Fundamentals of Holistic Management

The course provides the opportunity for participants to learn the basics underlying Holistic Management and to develop a holistic context to guide their decisions and actions.

Even though all decision-makers may not be present at the course, participants will practice making decisions in line with the holistic context they develop and feel confident they can share the experience of success when they get home. Why the Fundamentals are Important: An understanding of the key insights that led to the development of Holistic Management, the ecosystem processes (and the tools to manage them) that serve as the foundation, and the decision-making process that, in turn, guides management, is critical to the masterful implementation of Holistic Management.

Duration: 3 Days
Date: TBD
Price: $399 + meals and accommodations (Discounts available for larger groups)

Four Key Insights

  • A holistic perspective is essential in management – Nature functions in wholes and patterns
  • The brittleness scale and how it affects the land’s response to the influences upon it
  • The predator-prey connection to land health
  • Time rather than numbers governs overgrazing (and overtrampling)

Holistic Management overview

  • Core components of holistic decision making
  • Planning and monitoring procedures
  • The Holistic Management framework

The Ecosystem Processes and the Tools to Manage Them

Ecosystem processes: Understanding the language of the land:

  • Water cycle
  • Mineral cycle
  • Community dynamics
  • Energy flow

Tools for managing ecosystem processes:

  • Money and labor
  • Human creativity
  • Technology
  • Fire
  • Rest
  • Living organisms
    • Animal impact
    • Grazing

Guidelines for using the management tools

Holistic Decision Making

Defining the whole under management: clarifying what you are managing

Creating a holistic context: The context for your management

Ensuring the decisions you make and the actions you take are aligned with your holistic context

The context checks: Using the seven checking questions

  1. Cause and effect
  2. Weak link (social, financial, biological)
  3. Marginal reaction
  4. Gross profit analysis
  5. Energy/money, source and use
  6. Sustainability
  7. Gut feel

The feedback loop: Monitoring proactively