This is Marc's most used tool. See Six Nested Questions.
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It is loosely based upon Donella Meadows Leverage Points Paper. He always starts with Why? or Purpose, followed by When, Where, Who, How, and finally What. There is an opportunity for endless recursions and iterations.
The six question conversation reliably generates a coherent set of variables for subsequent conversations and models.
**INSTRUCTIONS:** You have five minutes. * [ ] Pick a topic, write it down, answer the following questions briefly.
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* [ ] **Why** does it matter? > What human needs does it take care of?
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* [ ] **When** does it have relevance? > What is it's history and future? When did it originate? When will it end? **How long must we care?** How long will we care? How many generations will it affect? WHY generates the sense of aliveness.
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* [ ] **Where** does it have impact? > What places does it require and affect and emerge from?
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* [ ] **Who** does it affect? (Political and social, systems.) > Who are the current and past stakeholders?
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* [ ] **How** does it work? (Not generally obvious. Requires models and maps.) > What is the design (model, structure), dynamics, and mechanics?
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* [ ] **What** is going on? (Obvious to direct observation.) > How well is it working?
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* [ ] What can you **imagine** might come if it if you or others used this exercise elsewhere? * * *
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