Seeing the System: How Soft Systems Methodology Shapes the Way I Work

By Paul Nunesdea, PhD CPF 

When I began my doctoral studies at Lancaster University—long before hybrid meetings, digital health platforms, or AI in healthcare were part of our daily vocabulary—I was searching for a better way to understand complexity.

Not just to map it. Not just to tame it. But to sit with it, learn from it, and help others move through it with clarity.

That's when I discovered Soft Systems Methodology (SSM)—a human-centred, inquiry-based approach to exploring messy situations where different stakeholders see different realities. It didn't offer a linear fix. Instead, it gave me a framework to work with multiple perspectives, map systems as they are experienced, and create space for reflection before jumping into action.

Today, SSM quietly shapes everything I do.

Why SSM Still Matters

We're living in a time of increasing uncertainty. Whether you're trying to redesign a team's collaboration culture or lead a transformation in health data governance, the challenges we face are rarely clear-cut.

Systems thinking offers us tools to step back and see the big picture—but Soft Systems Methodology goes further. It invites us to see how people experience systems, and how meaning is constructed differently by those involved.

SSM helps us ask better questions:

• Whose perspectives are shaping the issue?
• What assumptions are we making?
• Where are the friction points—seen and unseen?

It's not about arriving at the "correct" answer. It's about engaging the right process of reflection, dialogue, and design—so that action, when taken, is informed, inclusive, and more likely to succeed.

Visual Thinking: Rich Pictures and Beyond

One of the most striking elements of SSM is the use of Rich Pictures—a visual thinking tool that helps people draw out the context, emotions, tensions, and relationships within a complex situation.

In my sessions with clients—whether in leadership retreats, health policy dialogues, or digital transformation initiatives—we often begin with Rich Pictures. It creates a shared canvas for conversation, a visual anchor that invites insight and reveals blind spots.

The result? Teams that listen better. Strategies that reflect reality. And actions that actually fit the system they're meant to influence.

Two Ways to Start with SSM

Over the years, I've adapted SSM into two core service offerings tailored to meet you exactly where you are:

Discover Your System: A Reflective Assessment (Executive Women's Retreat)

Ideal as a first step for our exclusive executive women's retreat, this deeper dive helps teams or individuals map their current reality using proven SSM tools. It features Rich Pictures and a guided reflection process designed to reveal meaningful strategic insights and direction.

Learn More About the Executive Women's Retreat →

Redeemable Orientation Session

Not yet sure about a full assessment? Book a 1-hour strategy session for £250 to explore your challenge and assess if SSM is the right approach. The full cost is redeemable against any future store purchase of £500 or more, giving you a risk-free opportunity to start your collaboration journey.

Book Your Orientation Session Now →

Final Thoughts: A Methodology That Meets the Moment

What I love about SSM is that it's not flashy. It doesn't promise quick fixes or silver bullets. Instead, it offers something much rarer and more valuable: conscious, deliberate engagement with complexity. It invites the courage to slow down, reflect deeply, and host meaningful conversations—conversations that lead to wiser, more thoughtful decisions.

In an era dominated by AI, dynamic dashboards, and an overwhelming influx of data, genuine human dialogue grounded in reflective practices like SSM might just be our most powerful tool for navigating complexity and fostering lasting change.

About the Author

Paul Nunesdea is the English pen name of Paulo Nunes de Abreu, an IAF Certified™ Facilitator, Master of Ceremonies, author, and publisher of the Architecting Collaboration book series. He designs and facilitates high-impact events for corporations, public institutions, and civic organizations across Europe and beyond.

As the curator of Architecting Collaboration, Paul writes about the intersection of collaboration, facilitation, and digital transformation, drawing from decades of practical experience and system thinking. He is also the founder of col.lab | collaboration laboratory, which serves as a hub for innovation in meeting design and participatory processes, including its spin-off, Debate Exímio Lda.

In the health data space, Paul leads the Health Data Forum, a UK-registered charity advancing ethical AI adoption and digital health transformation. He spearheads the Data First, AI Later movement and manages a curated network of independent consultants specializing in health data governance and AI strategy.

Colophon: This article was written in interaction with Chat GPT 4o