The Sustainability Grand Challenge course from the Rotterdam School of Management tasked its students to find systemic solutions to poverty among young adults in the Netherlands. In a 4-hour workshop, I helped around 190 students come up with creative opportunities for change.
Service: Impact Coach • 21st Century Skill Building
Client: Erasmus University Rotterdam* (*similar workshops have been provided for HEC Paris University).
Participant profile: Master-level university students, MSc Global Business & Sustainability
Locations: Rotterdam, online
Group size: 180+ Participants
Duration: 4 hours
My challenge:
To equip the students with practical tools and exercises that would enable them to think systemically about complex issues such as poverty.
The value I added:
Taught the students how to apply the rationale of Systems Innovation to their projects.
Led practical exercises, such as Causal Loop Diagrams and the Iceberg Model, to help the students uncover potential points of impact for change.
Ended the workshop with an ideation activity that helped the students generate practical solutions.
Outcomes:
Equipped students with tools to think systemically about complex issues.
Students gained new perspectives on problem-solving and innovation.
Students generated practical solutions to the grand challenge of poverty among young adults in the Netherlands.
Impact Coach - How this service can translate into practice:
Unlock Your Potential with 21st Century Skill Building — a modern approach to preparing individuals for a rapidly evolving world through the development of crucial skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and adaptability.
Some methodologies I use are…
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Next to coaching towards 21st Century Skill Building ,
I help individuals and teams with building and strengthening their Strategic Innovation ;
apply Learning Design to create Toolboxes and Bootcamps ; and
Facilitate & Moderate Team Days .
Testimonial
"The Systems Innovation workshop equipped me with practical tools to approach complex challenges like poverty with a systems perspective. I'm grateful for the opportunity to participate and integrate these learnings into my future career."
—Participant of the workshop
Still curious?
Global Grand Challenges and Systems Innovation
Global grand challenges, such as poverty, climate change, inequality, and resource depletion, are complex and interconnected problems that cannot be solved through traditional linear thinking. Systems thinking is a powerful approach that can be used to understand the underlying structures, feedback loops, and interdependencies of these challenges. By applying systems thinking, we can identify the root causes of the challenges and develop more effective and sustainable solutions.
Systems innovation is another important tool that can be used to address these challenges. Systems innovation involves designing new solutions that address the root causes of the challenges, rather than just treating the symptoms. It requires collaboration across different disciplines and sectors to create integrated solutions that can be scaled up and replicated.
Young people must gain these skills to become tomorrow's systemic leaders, as they will be the ones who will be responsible for solving the grand challenges of the future. They must be able to think critically and systematically, identify the interdependencies and feedback loops, and develop innovative solutions that address the root causes of the challenges.
To gain these skills, young people need to be exposed to systems thinking and systems innovation from an early age. They can be taught to think critically, identify patterns, and develop innovative solutions through a variety of activities, such as case studies, simulations, and experiential learning. By doing so, they will be able to understand the interconnectedness of the world and develop the skills necessary to solve complex problems.
Master in Global Business and Sustainability at RSM, Erasmus University
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