immelt explained that, “the investments we are making to become a Digital Industrial [company] and in additive manufacturing will unleash productivity and create new models of growth.”
The GE Adventure Series is both a poignant and remarkable success story about the transformation of the imaging experience from one riddled with fear for pediatric patients and their families to an interactive storytelling adventure.
Valens knows complex, nonlinear problems–deep analysis of complex problems is not only their job, it’s their product. Research staff at Valens analyze and deeply understand how to measure and evaluate counter-radicalization programs and their impact, for example.
Rideshare and Carshare services are complex, and include everything from the end-user application to the backend hardware. Ridecell delivers these services for companies that want to “become the next Uber.”
Anyone who has interacted with a government agency knows that government processes can be quite complex. cBrain works with client-stakeholders to separate the forest from the trees by identifying systemic issues that underlie the processes.
It is the job of Quonsius’ Lab Keeper to deeply understand how the complex, multi-faceted world of entrepreneurship works and communicate this knowledge to colleagues. Then, based on this research, Qonsius develops a new entrepreneurial system that fosters and grows new ventures with positive social, environmental and financial impacts.