The Cairn of Basins of Attraction:

A Basin of Attraction is stable, a steady state within a dynamic system. The outer rim is a high energy peak that requires effort to “summit” in order to enter the Basin. Once you are in the Basin, the inner terrain pulls you forward until you easily fall into the Attractor. The Attractor is the lowest point in the system, pulling anything that enters the system toward it – it is the stability point. Think of these as a watershed draining all the rain from a particular landscape into a single river. Just like a topography map, Basins of Attraction describe the energetic landscape within and around a system. This Cairn appears to be simple but takes a lot of reflection to get the topography right. Here is an example of the Basin of Attraction used to inquire into how learning styles motivate us to action. There are four paths to Action, which is the Attractor for this landscape, each path represents a different learning style and entry point into the basin.

This Cairn works when you:

• Want a group to move to one point from multiple directions or points of view

• Are exploring set of four conditions that you believe are related to a single motivator or event

• Seek to understand a stable outcome within dynamic markets, environments, or strategic landscapes