A  multi-­‐disciplinary  seminar  and  lab  on  social  innovation
Specific  course  title  will  vary  to  reflect  disciplinary  focus
Faculty  may  adapt  or  append  this  outline
Course  number :  The  supervising  faculty  member  determines  the  course  number  in   consultation  with  the  student.  It  is  a  0.5FCE  specialized  or  directed  readings  course   targeting  senior  undergraduate  or  graduate  students.
Class  meetings :  Fridays  8:45am  to  11:30am  (alternate  weeks  could  be  Friday  or
Wednesday,  TBD)
Location :  SILC  Fridays  will  be  held  in  the  Bartley  Residence,  Conference  Room  A.  The
alternate  Fridays  (or  Wednesdays)  location  TBD
Faculty :
Mirella  Stroink,  Psychology,   mstroink@lakeheadu.ca
Connie  Nelson,  Social  Work,   cnelson@lakeheadu.ca
Course  Overview :    Students  will  participate  in  the   Social  Innovation  and  Leadership  in
Complexity   (SILC)  course  being  offered  to  senior  management  and  board  members  from   social  service  and  health  organizations  through  Continuing  Education  on  alternate  Fridays   beginning  in  September  (outline  for  this  course  is  attached).  The  SILC  course  offers  a  set  of   capacities  and  a  mindset  that  embraces  complexity,  helping  leaders  mobilize  engagement,   nurture  an  ecology  of  innovation,  adapt  quickly  to  change  and  discover  the  simple  solutions   that  often  lie  on  the  other  side  of  complex  problems.  In  addition  to  attending  these  classes   alongside  community  leaders,  students  will  meet  with  the  faculty  advisors  in  a  lab   specifically  for  the  student  participants  on  the  alternate  Fridays  (or  Wednesdays).    The  lab   will  involve  deeper  discussion  of  the  principles  raised  in  class  and  the  development  of   student  case  studies  and  social  innovation  or  social  enterprise  projects.
Assessment :
•
Case  study  20%
•
Case  study  presentation  5%
•
Proposal  of  a  social  innovation  or  social  enterprise  30%
•
Proposal  presentation  20%
•
Exam  25%
Case  Study :   Students  will  work  with  a  community  leader  from  the  SILC  class  or  a  team  of   leaders  to  write  a  3-­‐5-­‐page  summary  of  a  complex  challenge  (wicked  problem)  occurring   within  an  organization  or  sector.  Rather  than  focus  on  solutions,  the  case  study  should   carefully  outline  the  multiple  contributing  and  controlling  variables  in  the  ecosystem  of  the   challenge  and  include  variables  at  multiple  levels  in  the  panarchy.  The  challenge  should  be   described  with  the  perspective  of  complex  adaptive  systems  theory.  A  10  minute  (plus   discussion)  presentation  of  the  case  study  will  be  given  to  the  SILC  class.

Proposal  of  a  social  innovation  or  social  enterprise :  The  major  project  for  the  course  is  a   detailed  proposal  for  the  development  of  a  social  enterprise  or  social  finance  initiative,  or  a   social  innovation  that  will  address  a  complex  organizational  or  community  issue.  Proposals   will  be  grounded  in  the  theory  and  research  of  complexity  science  and  other  relevant  fields   and  will  include  a  literature  review,  a  description  of  proposed  activities  that  are  justifiable   based  on  theory  and  research,  and  a  suggested  approach  to  evaluation.
Proposal  presentation :   Students  will  present  their  proposed  initiatives  near  the  end  of  the
course  on  a  lab  day.  Students  in  the  SILC  course  will  be  invited  to  attend.  Presentations  will   be  15-­‐30  minutes  in  length  plus  discussion.  A  brief  presentation,  perhaps  in  Pecha  Kucha   style  may  also  be  given  during  the  celebratory  lunch  of  the  final  SILC  class  (presentation   format  depends  on  the  number  of  students  doing  the  lab).
Exam :  An  in-­‐class  exam  testing  students’  knowledge  of  key  concepts  from  complexity  and   social  innovation  will  be  held  on  a  lab  day.
