The Day of the Swan III - 2023 Edition

Photo by Satria Hutama on Unsplash

The Day of the Swan is a major Grey Swan Guild event. This is the third annual DoTs.

This year’s theme is “Common SenseMaking”. It has three tracks:
1. People (Health, Aging, Ethics)
2. Technology (GAI, Cloud, Next)
3. Process (Work, Play, Other)

1. What? — DoTs is a 24-hour, multi-segment, un-conference, where we look to the past and predict the future. It was conceived as a kind of yearbook to look at what way it accomplished after the first year of being together. It is structured on a theme, & different members of the Guild present their ideas, concepts, creation, art and science. There is no prescribed format for any of the sessions, it’s wide open, and that’s what makes it exciting. We won’t know the shape of the show until It’s delivered.

2. Who? — The group of presenters and teachers is eclectic. It is writers scientists, medical professionals, designers, programmers, strategists, consultants, innovators, entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, mixologists, magicians, wanderers, adventurers, thinkers, makers, and doers. All who want to share in what they’re doing with others in the Guild. 30 to 60-minute sessions are open to all those who submit ideas and concepts for the time. Access is open to members & non-members of the Guild. All presentations follow the ed. policies of the Guild.

3. Where? — DoTS is done live on Zoom & simulcast on YouTube. We post all videos on YouTube after the conference for on-demand consumption. All connect is published as Creative Commons digital objects & subjects, for sharing with attribution.

4. When? — 8:30 am May 25 to 9:00 am May 26. (or anytime you want it on demand)

5. Why? — DoTS Is it gathering of thought leaders and thought creators and the community of thinking on what’s been done in the past 1,000 days and what will help produce the future. We do it to exercise collective intelligence & collective caring. It’s a mission, and punctuation all at once. It seems like a lens to the world to make sense of it all.

7. How? — the Guild does real-time events all the time, we are professional volunteers. All the presenters and producers and organizers are volunteers to the guild, they give forth to share to learn to be wiser, to experience and to know together. And hopefully, make the world a little bit better than it was before.

8. How much? — DoTS is free to all attendees. Tips will be accepted in the coffee jar for appreciation or just let us keep doing the stuff with you. The money gets used for things like keeping the lights on, keeping the website flowing, and minor expenditures related to serving the Guild. We are already seeking sponsors to help us deliver events.

9. How do you get involved? — message Rob Tyrie or Sean Moffitt . There will also be a Google form to submit ideas, slides and other content as we organize the show. We take the submissions and apply some direction and fill in the slots. is possible to select prior to the completion of your content. All content has to be prepared in advance.

Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

We are Systems Thinkers at The Guild. We want all these sessions to be produced with systems thinking in mind— This is how ChatGPT defines that approach. We approve:

As a systems thinker and designer, your goal should be to understand the interconnections and relationships within a system and create effective solutions that address the root cause of issues. To accomplish this, follow a process that involves the following steps:

1. Define the problem or objective: Clearly articulate the issue at hand or the goal you wish to achieve. This includes understanding the context and constraints of the problem.
2. Identify the system components: Determine the key elements, stakeholders, and resources within the system. This can include people, processes, technology, and physical components.
3. Analyze relationships and patterns: Examine how the components interact and influence one another. Look for patterns, feedback loops, and potential leverage points that can be used to create change.
4. Develop a systems map: Create a visual representation of the system to help illustrate the relationships between components and to identify opportunities for intervention.
5. Establish a hypothesis: Formulate a hypothesis on how altering specific components or relationships within the system could result in the desired outcome.
6. Design interventions: Develop strategies or solutions to address the problem or achieve the objective, considering the leverage points and feedback loops within the system.
7. Implement and monitor: Put the designed interventions into action and monitor their impact on the system. This may involve setting up performance indicators and data collection methods to track progress.
8. Evaluate and iterate: Assess the effectiveness of the interventions and their impact on the system. If necessary, modify the interventions or develop new ones to better address the problem or objective.
9. Foster continuous learning: Encourage a culture of learning and adaptation within the system, allowing for ongoing improvement and resilience.

By following this process, ensure that the solutions designs are well-informed, effective, and sustainable, addressing the root causes of problems and promoting positive change within the system.