a closed system will not survive

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Carter McNamara

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Apr 25, 2020, 3:41:34 PM4/25/20

to peer-learn...@googlegroups.com, Teri McNamara

I’ve always been a huge fan of systems thinking, way back to Laslow and Bartalanffy and on to Peter Senge and Russel Ackoff. I love the stuff.

Despite that, we committed one of the biggest mistakes in systems design: we designed a closed system – a system that is designed for itself, rather than for its stakeholders – a system that ignored feedback from its stakeholders, and only listened to itself.

We aimed to design a website to help a wide variety of people (anyone, not only experts in peer support) to use peer support to help other people.

However, it wasn’t until we finally got feedback from our primary stakeholders (novices to peer support) that our website was truly usable to them.

? Question for reflection: How would our understanding and plans for peer learning be different if we diligently involved those who did not have a clue about peer learning?

The user-designed and transformed website is at

https://PeerSupportCircles.org

Thanks!

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Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD

AuthenticityConsulting.com

ConsultantsDevelopmentInstitute.org

ActionLearningSource.com

Managementhelp.org

800-971-2250 toll free in North America

763-971-8890 direct

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bob.ha...@gmail.com

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Apr 26, 2020, 4:10:27 PM4/26/20

to Carter McNamara, peer-learn...@googlegroups.com, Teri McNamara

Carter,

Your new website is terrific! Thank you for sharing.

To support my work with YPO and HBS forums over the last couple months, I’ve written several blog posts that address issues forums are dealing with in their new, all-virtual meetings in a time of pandemic.

Perhaps some of these ideas will be useful in your own work with peer support groups.

Stay healthy!

Bob

Robert Russman Halperin

President

PHONE: (781)248-4181
EMAIL: RHAL...@ALUMNIFORUMSERVICES.COM

WEB: WWW.ALUMNIFORUMSERVICES.COM

BLOG: Check out our blog for new ideas to bring to your Forum

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