Human Systems Dynamics:
Past, Present, and Future
Glenda H. Eoyang, PhD, Founding Executive Director
Human Systems Dynamics Institute
December 28, 2024
Today, we stand at the edge of unknowable futures…
… and we experience the twin patterns of terror and hope. This pair always emerges from the turbulence of time and space at the borders of complex systems. For some the edge is birth or death of a relationship. For others it is a pending economic collapse. For many it is the razor edge of racism and heartless hatred. It is a breakthrough in science, technology, or arts; the trauma of civil war, or injustice in our courts, or violence of public “safety and security.” For all of us it is the delicate balance of our natural ecosystem.
At all of these boundaries, Human Systems Dynamics gives us the tools we need to see, understand, and navigate across any turbulent terrain. Each challenge is unique, and every experience carries its own story.
In the HSD Global Communities, as in other corners of society, stories turn the personal truths of others into reality for all
The emergency room physician in Canada used Simple Rules to calm intake at the edge of collapse, as Covid ravaged bodies and institutions.
The software designer shared Adaptive Action before food or shelter with refugees at the border of Ukraine in the early days of the war.
The military leader sat alongside his superior to introduce an innovative approach.
The mother guides her daughter through the approach-avoidance of her late teenage years.
Around the world, people who believe in freedom and human dignity find their next wise actions.
Ambitious institutions remake the economy, reimagine philanthropy, humanize healthcare, and enlighten education.
And the Human Systems Dynamics Global Community emerges from its Institute cocoon
For over 20 years, Royce and I have nurtured HSD through the HSD Institute. We have mentored, taught, explored, and discovered with others. Today, individuals around the world are doing the same, and in 2025 they will cross another edge to co-create personal and professional communities to meet specific needs. Supported with HSD Global Services, they will engage with others to co-create the HSD Global Communities, which is:
Infinitely Diverse, supporting both theory and practice across geographies, languages, sectors, and disciplines.
Coherent, sharing a simple set of practices that contribute to a world of regenerative understanding and action.
Simple, uncovering the essential patterns that drive tensions and change in any complex dynamics.
Oriented toward action because we cannot know everything, but we are responsible to use what we do know to shift our systems toward coherence, health, and wellbeing.
HSD Global Communities are open and welcoming, encouraging each person to share their inquiries and opportunities in dialogue with others.
Hopeful in the face of uncertainty because pattern logic helps us see patterns clearly, seek to understand, and act with courage, no matter how terrifying the future might seem.
Self-organizing, as the evolving needs and hopes of each member surface significant differences, establish boundaries, and connect in this generative ecosystem of learning and action.
