Critical System Heuristics (CSH) - workshop at SysPrac25

In complex organisational systems, the perspectives we choose to include—or exclude—shape the quality and fairness of our decisions. This workshop introduces participants to Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) and the use of boundary judgements to make sense of selectivity and partiality in system design and change. Through the Calls4U case study, participants explore how innovation and AI adoption in a contact centre at a software company can unintentionally marginalise key stakeholders. Guided by Ulrich’s 12 Questions and the Four (+1) Sources of Influence, participants identify who is missing from the conversation, how assumptions shape outcomes, and how to lead with systems awareness. The workshop emphasises reflective practice and collaborative inquiry—equipping practitioners to recognise their role as “the leader” in creating inclusive, ethically informed system change.