Zam Lab
Experiential learning and social innovation from the inside out
Welcome to the lab!
What is possible when we can harness wisdom from all the ways we know? Namely, how can new information and new perspectives shift our awareness and what impact would that have on our decisions and actions as leaders, social innovators, and mission-driven teams?
My curiosity is rooted in how we can use our wider ways of knowing to solve complex problems for leaders and organizations within the societal change context. This inquiry is inspired by, explores, or builds upon the following concepts and approaches. See the links below to learn more about these innovative tools and access resources — articles, case examples, and sample exercises.
Practices and approaches
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Our clever mind does a lot. And when unburdened by its grasp, what can our somatic wisdom and intuitive senses reveal? Systems sensing (Ritter & Zamierowski, 2021) can be understood as including a visceral aptitude involving the felt senses, intuition, and emotions that draw on innate human capacities for being in relation with, listening deeply to, and momentarily embodying elements or aspects of a given system. By including our creative, embodied, and intuitive ways of knowing and learning, participants of the practice learn from the “deeper wisdom of a system that is often hidden from view” and gain new insights into relationships and dynamics within their system, be it an organization, a project, network, or other.
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A systemic constellation is a facilitated and collective approach to listening deeply to the wisdom of a system. It serves as a powerful and multi-dimensional tool for navigating complexity and uncertainty. A systemic constellation is a well-established practice that, along with other systems sensing approaches, engages the felt sense or somatic responses to surface patterns of interaction and dynamics within a particular system. Through this process, participants jointly create a dynamic model or map of a system to widen the shared understanding of a given situation. This process can lead to more informed actions and decisions and alignment of the system as a whole.
Learn more
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I use the term right-brained writing to explain a style of sensing, expressing, and recording experiential, emotional, or sensory information. Rather than words, right-brained writing involves using visuals — colors, symbols, textures, and lines to express or emulate the nature of an experience. Like writing, right-brained writing is both a process and an end product.
Why the lab?
My interest and intention for the lab is to share what I’m testing and learning as an invitation to learn together. Specifically, the lab is a space to:
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Is it safe to try? Can we experiment — with an adaptation or in a new context?
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What can be observed? What is working? What can be further developed and refined? And what can we learn— individually and as a collective?
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What are key insights and patterns that emerge? And across time? What is shared across different disciplines?
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How can ways to activate our senses and other ways of knowing be more accessible and to more people? As this page generates shareable resources, I invite you to try and test things and see what works for you.
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Sharing keeps me engaged and curious about what I’m learning, and how that might support growth and exploration for others. And by revealing a bit of my nerdy side with you, I hope to offer a conversation starter and an invitation to connect or collaborate.
Resources
Articles
Ritter, L., & Zamierowski, N. (2021). Systems Sensing and Systemic Constellation for Organizational Transformation: Building Collective Capacity for Navigating Complexity. Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change, 1(2), 101–115. https://doi.org/10.47061/jabsc.v1i2.1181
Blogs