Menu
Close
The
Gardener
craft

Sense the System

The Gardener craft is about being innately aware of the systemic and emergent nature of our reality. Gardeners notice dynamics, relationships, patterns, and underlying beliefs in the external world—and they understand how our inner landscapes are reflected in the world around us.

Applying the Gardener craft is about honing the ability to comprehend and make sense of systems. It is about being present and aware of how we shape our reality, and it involves pinpointing nuanced ways in which we might intervene in a system in order to shape it.

🌱  The 8 Crafts is a living resource of stories, tools and practices. There is more to come.

Origins

The Gardener's foundation in The 8 Crafts

Systems Thinking

Systems thinking is about seeing the connections between all parts of a system and recognizing that what we see as problems are the emergent outcomes of a deeper dynamic.

East

The East represents spring, the season of fresh possibilities and excited beginnings. In this phase, we turn inspiration and ideas into plans, in order to activate and motivate ourselves and others.

Outcomes

When The Gardener guides change

Reveals patterns in systems

The Gardener paints a clear picture of the broader system, highlighting how interactions, relationships, and underlying beliefs dictate the behavioral patterns that shape our reality.

Pinpoints where to intervene

The Gardener surfaces the needs and desires of various actors in order to pinpoint the precise ways in which we can intervene in a system in order to shift its trajectory.

Guiding Questions

Love the questions themselves

Questions are pathways to wisdom. Guiding questions spark conversations that shift how we see ourselves and how we relate to the world around us.

What visible and invisible elements shape this system?
Sensing the system
How do parts of the system influence each other—where are the feedback loops?
Understanding system dynamics
Given what we know about the system, where should we intervene first?
Identifying intervention points
What underlying beliefs and values drive the system’s behavior?
Sensing the system
Where are the leverage points—small changes that create big impacts?
Understanding system dynamics
How can interventions respect system complexity to minimize unintended effects?
Identifying intervention points
How does my inner landscape affect my view of the system?
Sensing the system
What emergent outcomes arise naturally from system interactions?
Understanding system dynamics
How can stakeholders help design interventions for greater buy-in?
Identifying intervention points

Leadership Practices

Develop your
inner capacities

Leadership is not just the actions you take, it is a quality of being. The way we cultivate our inner state of being enables us and others to do our most creative work.

The 8 Crafts practices are inspired on the open source framework of the Inner Development Goals

Application

Get started

Weave together a selection of practices and tools from this craft to achieve outcomes and progress your initiative.

1
See systems
Recognize the interconnected, systemic nature of our reality. Nature can be a great teacher here, helping you to see how relationships and interactions between parts of the system impact the greater whole. Notice patterns, structures, relationships, and avoid snap judgments or easy conclusions. As Marcel Proust says, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
2
Understand complexity
Become comfortable with the idea that what you see on the surface is not the full picture. Recognize that our human systems are also ecosystems, which are constantly moving and changing shape. See patterns as emergent outcomes instead of cause and effect relationships. Admit what you do not know, and become comfortable with not knowing. Be adaptable and willing to change course. Slow down. Keep your eyes open.
3
Map the system
Become aware of how each player in the system contributes to the whole. Make connections, interactions, dynamics, and structures visible. Draw them. Create human constellations. Work in a Miro board. Use lots of colors. Paint a thorough picture of every actor involved and how they relate to other actors. Connect as many dots as possible. Remove dots and see what happens. Dig into details, but don’t let them distract you.
4
Generate interventions
You’ve mapped your system. Now take a break. Allow your brain to reset from its detailed focus so that you can gain a holistic perspective. Then, return to your map and look for deeper underlying patterns, trends, structures. Seek out potential leverage points where change is possible. Determine which actors can support this change–and which can be nudged to do so. Come up with potential interventions based on everything you know.
5
Run (safe to fail) experiments
Expect that your system is a complex one. Develop an experiment based on the intervention you would like to test. Evaluate possible feedback loops or negative outcomes. Determine that you are comfortable with these, and then run your experiment. See how the system responds. Be prepared to be surprised. If you like what you see, do more of it. If not, dampen it. Keep watching. Keep adjusting.
6
Gardener craft outcomes
Applying the Gardener craft supports you to paint a clear picture of the broader system, highlighting its interactions, relationships, and underlying beliefs. You’re able to effectively surface the needs and desires of the players in the system in order to pinpoint precise and impactful interventions which can shift the trajectory of the whole.

Are you ready to lead
real change?

In just 2 minutes, answer 16 questions and unlock a roadmap that clarifies your innovation approach, strengthens execution, and aligns your team.