framework
Notice, Question, Map, Design, Experiment, Learn, Embed: A Framework for Responsible Disruption
The ISDL learning cycle in brief — seven moves that turn a vague sense that something is wrong into responsible, testable change.
By ISDL Editorial Team · · 1 min read · framework, systems thinking, experimentation
Why a framework
Frameworks are simplifications. Used well, they help us avoid skipping steps we would otherwise skip. This one reflects the structure of the ISDL programme.
The seven moves
- Notice. Pay attention to what has become normal. Persistent frustration, workarounds, and silence are often signs of something worth examining.
- Question. Ask what is being treated as natural or inevitable. Who decided this, when, and for whom does it work?
- Map the system. Look beyond events to patterns and structures: incentives, feedback loops, delays, and power.
- Design a responsible intervention. Consider who benefits, who bears risk, and who is excluded. Favour proportionate, reversible changes.
- Experiment. Test small, with a clear hypothesis, measures for intended and unintended effects, and stop criteria.
- Learn. Review honestly, including what surprised you. Share results, especially disappointing ones.
- Embed change. Move beyond individual effort: change routines, rules, and roles so improvement can last.
Using it
The moves are not strictly sequential. You will loop back, often. The point is not to complete a checklist but to make sure that courage is accompanied by care — and that critique turns into something that actually helps.
This framework is ISDL's own synthesis. It draws on established traditions in systems thinking, adaptive leadership, and experimentation, but it is not a claim about a single research finding.