#15 Mental models as a key to meaningful systemic change
And practical ideas for surfacing them
My friend visited the doctor last week.
“What did he say?”, I asked
“SHE said…” came the reply.
My cheeks burned as I realised I had automatically assumed the doctor was a man.
My brain was using a mental shortcut to save energy, but it tripped me up.
In spite of my values and experience, my reaction was shaped by deeply ingrained patriarchal mental model.
The way our brains use mental models can be very helpful. And, these mental models can also get in our way, especially as we seek change
What are mental models?
Mental models are ‘habits of thought’ that help us understand the world better, and act in it with greater ease.
Peter Senge describes them as:
“Deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures and images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action.”
Instead of constantly re-evaluating, our brains use these generalisations to make decisions, navigate complexity, and communicate more easily.
Every day, mental models shape what we do, how we think and how we talk. They influence how we see the world (and how the world sees us).
If we believe ‘People are not trustworthy’, we act differently than if we believed the opposite. Similarly, if we associate positions of authority with men, we’re likely to (embarrassingly!) expect a doctor to be male.
Shared mental models guide how society and interactions work. Donella Meadows describes this beautifully in Leverage Points:
The shared idea in the minds of society, the great big unstated assumptions — unstated because unnecessary to state; everyone already knows them — constitute that society’s paradigm, or deepest set of beliefs about how the world works.
[For example:] Money measures something real and has real meaning (therefore people who are paid less are literally worth less). Growth is good. Nature is a stock of resources to be converted to human purposes... One can “own” land…
Paradigms are the sources of systems… shared social agreements about the nature of reality.
Because mental models are products of culture, education and experiences, they’re not fixed or innate. (I loved studying anthropology for this very reason. It exposed me to the fact that ideas I took for granted were not universal, but depended on mental models).
While mental models can help us move more efficiently through the world, they can also calcify into beliefs we barely notice and no longer challenge. This is where the problem comes in for systems change.
Why are mental models important in systems change?
Many models of systems change identify mental models or mindsets as fundamental to systems change.
Mental models appear at the bottom of a pyramid (such as FSG six dimensions of systems change) or clustered as the most powerful leverage points in Donella Meadows’ work.
They occupy this foundational position because they guide what we do, often in spite of what we’d like to think we’ll do, or say we will do. As Chris Argyris explains in The Fifth Discipline:
“Although people do not [always] behave congruently with their espoused theories [what they say], they do behave congruently with their theories-in-use [their mental models].”
If we only change the visible parts of a system without surfacing (and altering) the mental models at the bottom, our ambition for change can easily be undermined.
“Entrenched mental models will thwart changes that could come from systems change” (Senge)
You could say mental models represent both the greatest challenge and opportunity for change. They hold the current system in place while also presenting the greatest opportunities to move into emerging systems. (To use language from the Berkana Two Loops model)
Shared mental models in organisations
Organisations are often influenced by strong, shared mental models. Unspoken beliefs that shape both ‘how we do things around here’ AND ‘why we do things like that around here’.
For example:
Decision making happens at the top of a hierarchy because the mental model is that status and thinking sits at the top (and implementation at the bottom).
We have 50 policies because people need to be held accountable (and can’t be trusted without something on paper)
Without addressing these underlying mental models, changes to processes or structures are unlikely to lead to real transformation. An organisation might reduce the policies and flatten the hierarchy, but still act as if the real thinking happens at the top, and people can’t be trusted.
The existing patterns and mental models hold [parts of] the old system in place.
Shifting mental models
If mental models can hold back change, they can also unlock it.
If I read Rutger Bregman’s Humankind, and consciously reshape my mental model to believe ‘people are trustworthy’, I will likely behave with greater empathy, feel more comfortable asking for help and take more emotional risks. This change would, in turn, encourage others to respond to me differently. Together, we create a self-reinforcing cycle of trust and cooperation.
Yes, mental models are hard to shift, but the effort is worth it. As Peter Senge puts it,
“... the discipline of mental models - surfacing, testing, and improving our internal pictures of how the world works - promises to be a major breakthrough”
And, as Donella Meadows encourages us, possible!
There’s nothing physical or expensive or even slow in the process of paradigm change. In a single individual it can happen in a millisecond. All it takes is a click in the mind, a falling of scales from eyes, a new way of seeing.
What can we do to shift mental models when we’re working towards systems change?
If mental models are both critical AND subtle, how can we identify (and shift) them in change efforts?
Senge invites us to reframe the ‘problem’ of mental models.
The problem isn’t, he says, that there IS a gap between what an organisation wants (e.g the vision of working more systemically) and what it does (shaped by mental models). The problem is when people don’t recognise or tell the truth about the gap.
When we start to unveil the difference between our ambitions and mental models we can start to learn and change.
Here’s an approach I use for shifting mental models in organisations striving for systems transformation:
Talk about mental models: Explain (as I have here) what mental models are, and how they influence our thoughts and behaviours. This normalises mental models which removes shame and makes it easier to have an honest discussion
Identify existing mental models: Invite team members to identify unspoken assumptions that drive current ways of working and interacting. As Laloux shares, “Most likely, people will be shocked by the ugliness of these assumptions, once they put them into words. Shocked... and relieved that they are finally named.”
Reflect on alignment: Discuss whether these models align with the organisation’s desired future. Which assumptions keep you anchored to the past, and which could help you move forward?
Intentionally shift mental models: Identify the (new and existing) mental models that will support the systems change. Notice current examples of these to build on. These are your ‘pioneers’ of the emergent system, keep connecting and drawing attention to them.
In essence, these facilitated online sessions (done with between 6 and 120 people) create awareness and a vocabulary about the mental models that will lock or unlock internal systems change.
The next small thing
Mental models are ingrained assumptions and generalisations that shape how we see and interact with the world.
These old patterns of thoughts and behaviours may not align with our ambitions for change, so it’s important to bring awareness and intentionality to them.
Identify your assumptions: in your everyday life, notice which mental models underpin how you think and act e.g. ‘mistakes are bad’, ‘people can’t be trusted’
Question an automatic assumption: Notice a snap judgement (like assuming a doctor is man!) and ask yourself what mental model informed it
Have an open conversation about assumptions: Talk to a friend about a mental model you notice or think might be holding you back
Facilitate a team or organisation session about mental models: Ask yourselves which mental models underpin what you do, and consider which might be holding you back
If you would like a Miro for facilitating a session on mental models, please click here
Insightful Emma 💡! Also made me think about shifting the collective mindset of a big group/team/org. Rhymes with the idea of shared mental models I think 🤔👍🏻