The Humancurrent

In this episode, Angie interviews motivational speaker, author, and leadership coach, Gloria Burgess, to discuss patterns and systems within human history. Gloria explains that because we are truly interconnected systems, how we relate to ourselves and each other matters. We all have the ability to gain “intercultural intelligence” in order to move through the world and systems differently.

In this episode, Angie and Haley reflect upon the Human Current’s journey of curiosity, learning, and exploration in 2015. They listen to a few clips and highlights from some past guests including: Michele Battle-Fisher, Jason Dykstra, Isaac Morehouse, and Bonnie Caver. The complexity team compiled this episode to further explore and validate their theory that a complexity or systems thinking lens can be used in all aspects of life.

In this episode Angie interviews Walter Moreau, the Executive Director for Foundation Communities, a nonprofit which creates housing where families succeed. Walter discusses how the foundation leverages a systems-approach to affordable housing in order to provide successful, sustainable programs for families. His inspirational stories help paint a picture of how networks can work together to reframe mental models and influence change.  

In this episode we interview sociologist and fellow podcaster Josh Morgan. He is the host of “The Plural of You”, a podcast inspired by stories of human good. We discuss how complex social problems influence our human networks and relationships. And, Josh helps us identify different ways in which ordinary people can influence systems-level issues, like social trust.

In this episode we say goodbye to Stacy as she moves on to new adventures and introduce our next guest, Josh Morgan, a sociologist and fellow podcaster. We discuss the meaning of the term HumanCurrent, which encompasses the complex connections that shape and influence us: our evolving human mind, our personal and professional networks, our ideas and our history. We each play a role in the development and evolution of our humanity and the energy that binds us, our human current.

In this episode, Angie and Stacy talk to the rest of the HumanCurrent team in a casual conversation to discuss their personal opinions of happiness and what "Let's Work Happy" means to them

In this episode, Stacy speaks with Thomas Appleyard who is the Manager of Planning and Programs with Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long Term Care in the Emergency Management Branch. He discusses how complexity theory can be used to plan for crisis and emergency situations by giving real world examples. 

Angie & Stacy introduce more of the HumanCurrent team and explore stories of emergence in everyday social ecosystems. 

We live in a reputation economy, where intangible assets like trust make up 85% of a brand's market value. In this episode, we ask "reputation whisperer" Bonnie Caver of Reputation Lighthouse about how to design a solid ecosystem for your brand's reputation.

What is complexity? And what does it have to do with work? In this quarterly reflection, we look back at what we've learned and discovered. 

Angie & Stacy ask: Where does wellness live? Is it in our minds, our health systems, or is it a complex system of shared responsibilities? In this episode we explore how the spread of information affects our health. How do you know when you've created a culture--and whose responsibility is it to create change? 

Public health policy scholar Michele Battle-Fisher reveals how systems thinking can bring new light to how disease, wellness and the effects of policy change spread through populations. From food deserts to "policy puffins", we learn some new things about the very real impact of chaos in healthcare, why time scales matter in measuring system impact, and why we need systems thinking education for tomorrow's policy-makers. 

Ever had trouble coming up with a single "right" answer? You're not alone. "Though we may be across the world, we breathe the same air," says public health policy scholar Michele Battle-Fisher. In this episode, interview guests and systems thinkers from our audience tell their stories of thinking outside the textbook, eureka moments, and the radical learning experiences that brought them into the systems thinking community.     

In this episode we interview Isaac Morehouse, founder of Praxis, writer, and podcaster who's obsessed with human freedom, education, and entrepreneurship.   Praxis is a one year program where you learn by doing. Participants work alongside founders and CEOs at an amazing company while also completing a rigorous education experience which includes one-on-one coaching, self-guided projects, hard and soft skills training, and more.    Isaac talks to us about the explorer mentality, the eureka moment, and shifts in the complex system of higher education.

Stacy & Angie explore different perspectives on learning, and ask their mentor (and listeners), "What has been your most radical educational experience?" 

  Peter Senge referred to "systems citizenship" as the leadership mandate for this millennium. So how can we all be better systems citizens?   In this episode we ask real systems citizens (practitioners and educators) at Royal Roads University in Canada how studying complexity helps them understand the world and solve real world problems.   What is complexity's "definable, deliverable gift to the world? How can we use it to influence and make impact, and even grow ourselves as people? 

Complexity shouldn't make people anxious--in fact it should make life simpler. With all this talk of emergence and working with uncertainty, it seems like there's an element of "trust the process" at work in putting complex systems theory to work in the workplace. What does that look like? In this casual conversation, Stacy & Angie ask, what does it mean to trust the process? How do you structure your attitude, mental models and workplace for emergence? How can an understanding of life as networks, and an awareness of our own value systems & mental models bring us a sense of personal mastery?

"Our personal relationship with uncertainty is fundamental to being human, yet over the last 30 years we’ve begun outsourcing it to other people. You have a relationship to those big questions." Climate change, inequality, the rising cost of college tuition... all complex problems, but not complicated. Out of touch with the rhythms and interdependencies of our natural environment, we look to statistics and experts to help us make major decisions. Are we missing something? In Part 2 of our interview with Diego Espinosa, we learn from a former money manager about how our addiction to certainty over the last three decades has created a whole industry of specialists who make money using statistics to sell the promise of certainty and security--and it's making us more vulnerable. What happens when we stop listening to the certainty merchants? Can we leverage our strongest social bonds to regain resilience in an uncertain universe? What can the complex patterns of the natural world teach us about ourselves?

"Most of us are unaware of how our actions lead to self-organizing behavior." In this episode we talk with Diego Espinosa, founder of the complexity based Sistema Research, about the way information travels in ant colonies, financial meltdowns, and human social networks--and the things these complex systems all have in common: feedback loops. In a complex world where we are bombarded with false signals about certainty, how can we regain resilience? The HumanCurrent podcast is hosted by Angie Cross & Stacy Hale. Subscribe in iTunes or listen at www.human-current.com.

Stacy & Angie imagine the workplace as a complex living system, muse on how information travels through networks, and get meta about culture and change. Cover artwork for this week's episode: "Faberge Fractal" by Tom Beddard, sub.blue, @subblue