Learning  Objectives :
Upon  completion  of  this  course  you  will  gain:
•
An  understanding  of  the  dynamics  of  organizations  and  communities  as  complex   systems.
•
An  understanding  of  how  communities  and  organizations  can  show  resilience  while   undergoing  transformation,  responding  adaptively  and  proactively  to  internal  and   external  change.
•
Practical  tools  for  nurturing  an  ecology  of  innovation  and  an  understanding  of  the   dynamics  that  affect  innovation  across  levels.
•
Hands’  on  experience  developing  and  evaluating  a  potential  social  innovation  or   social  enterprise  initiative  in  collaboration  with  the  community  leaders  in  the   course.
Readings :
•
Hurst,  D.K.  (2012).  The  new  ecology  of  leadership:  Business  mastery  in  a  chaotic   world.  New  York,  NY:  Columbia  University  Press.     Required
•
Goldstein,  J.,  Hazy,  J.K.,  &  Lichtenstein,  B.B.  (2011).  Complexity  and  the  nexus  of   leadership:  Leveraging  nonlinear  science  to  create  ecologies  of  innovation.     Required
•
Meadows,  D.H.  (2008).  Thinking  in  systems:  A  primer.  London,  UK:  Earthscan.
Suggested
•
Walker,  B.  &  Salt,  D.  (2008).  Resilience  Thinking:  Sustaining  Ecosystems  in  a
Changing  World.  Island  Press.   Suggested

Date
Sept  10   or  12
Sept  19   SILC
Sept  24   or  26
Oct  3
Class
Lab
Lab
SILC
Oct  8  or
10
Oct  17
Lab
SILC
Oct  22  or
24
Lab
Oct  31
Nov  5  or
7
SILC
Lab
Nov  14   SILC
Nov  19   or  21
Lab
Nov  28   SILC
Dec  3  or
5
Lab
Dec  12   SILC
Class  Schedule
Topic
Introduction  to  course  and  theory
Simple,  complicated  and  complex  problems
Wicked  problems  and  case  study  planning
Overview  of  key  concepts
Complexity  science  and  innovation
Social  Innovation  and  complexity
Case  study  discussion
Adaptive  cycle
Case  study  presentations
Complexity  science  and  organizational  or  community  change
Social  enterprise  and  social  innovation
Panarchy
Proposal  discussion,  development  of  projects
Review  of  key  concepts
Resilience
Exam
Proposal  discussion
Transformation  and  change
Proposal  presentations  and  discussion
Ecology  of  innovation
Brief  proposal  presentations  during  celebratory  lunch(TBD)

Class  meetings :  8:45  to  11:30  for  7  alternating  Friday  mornings  beginning  September  19  and
ending  December  12,  2014
Location :  Conference  Room  A  and  Fireside  Lounge,  Bartley  Residence,  Lakehead  University
Course  Description :
The  executive  leadership  of  today’s  social-­‐benefit  organization  is  faced  with  an  increasingly   complex  environment.  In  order  to  make  people’s  lives  better  and  to  address  community  issues,   more  of  the  same-­‐old  solutions  are  no  longer  adequate.  Leaders  are  being  called  upon  to   mobilize  engagement  through  all  levels  of  their  organizations,  identify  and  grow  innovation,   adapt  quickly  to  change,  and  collaborate  across  sectors  to  enhance  the  resilience  of  their   organization  and  the  community  as  a  whole.  These  requirements  demand  a  unique  set  of   capacities  and  a  mindset  that  embraces  complexity.  In  this  course,  community  leaders  and   university  faculty  with  expertise  in  complexity  science  will  work  together  to  build  understanding   of  the  complex  dynamics  of  organizations  and  communities.  Through  conversational  learning   techniques  and  practical  exercises  we  will  develop  the  capacities  to  perceive,  reason,  and   manage  within  complexity,  to  nurture  an  ecology  of  innovation,  and  to  discover  the  simple
solutions  that  often  lie  on  the  other  side  of  complex  problems.
Learning  Objectives :
Upon  completion  of  this  course,  you  will  gain:
• An  understanding  of  the  dynamics  of  organizations  and  communities  as  complex   systems.
