GUIDE PART 2

Template Guide Part 2

Guide to Integrating and Building Your VSM Using All Systems: Part 2

Now that you have completed a first draft of System 1 (daily operations) and System 5 (identity and purpose), it’s time to integrate the remaining systems to complete your individual VSM model. This will allow you to ensure that your identity and purpose (System 5) are aligned with your operations (System 1) and that the other systems work harmoniously to maintain stability, adaptability, and efficiency.

Step 1: Overview of All VSM Systems

Here is a quick reminder of the systems and their primary roles within your VSM framework:

  • System 5 (Identity and Purpose): Defines who you are, your beliefs, values, and core goals. • System 4 (Intelligence and Learning): Focuses on external scanning, learning, and future planning. • System 3 (Control and Resource Management): Manages the allocation of resources and ensures that daily operations are in line with long-term goals. • System 3 (Audit):* Acts as an internal audit function, assessing whether System 3 and System 1 are functioning properly. • System 2 (Coordination and Balance): Ensures smooth interaction and coordination between different roles and activities. • System 1 (Operations): Day-to-day activities and tasks.

In this guide, we will build on Systems 1 and 5 and integrate Systems 2, 3, 3\*, and 4 to create a fully functional, self-regulating system.

Step 2: System 4 - Learning, Scanning, and Adaptation

System 4 helps you adjust and plan for the future by scanning your environment and learning from new experiences. It connects the external world with your internal system.

2.1 Scanning the Environment

  • Identify external factors that may impact your identity, goals, or operations. This includes: • Changes in your career, relationships, health, or societal trends. • New opportunities for learning or development. • Example: You may notice that your work environment is shifting towards remote work, which could require new skills in managing virtual teams or time management.

2.2 Learning and Adapting

  • Based on the external factors identified, determine what new skills, knowledge, or resources you need to acquire. • Adjust your learning goals to align with future needs or changes in the environment. • Example: If remote work becomes more prevalent, you may decide to focus on improving your self-discipline, online communication skills, and use of digital tools.

2.3 Connect to Identity (System 5)

  • Ensure that any adaptations or new learning are aligned with your core identity and purpose. If new skills or knowledge challenge your current identity, use this as an opportunity for growth or reassessment. • Example: You might realize that the shift to remote work aligns with your desire for more personal freedom, reinforcing your values in autonomy and creativity.

Step 3: System 3 - Control, Resource Allocation, and Alignment

System 3 ensures that your daily operations (System 1) are managed effectively and that your resources are allocated in line with your identity (System 5) and learning goals (System 4).

3.1 Resource Review and Allocation

  • Review the key resources you have available, including: • Time • Energy (physical and mental) • Skills and knowledge • Financial resources • Allocate these resources to different areas of your life, ensuring that they are balanced across personal development, health, work, and relationships. • Example: You allocate 40% of your time to professional work, 30% to personal development (such as learning new skills), and the remaining time to family, socializing, and rest.

3.2 Alignment with Identity and Goals

  • Ensure that your operational tasks align with your identity and future learning goals. • Adjust tasks that no longer serve your purpose or that drain too many resources. • Example: You may realize that certain tasks (e.g., constantly checking emails) don’t contribute to your creative work, so you reduce the time spent on them in favor of focused writing time.

3.3 Define Priorities and Boundaries

  • Set clear priorities to focus on tasks that matter the most, while also establishing boundaries to avoid burnout or overcommitment. • Example: You decide to set boundaries on your work hours to prevent your professional responsibilities from overtaking personal time, allowing for a better work-life balance.

Step 4: System 3 - Internal Auditing and Self-Assessment\*

System 3\* functions as a self-assessment tool that helps you monitor how well your operations (System 1) are functioning in line with System 3’s management controls.

4.1 Periodic Self-Audit

  • Schedule regular check-ins (e.g., weekly, monthly) to assess how effectively you are managing your resources and completing your tasks. • Look for areas where you may be overcommitted or underperforming. • Example: During a monthly review, you notice that you haven’t been dedicating enough time to personal health, even though it’s a key aspect of your identity.

4.2 Diagnose Problems and Make Adjustments

  • When an issue arises (e.g., a task is consistently missed, or your energy is depleted), use System 3* to investigate why. Look at possible resource mismanagement or conflicts between different roles or activities. • Example: You realize that skipping morning exercise is causing a drop in your energy levels, affecting your work and mood throughout the day.

4.3 Implement Corrective Actions

  • After diagnosing problems, implement corrective actions by adjusting your schedule, reallocating resources, or removing unnecessary tasks. • Example: You decide to block out time each morning for exercise, even if it means adjusting your work hours slightly.

Step 5: System 2 - Coordination and Balance

System 2 ensures that different aspects of your life are coordinated and balanced so that you don’t experience overload or role conflict.

5.1 Identify Key Roles

  • List the key roles you play in your life (e.g., professional, personal, social, creative). Each role has its own set of responsibilities and requires time and resources. • Example: You are a professional designer, a parent, and a creative writer.

5.2 Coordinate Tasks Across Roles

  • Make sure that tasks from different roles don’t conflict with one another. Prioritize and distribute tasks evenly across your various roles. • Example: You schedule your mornings for work tasks, afternoons for parenting, and evenings for creative writing to ensure that each role gets dedicated time.

5.3 Prevent Role Conflicts

  • If two roles are in conflict (e.g., work demands interfere with personal time), take steps to balance them by setting boundaries or adjusting expectations. • Example: You set boundaries with your work colleagues, letting them know you won’t respond to emails after 6 PM, ensuring that your personal time is preserved.

Step 6: System 1 - Operations

System 1 focuses on your day-to-day tasks, ensuring that they are effective and aligned with the bigger picture (Systems 2-5).

6.1 Review Your Daily Tasks

  • List your most frequent daily tasks and activities. • Example: Tasks like morning exercise, client meetings, responding to emails, writing, and family activities.

6.2 Check Alignment with Identity and Learning Goals

  • Make sure that your daily tasks are aligned with your identity and long-term goals. If any task doesn’t support your overall purpose or drains your resources, consider eliminating or adjusting it. • Example: You decide to reduce your time spent on administrative tasks, allowing for more focus on creative work and learning.

6.3 Create a Task Schedule

  • Use what you’ve learned from Systems 2, 3, and 4 to create a task schedule that reflects your priorities, goals, and resource limits. • Example: You develop a weekly schedule that includes time for exercise, creative work, learning new skills, and family activities.

Step 7: Integration of All Systems

Now that each system has been defined and optimized, integrate them into a cohesive VSM model. The goal is to ensure that:

  • System 5 (Identity) guides the overall direction of your life. • System 4 (Learning and Adaptation) ensures you are growing and planning for the future. • System 3 (Control) manages resources and ensures that operations are efficient. • System 3* (Audit) checks that everything is functioning properly. • System 2 (Coordination) balances your roles and tasks. • System 1 (Operations) handles daily tasks and routines.

7.1 Create a Regular Review Process

  • Set regular intervals to review the integration of all systems and check for alignment. • Example: Conduct a monthly review to ensure that your identity, learning, operations, and resources are aligned and that no system is neglected.

7.2 Adapt and Evolve

  • As you progress, continuously make adjustments. Your identity and goals may evolve over time, and your systems should adapt to those changes. • Example: As you grow, you might shift focus from career to creative work or health, and your VSM should evolve accordingly.

Conclusion

By following this guide, you can build a robust VSM that integrates your identity, learning, control, and operations into a seamless system. Regular reviews and adjustments will ensure that you remain adaptable, efficient, and aligned with your long-term goals and core values.