The Viability Canvas has been created for an easier start with the Viable System Model (VSM). It allows a quick start with diagnosing the structures, the decision making and the information systems of an organization.

It consists of

• The Canvas Material, a number of diagrams, supporting you with templates for working with the Canvas and
• The Playbook, which provides an example how to conduct a preliminary analysis

Tha Canvas is published under a Creative Commons License

Find the the download page here.

The other day we had a discussion about the best way to introduce the Viable System Module to a manager. The idea came up that you can avoid resistance by not mentioning VSM at all, but just pointing out the advantages and then simply introducing the elements. I don’t think that can work. It may look promising at first, but an idea without a name has no chance of sticking in someone’s mind or being accepted into the discourse of a group.

I have some experience of having tried this approach unsuccessfully with the introduction of agile to teams and organizations. I had less resistance to overcome, that’s true, but the team usually stopped using Agile before I had closed the door behind me.

• So what can you do?
• Start with the benefits
• Clearly define the field in which you are operating. This includes naming the essential elements of VSM
• Not sinking into the mire of in-group argumentation. I think it’s far too easy, and I’ve noticed this in myself too, even though I haven’t been part of the VSM community that long
• Stay connected. That means not setting up opposites, but pointing out the parallels and similarities with other methods and definitely avoiding coming along with a golden hammer that can solve all problems.
  and no, not to fall into the trap of telling a pleasing story “from the field”. I’m tired of finding the same example companies in a lot of management literature (airport books that you can read while waiting for a flight) that have to provide material for all kinds of arguments using the same mechanisms.

I started with a simple introduction: A One-Minute Introduction on what the VSM is about. This is by no means the last version – just calling for feedback and improvement proposals.

I would like to propose an additional perspective on Krishan’s fabulous VSM Playbook and Canvas. How about taking the customer perspective (pick them up where they are sitting right now), instead of introducing them to systems thinking, kybernetics and the model first?
As a management team you want to make sure all the critical operations, decisions and tasks are allocated and connected appropriately and can be executed in an effective and efficient way. So, what’s in for them?

It’s about Viable Steering and Management 🙂

Aim of the VSM is to ensure the effective steering of all success critical operations in your organization.
It provides:

1. Analysis (diagnosis) of current state of steering of  critical operations/tasks/decisions
2. Optimization of steering structure
3. Alignment of steering structure
4. (Re-)design of the entire organization with regards to steering

My – merely individual – approach to the process is the following, starting with the value add itself:

We start with the strategy and the operations, and introduce the VSM at the very end of this process.

0.) Strategy and 5 most important customer buying criteria

1.) collect relevant operations (SiF) to provide service/product for the customer

2.) collect relevant environment

3.) collect sources for complexity (which influences/incidents can make the operation difficult?)

4.) collect and find methods to reduce or accelerate complexity

5.) Assign these to organizational units or individuals (–> decisions to be made)

6.) Visualize the structure in a steering matrix (–> as provided by M. Pfiffner)

7.) In the end: Match the organizational units with the VSM in order to clarify the steering level in the context of the VSM. Visualize this.