Uncertainty.

Issue?

consider alternatives

Issue?

invoke intuition (creativity, innovation). Memory can inhibit.

system model and behaviour

sets of actions (system input variables) that could be taken

Relationship with Other Components.

Further reading.

Rename to refer to 'action'? Action Options?

An action is something that a person could do. An action can contribute to the satisfaction of one or more needs. At any point in time, a person will choose to undertake whatever action maximises their achievement against their goals, considering the priority of each goal. A person can only perform actions that are available to them, and which they are capable of performing. Costly actions (eg, those requiring great effort, risk or expense) will not be as favourable as easily-undertaken actions (cf. my twist on risk management) (such side-effects should drop out of optimisation of a properly-scoped SD system c/- systems-thinking qv). If an important priority qv (eg, appetite) can’t be fully satisfied (eg, WW II concentration camp), people may still pursue lesser priorities (eg, art).

Options will depend on which ring of responsibility we're considering (insignificance qv).

More options = better decisions. New ideas can come when conscious can access subconscious. 'Reticular Activating System' (RAS) must be open for this to be possible. This happens when brain is more relaxed (eg, away from work, exercising, hygiene, gardening, sleeping); theta (unfocused, deep relaxation) and delta (deep sleep) brain states. In those states, creativity is more accessible; cf. intuition qv. [Vallis] Practical tips to encourage creative option generation:

• Explicitly signpost which mode (expansive or reductive) should be used when, especially to avoid exclusive use of reductive. Use words and environment (location).
• One reductive person will discourage others from thinking expansively, so consider avoiding or removing them.
• To move from beta to alpha: 'a healthy irreverence to the problem helps us to think differently' because relaxation admits fresh thinking. Don't get preoccupied or overwhelmed with the importance or criticality of the problem.
• To encourage theta: have a 'think-about' list (and not just a 'to-do list'). A 'To-do list' is for the office; a 'think-about list' is for out-of-office.
• When struggling with a problem, re-articulate it; ie, use different words to describe it. Describe it for different types of people.

'Narrow framing': not enough options are being considered. [Vallis]

'Choice paralysis', 'analysis paralysis': too many options to consider. [Vallis]

option-generation should perhaps be limited to options that could be implemented by the actor (I/we as specified in problem-assessment qv), and may comprise control and influence actions.

Options should be limited to actions that could actually be taken in the current situation; eg, when contemplating what to do at work, getting drunk usually won't apply. Context can also make some actions much more effective; eg, a politician wanting to do something about GW will have more influence at work than in the shower.

Options may include action to prevent a bad outcome, contain its magnitude and scope (severity, spatially and temporally), and mitigate its effects. 'shaping' and 'hedging'.

Does intuition also need to be an engine process (component)? It has a role in option-generation qv, especially for expansive thinking (creativity) leading to more options, hence potentially better decisions. Intuitions may be generated subconsciously but we can become aware of them, evaluating and accepting/rejecting consciously (reasoning). In that case, even if we limit the framework to conscious (reasoning), intuition has a role (input?).

Rings of Responsibility

Depends on identify of system agent and action agent, from problem-assessment qv.

Action Agent is I: option-generation (work out what I could do, rather than what we could do):

• System agent is I: I affect the problem:
  • Case I:I(c): I have control over those who affect the problem: What can I do to ensure that I fix the problem? (ring 0)
• System agent is they: Others affect the problem:
  • Case I:T(c): I have control over those who affect the problem (unlikely; limited in scope): What can I do to ensure that they fix the problem? (ring 0)
  • Case I:T(i): I have influence over those who affect the problem: What can I do to encourage them to fix the problem? (ring 1)
  • Case I:T(n): I have no influence over those who affect the problem: I can’t do anything. (ring 2)
• System agent is we: I and others affect the problem:
  • Combination of system agent I and they cases: I:*(*).

Action Agent is We: option-generation (work out what we could do, rather than what I could do):

• System Agent is We: we affect the problem:
  • We have control of those who affect the problem: What can we do to ensure that we fix the problem? (ring 0). Same as case I:I(c) because action agent and system agent are the same.

Action agent is They: Could also work through option-generation as they (ie, I have no causal effect on the problem). This will simply be the 'System agent is they: Others affect' cases I:T(*) from above.

The vast majority of us aren't in a position to determine global actions to restrict global warming. However, we can all decide our own actions and influence those around us, and most of us can vote for people who may be able to take broader actions.

Options and Uncertainty (PhD)

If there are multiple scenarios (scenario-based planning qv or equiv), include broadly-applicable actions and not just actions specific to one or more scenarios. This benefits uncertainty (probability qv) since none of the planned-for scenarios may be what actually happens. (How will the framework as a whole prefer such actions?) Consider diversification, breadth, anticipation, performance competition, model competition.

Actions that do not require a lengthy resource commitment should be preferred. (How will this be favoured in optimisation qv?).