CONSTRAINING THE SYSTEM
Movement and location of activities on the Landscape Diagram are determined by the ways the system is constrained. “Constraints” are the degrees of freedom or limitations that emerge from interactions and activities of the system itself. Some examples of system constraints are patterns of behavior; rules, policies, and procedures; clarity of vision and mission, or the nature of relationships in a system.
Constraints are not inherently “naughty or nice” (Holladay & Quade, 2008). Different levels of constraint are appropriate at different times and in different situations. Appropriate degrees of constraint depend on sustainability of the system. The question to ask is, “What level of constraint is necessary to help ...