# Key words To clarify the concepts associated with Societal Thinking by explaining the key words that are frequently used and have a different or nuanced meaning. 1. **Ability** noun /əˈbɪlɪti/\ the clarity, knowledge, capacity and alignment needed to come together and solve
2. **Abundance** noun /əˈbʌn.dəns/\ the pivotal resources that are ample in quantity
3. **Access** noun /ˈæk.ses/\ when barriers (social, economic, cultural) to entry for a solution or service are low
4. **Adoption** noun /əˈdɒp.ʃən/\ when an idea, service or solution has been accepted and / or is used by most of the intended users
5. **Affordance** noun /əˈfɔː.dəns/\ a measure of people's ability to actually make use of a solution or service, based on societal factors
6. **Agency** noun /ˈeɪ.dʒən.si/\ when individuals have the freedom and power to make decisions towards a meaningful life
7. **Aperture** noun /ˈæp.ə.tʃər/\ openings, or opportunities, that can be created or leveraged to induce change
8. **Asset** noun /ˈæs.et/\ a resource that is valuable and can be used repeatedly by different actors to solve
9. **Blocks** noun /ˈblɒks/\ open and modular units of value that can be leveraged and combined to solve problems across contexts
10. **Blueprint** noun /ˈbluː.prɪnt/\ a plan of action to align the intents and aspirations of actors across society
11. **Capabilities** noun /ˌkeɪpəˈbɪlətiːz/\ the necessary skills for solving a problem at scale, such as network-building, aligning incentives, co-creation
12. **Chasms** noun /ˈkæz.əmz/\ barriers, such as knowledge, reimagination and self-efficacy, faced by change leaders
13. **Choice** noun /tʃɔɪs/\ the ability of an individual to decide between multiple pathways towards a goal or destination
14. **Co-creation** noun /ˌkəʊ.kriˈeɪ.ʃən/\ when various actors across the society create something new together
15. **Context** noun /ˈkɒn.tekst/\ the unique situation within which something exists or happens
16. **Dignity** noun /ˈdɪɡ.nə.ti/\ when all individuals are perceived to have inherent worth and treated fairly
17. **Diversity** noun /daɪˈvɜː.sə.ti/\ a range of different things – from problems and contexts to actors and solutions
18. **Do** verb /də/ /du/ /duː/\ solving by taking action first and then reassessing, learning and iterating
19. **Ecosystem** noun /ˈiː.kəʊˌsɪs.təm/\ an interconnected community of diverse actors across society who leverage shared resources towards a goal
20. **Environment** noun /ɪnˈvaɪ.rə.mənt/\ the conditions in which systems, individuals and organisations interact
21. **Exponential** noun /ˌek.spəˈnen.ʃəl/\ when one change leads to more and rapid changes
22. **Extensible** adjective /ɪkˈstensɪbl/\ the quality of being adaptable and expandable to support new features or needs
23. **Equilibrium** noun /ˌek.wɪˈlɪb.ri.əm/ /ˌiː.kwɪˈlɪb.ri.əm/\ a stable state, preferably desirable, comprised of policies, infrastructure, resources and habits
24. **Governance** noun /ˈɡʌv.ən.əns/\ harmonising how multiple actors work towards a shared goal
25. **Infrastructure** noun /ˈɪn.frəˌstrʌk.tʃər/\ a spine of shared resources, such as technology, data and narratives, that supports solving
26. **Interaction** noun /ˌɪn.təˈræk.ʃən/\ a give and take of value, such as information, goods and / or services
27. **Interoperable** noun /ˌɪn.tərˈɒp.ər.ə.bəl/\ the ability of systems to seamlessly communicate and work together
28. **Journey** noun /ˈdʒɜː.ni/\ the pathway towards inducing societal change
29. **Listen** verb /ˈlɪs.ən/\ receiving signals and feedback from users to learn from and act with
30. **Mindsets** noun /ˈmaɪnd.sets/\ beliefs and attitudes that guide the way an actor approaches problem solving
31. **Minimal** adjective /ˈmɪn.ɪ.məl/\ making the small essentials instead of something big, complex and complete
32. **Modal** adjective /ˈməʊ.dəl/\ the most convenient way by which the community can interact with the system
33. **Model** noun /ˈmɒd.əl/\ a structure / scaffolding that solvers can apply to induce societal change
34. **Network** noun /ˈnet.wɜːk/\ an expanding web of actors interacting to exchange value
35. **Observability** noun /əbˌzɜː.vəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/\ design that ensures data around behaviours of the system are available to be seen and used as insights
36. **Open** adjective /ˈəʊ.pən/\ unrestricted access to resources that can be used and repurposed by many
37. **Orchestrate** verb /ˈɔː.kɪ.streɪt/\ connecting the dots between and aligning multiple actors to solve a problem
38. **Platform** noun /ˈplæt.fɔːm/\ a tech-enabled approach to solving, leveraging shared capabilities to nurture a community of solvers
39. **Progress** noun /ˈprəʊ.ɡres/\ a measure of movement along the chosen path towards the desired destination
40. **Public Goods** noun /ˌpʌb.lɪk ˈɡʊdz/\ a good that one cannot exclude from, and for which use by someone does not reduce the availability for others
41. **Reimagine** verb /ˌriː.ɪˈmædʒ.ɪn/\ envision new possibilities towards a better future for all
42. **Scale** noun /skeɪl/\ the size or level of something, especially when this is large
43. **Sense** verb /sens/\ ability of solvers and users to see and make decisions based on data
44. **Societal** noun /səˈsaɪ.ə.təl/\ relating to interconnections within and between society's actors and their institutions
45. **Speed** noun /spiːd/\ the rate at which someone moves or something happens
46. **Standard** noun /ˈstæn.dəd/\ when a solution reaches 30-60% of its intended users and is validated to work at scale
47. **Sustain** noun /səˈsteɪn/\ allow something to continue for a period of time
48. **Unbundle** verb /ˌʌnˈbʌndl/\ breaking down a solution into smaller components that are usable independently and together across contexts
49. **Unified** noun /ˈjuː.nɪ.faɪd/\ ability to design solutions that work in context as well as enable co-creation towards a shared goal
50. **Voice** noun /vɔɪs/\ communication or expression by and in the language of the community --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://wiki.societalthinking.org/key-words/key-words.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.