How do you incorporate multiple perspectives and stakeholders into your mental models?

1 Identify the system and its boundaries

The first step is to define the system you want to understand and analyze, and its boundaries. A system is a set of interrelated elements that function as a whole and produce outcomes or behaviors. A boundary is the limit or scope of the system, which determines what is included or excluded from your analysis. You can use a boundary critique to identify the different perspectives and stakeholders that are affected by or have an influence on the system, and how they might define the system and its boundaries differently.

2 Map the system structure and dynamics

The second step is to map the system structure and dynamics, which are the elements, relationships, feedback loops, delays, and nonlinearities that shape the system behavior. You can use various tools and methods, such as causal loop diagrams, stock and flow diagrams, systems archetypes, or leverage points, to visualize and communicate the system structure and dynamics. You can also use data, evidence, and indicators to validate and test your system map. However, you should also acknowledge the limitations and uncertainties of your system map, and invite feedback and input from different perspectives and stakeholders.

3 Evaluate the system outcomes and impacts

The third step is to evaluate the system outcomes and impacts, which are the effects or consequences of the system behavior on different perspectives and stakeholders. You can use criteria such as efficiency, effectiveness, equity, sustainability, resilience, or ethics, to assess the system outcomes and impacts. You can also use scenarios, simulations, or experiments, to explore the possible future outcomes and impacts of the system under different conditions or interventions. You should consider the trade-offs, risks, and uncertainties involved in the system outcomes and impacts, and seek to understand the values, interests, and preferences of different perspectives and stakeholders.

4 Design the system interventions and changes

The fourth step is to design the system interventions and changes, which are the actions or strategies that you or others can take to improve or transform the system. You can use tools and methods such as systems thinking tools, design thinking tools, or participatory approaches, to generate and evaluate possible system interventions and changes. You should also consider the feasibility, desirability, and viability of your system interventions and changes, and how they might affect or be affected by different perspectives and stakeholders. You should also involve and engage different perspectives and stakeholders in the co-creation and implementation of your system interventions and changes.