Objective: Getting acquainted with staff skills and interests as additional resources

I don’t know exactly why I asked. I am not one to ask personal questions, so I was surprised to hear myself asking Eddie, “What is your background?” This was the beginning of a conversation that slid forward into including Josh.

Eddie’s background is in math and philosophy and comes out into algorithms. Somehow this became a mention, on my part, about systems. This is where Josh comes into it. He lit up with the mention and suggested a site for me to look into. Of course I did not write it down, so do not know if the one I ended up reading is where he intended me to go.

I became interested in systems and systems thinking years ago, but I was not in a context that helped me apply what I was trying to read and make sense of. Now, though, scanning the articles on the The Systems Thinker website, I had lots of context. I am now in a situation where there are more than four people who belong to a single family system. Usually, my clients are in single parent homes so even four is unusual. Now, in the Maker Space, I am having to manage—a new word for me—manage resources and access, relationships and personal space. And change. It is a near constant motion of people and information.

Already, I have a couple of applications. One question posed was “What is the difference between a collection and a system?” As a Library Tech in training, that caught my eye at once. I did not pass the pop quiz. However, I now have my own interpretation: a book is a collection of pages until it has a reader. It is the introduction of people that creates a system out of a collection of things. The Maker Space is just a collection of machines and materials until someone turns on the light and begins to use the stuff.

In the context of trying to help sort out how to smooth out the flow of processes and resources in the Maker Space, I also learned that I need to look more closely at the question of “Whose problem is it?” I already know that I have a problem with getting the answers I feel I need in the way that suits me. Got to talk out the issue with our manager and in the context of that conversation, discovered how the communication problem is mine! Clarity.

I do not know how deeply into systems thinking I will go, eventually. As a Quick Start I am good at just jumping in with both feet and figuring out things from there. I will take what inspires me in the moment and creates the most useful questions, and possibly post the responses.