insights

One of the most important things about knowing where you are going is being able to see your way. When you are working in a forest of complexity, seeing not just the trees, but also the whole map, is essential to finding the path ahead.

Evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker tells us that the way our mind lets us see objects (locating ‘where they are’, and ‘what they are’, and ‘where they are moving to’) has given us a unique ability to think about problems that are too big to be seen. Understanding how our mind works in the 3D physical world can help us to map the conceptual world, expanding our ability to manage complexity.

The Strategic Vision for the Waste Management Board of Western Australia is that we will live in a zero waste society, to be achieved over a 20 year span. The interim goal was to have halved our waste sent to landfill by the year 2000. Simple targets did not represent the complexity of the task. If you think about all the products our society creates - there are tens of thousands of ‘trees in the forest’. Managing wastes only after they have been produced makes this goal almost impossible.

Following an industry and community consultation process the Waste Management Board developed a map of the entire waste landscape - and then did something special - moving from two dimensional management into three dimensions.

In creating this landscape map the Board was then able to see all products and their lifecycles. Answering the question “What is it?” and “Where is it?” made locating what needed to be done much easier. However as the landscape is changing, they also need to know “Where will it be next?” to set priorities. Looking not just at some wastes, but all wastes at their source, the key to success came in finding a way to visualize priorities in a dynamic flow.

On 23 September 2004 the Minister for the Environment launched the Waste Strategy for Western Australia. This is a bit different for us, as the intangible benefit will actually become visible. While moving to this new management framework may take a few years, and the effects a few decades, having a map will at least allow a strategic vision to emerge. With this view the Board can explore the changing landscape with enhanced perspective and greater confidence - seeing the whole forest, while managing all of the trees.

(Read more - “Visualising Complexity- How the Mind Works”: Reflections Articles Series)