Thinking Styles & Concepts
At Animal Think Tank, we are committed to bringing in the best work practices to enable us to be effective and do good work. On this page, you'll find some of the key concepts that we have integrated into our practices
Systems Thinking
Animal Think Tank adopts a 'bigger picture' world view; we understand that we are only one part of a bigger whole. This form of larger perspective taking is a practice embedded in systems thinking.
Systems thinking seeks to understand subjects within their context. It therefore shifts the emphasis from individual objects or subjects to the connections between them, as well as their histories and environments. The focus is fundamentally on processes and relationships, rather than isolated objects. Paying attention to relationships means that we can observe the patterns of connections that constitute the larger whole, allowing for a broader perspective. The attention to contexts also means that we can see what the subject is influenced by, and what it has influence on, and therefore understand it better.
Systems thinking also holds a respect for complexity, acknowledging and accepting our perspectives as partial and provisional. As such, it provides a practical framework for engaging with multiple perspectives and acknowledges that different perspectives can bring new information and, therefore, enhance our understanding. We do not seek to explain but to understand, so that we may navigate the complexity purposefully.
Our social movement ecology framework is an example of systems thinking.
Action Learning Cycle
Put simply, action learning is learning through experience.
We like to think of ourselves as a 'think and do' tank; we put our knowledge into practice.
The action learning cycle framework is an experimental practice, and we have a 'give it a whirl' approach to trying out new things - this is what drives progress and innovation. More importantly, however, this framework creates space for us to process our emotions and feelings before jumping to analysis, which is something many of us tend to do. This space allows us to reflect upon the experience and determine which aspects of it were successful, and which could be improved upon. This experience, and the conclusions drawn from our reflections, constitute a new knowledge, which then allows us to conceptualise new and more effective practices, put them into action, and gain new experience.
Task/Process/Relationship
There are three core elements to teamwork:
Task: this is what the team is doing and trying to achieve; its 'purpose.'
Process: this is the 'how' the team goes about fulfilling the task.
Relationship: this is both the interpersonal relationships and team dynamics.
Task
The task is what fundamentally brings the team together, what the team is working on and towards. This ranges from a grand objective to daily, operational tasks.
A clearly defined task sets the team's focus, ensures that everyone is working towards the same goal, and understand their purpose or role within the collective. At ATT, this is something that we consistently strive towards. Some of our practices include:
Reviewing our Purposes and Accountabilities in Glassfrog.
Using Self-Reflections
Using Need Assessments
Consult with circle leads and other key members what most important workstreams and projects are to achieving our goals; and
Identify the next steps necessary to progress within the projects and workstreams.
Process
Processes are how teams coordinate; this includes organisational norms and practices from decision making to methods of communication. Having a team that is aligned on the process of achieving its task means the team can work efficiently.
At ATT, we have developed and embedded various practices to enable us to work as effectively and efficiently as possible. Our organisational rhythms mean that we regularly review our work and ensure that we have the space to do so, while our clearly defined meeting structures enable us to surface the most important information.
We recognise, however, that different individuals gravitate towards different processes; there is value in each approach as each has something different to contribute to the team. We want to ensure, therefore, that we have the right individuals in the right roles, to both empower them and enable them to contribute to the best of their abilities.
Relationship
Interpersonal relationships are an aspect of teamwork that is commonly overlooked. Communication, understanding, and cooperation, however, are crucial to effective teamwork and all hinge on the interpersonal relationships of a team's members.
We view team dynamics through the concept of the 'matrix.' What this essentially means is that we see the team as an entity composed of the interpersonal relationships of the team members, as opposed to the individuals themselves. Focussing on these relationships allows us to build psychological safety and trust between members, and therefore within the team, which creates a healthy, functional team dynamic.
Hedgehog
The Hedgehog concept encourages companies and organisations to hone in on the one thing they can be the best at. Focussing on this one particular aspect is what drives greatness. It allows the company or organisation to channel its efforts into what it is that makes them the best at what they do, leading to purposive action and effective work through keeping everyone focussed on their mission and purpose.
The Hedgehog concept is lifted from Jim Collins' book 'Good to Great.'
Go slow to go fast
At Animal Think Tank we often say we 'go slow to go fast'. The key idea is that we invest time at the front-end of an initiative consulting, clarifying objectives and impact, defining what's needed, and planning before implementing. This means there's clarity, hopefully that will last, on what we need to achieve and why with regard to any initiative. In other words 'we do the right thing'. This enables us to go fast, and have impact.
Depending on the type of project, research and best practice suggest spending anything from 5-20% of a project's resource on this front end in order to be effective, and efficient, and so meet your deadline. There's a side issue that if you overwork, rush, etc. then you're more likely to make mistakes that need time to resolve and rework, which ultimately slows you down. A mistake can be a rushed email that some one misinterprets and generates confusion and lots of emails, maybe conflict, or sets them off in the wrong direction.
There are times to be deadline driven and go fast. Objectives and Key Results (part of our task management system) are very much about bringing focus, deadlines and hopefully speeding stuff up.
Go slow is fundamentally a counter balance to diving into planning and implementing an idea when you don't know if it's the right idea, right way to implement it, or even the right objective.
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