• An  understanding  of  how  communities  and  organizations  can  show  resilience  while   undergoing  transformation,  responding  adaptively  and  proactively  to  internal  and   external  change.
•
The  capacity  to  nurture  and  grow  an  ecology  of  innovation  within  your  organization.
•
The  skills  to  lead  a  complex  organization  in  a  complex  environment.
Each  class  will  include  lecture,  discussion,  reflection,  and  activities  that  include  case  study   analysis  and  experience  with  several   liberating  structures   (Lipmanowicz  &  McCandless,  2014).
Liberating  structures  are  fun  group  learning  techniques  that  can  be  brought  back  to  your   organization  in  order  to  enhance  innovation,  bring  a  complexity  lens  to  entrenched  problems,   and  support  collaboration.  A  textbook  will  be  included  as  part  of  the  course,  and  discussion  will   incorporate  material  from  the  readings.  There  will  also  be  a  list  of  recommended  readings  and   resources  that  include  on-­‐line  videos.  A  course  D2L  website  will  be  available  for  easy  access  to   readings  and  resources,  and  to  continue  discussions  beyond  the  class  meetings.

Textbook :
Hurst,  D.K.  (2012).  The  new  ecology  of  leadership:  Business  mastery  in  a  chaotic  world.  New
York,  NY.:  Columbia  University  Press.
Faculty :
• Dr.  Connie  Nelson,  School  of  Social  work  and  the  Food  Security  Research  Network
• Dr.  Mirella  Stroink,  Department  of  Psychology
Outline  of  topics :
1.  September  19,  2014
Simple,  complicated,  and  complex  problems .  We  will  introduce  the  perspective  of  complexity   science  by  distinguishing  among  simple,  complicated,  and  complex  problems.  Drawing  on  this   understanding  we  will  explore  and  discuss  complex  or  “wicked”  problems  that  arise  in   participants’  organizations.  Through  discussion  and  case  examples  we  will  build  understanding   of  the  nature  of  complex  systems  and  identify  the  various  complex  systems  at  work  in  our  own   lives.  Connection  is  an  important  concept  in  complexity  science,  and  we  will  build  connection   within  the  class  by  adopting  a  stance  of  curiosity  as  we  focus  our  shared  attention  on  the   problems  we  want  to  solve  in  an  exercise  called  Impromptu  Networking.  Homework   assignment:  Simple,  Complicated,  Complex.
2.  October  3,  2014
Complexity  science  and  Innovation .  We  will  introduce  complexity  science  and  explore   emergence  and  innovation  from  this  perspective.  Understanding  how  patterns  of  behaviour  or   outcome  emerge  through  the  dynamic  interactions  of  complex  systems  offers  a  new   perspective  on  entrenched  and  complex  challenges,  and  can  often  reveal  the  simplicity  on  the   other  side  of  the  complexity.    Through  case  studies  and  discussion  we  will  explore  the  workings   of  innovation  in  a  complexity  lens.  Liberating  structure  and  homework  assignment:  Wicked
Problem  Analysis  and  Crowdsourcing
3.  October  17,  2014
Adaptive  cycle :  We  will  study  the  4  phases  of  the  adaptive  cycle  and  discuss  how  individuals,   organizations,  communities,  and  societies  undergo  these  4  phases.  Discussion  will  include  case   studies  and  examples  from  participants’  organizations.  Insights  may  include  how  to  nurture  an
“ecology  of  innovation,”  the  periodic  need  to  release  structure,  and  tips  to  avoid  common
“traps.”  Liberating  structure  and  homework  assignment:  Ecocycle  Planning
4.  October  31,  2014
Panarchy :  We  will  work  together  to  identify  how  the  systems  we  populate  are  nested  within   one  another  at  higher  and  lower  scales,  and  how  each  of  these  levels  or  scales  has  adaptive   cycles  of  their  own,  moving  at  faster  and  slower  paces.  In  this  way,  learners  will  be  able  to

