Systems Mapping

Select a sustainability or biodiversity issue that you believe is relevant, meaningful, and that could be changed. It should be something people can reflect on in relation to their experiences, rather than relying only on technical knowledge or data

To help define the issue, it might be worth asking yourself:

• What aspect of sustainability feels stuck, fragmented, or misunderstood in your organisation?
• What everyday issues do people in your organisation talk about, but that leadership may not fully understand or respond to?
• Are there practices or behaviours taking place that do not match your organisation’s stated values or mission statement?
• Where do you see repeated friction, missed opportunities, or contradictory expectations?
• Is there a small, visible change that could be used to spark bigger conversations?

Once you have a focus, you can shape it into a Systems Mapping question that guides the workshop. This might lead to questions such as:

• What influences whether people take part in biodiversity-related volunteering or learning?
• What affects how nature is included in our workplace environment?
• How do people act on our waste and recycling guidelines?
• What makes it easier or harder for teams to share sustainability ideas across departments?
• What helps or hinders us from making ethical procurement choices?

A Systems Mapping question should open conversations, and encourage people to share what they know, observe, or experience, and begins to surface the relationships, routines and assumptions that shape how things work.