visualize  how  challenges  and  opportunities  in  their  organizations  emerge  through  the  dynamics   of  cycles  operating  at  different  scales.    The  way  in  which  innovation  can  spread  and  how   interacting  systems  can  co-­‐evolve,  at  times  resulting  in  surprises(!)  will  be  revealed.  Liberating   structure  and  homework  assignment:  Panarchy
5.    November  14,  2014
Resilience :  Building  on  our  growing  understanding  of  complex  systems  we  will  explore  the   concept  of  resilience.  Discussion  and  activity  will  focus  on  how  to  prepare  oneself  and  one’s   organization  to  respond  quickly  to  threat  and  change  and  to  handle  uncertainty.  This  includes  a   core  capacity  of  actively  shaping  the  complex  system  of  one’s  organization,  being  able  to  see   different  futures  unfolding  and  acting  in  a  distributed  fashion.  One  advanced  insight  may  be   that  when  viewed  within  the  panarchy,  resilience  at  different  scales  or  levels  can  be  either   healthy  or  unhealthy  for  the  overall  system,  and  the  resilience  of  each  level  varies  in  response   to  changes  happening  at  other  levels.  Liberating  structure  and  homework  assignment:  Critical
Uncertainties
6.  November  28,  2014
Transformation  and  Change :  Sometimes  the  most  adaptive  thing  for  a  system  is   transformation.  We  will  discuss  the  distinction  between  adaptation  and  transformation  and   how  both  are  important  to  the  overall  resilience  of  a  system.  At  times  an  organization,   department,  program,  or  even  a  whole  civilization  needs  to  be  allowed  to  collapse  so  that  the   new  may  emerge.  We  will  discuss  complexity  concepts  such  as  attractors  and  regime-­‐shift  and   will  explore  through  discussion  and  activity  how  to  navigate  a  system  through  an  intentional   and  creative  transformation  while  steering  clear  of  two  critical  traps.  Through  our  earlier   discussions  and  case  studies  we  will  identify  an  entrenched  system  that  would  benefit  from   transformation  and  role-­‐play  strategies  for  bringing  about  positive  change.  Homework
assignment:  Resilience  and  Transformation
7.  December  12,  2014
Ecology  of  Innovation :  In  this  concluding  session  we  will  summarize  critical  skills  and  capacities   for  leadership  and  innovation  in  the  social  benefit  sector.  An  overview  of  complexity-­‐inspired   applications  such  as  social  entrepreneurship,  social  finance,  and  crowd-­‐funding  will  be
provided.  Activities  allowing  for  the  practice  of  these  critical  skills  will  be  conducted,  and  an   ongoing  homework  assignment  that  can  be  a  springboard  for  innovation  at  your  own
organization  will  be  offered.

Suggested  Resources:
Books:
•
Goldstein,  J.,  Hazy,  J.K.,  &  Lichtenstein,  B.B.  (2011).  Complexity  and  the  nexus  of   leadership:  leveraging  nonlinear  science  to  create  ecologies  of  innovation.
•
Lipmanowicz,  H.  &  McCandless,  K.  (2014).  The  surprising  power  of  liberating  structures:
Simple  rules  to  unleash  a  culture  of  innovation.  Liberating  Structures  Press.
•
Meadows,  D.H.  (2008).  Thinking  in  systems:  A  primer.  London,  UK:  Earthscan
• Walker,  B.  &  Salt,  D.  (2008).  Resilience  Thinking:  Sustaining  Ecosystems  in  a  Changing
World.  Island  Press.
• Westley,  F.,  Zimmerman,  B.  &  Patton,  M.  (2007).  Getting  to  maybe:  How  the  world  is   changed.  Toronto,  ON:  Vintage  Canada.
Websites:
• Resilience  Alliance:   http://www.resalliance.org/
•
Social  Innovation  Generation:   http://sigeneration.ca
•
Plexus  Institute:   http://www.plexusinstitute.org/
Videos:
•
Simplicity  in  Complexity:   http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/eric_berlow_how_complexity_leads_to_simplicity.html
• Social  Innovation  and  Resilience  Webinar:   http://sigeneration.ca/SocialInnovationandResilience.html
•
Complexity  –  Secret  Life  of  Chaos,  BBC  2010   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF7gdlTrCQY