Systems thinking
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The document outlines key laws and principles of systems thinking, emphasizing how today's problems often stem from past solutions and highlighting the necessity of considering the bigger picture. It discusses the complexities of cause-and-effect relationships and promotes experiential learning as essential for developing systems thinking competencies. Moreover, it underscores the importance of communication and flexibility in problem-solving, advocating for a holistic rather than binary approach to solutions.
Systems thinking
- 2. 1. Today’s problems come from yesterdays solutions Too often time, solutions are made haphazardly, without thinking of the whole picture. 2
- 3. 2. The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back Pushing the issue without alternative plans will lead to weariness on your part. 3
- 4. 3. Behavior grows better before it grows worse. Making short term solutions give short-term relief as well 4
- 5. 4. The easy way out leads back in Leaders often use their arsenal of tried-and-tested “quick fixes” to problems just because those problems were like the ones encountered before. 5
- 6. 5. The cure can be worse than the disease “Give a man a fish and he will live for a day; teach a man to fish and he will live for a lifetime” 6
- 7. 6. Faster is slower. A fast often leads to a slow cure. 7
- 8. 7. Cause and effect are not closely related in time and space It is not all the time that effects and consequences can be seen after the cause has been activated 8
- 9. 8. Small changes can produce big results-but the areas of highest leverage are often the least obvious Small, focused actions at the right place in the system can produce the biggest and best changes. 9
- 10. 9. You can have your cake and eat it too-but not all at once Often, problems are not solved by black/white, either/or thinking. Solutions can be both 10
- 11. 10. Dividing an elephant in half does not produce two small elephants 11
- 12. 11. There is no blame In a system, there is no “other” 12
- 13. Things You Should Know About Systems Thinking 1. Systems thinking is not a natural act 2. Systems thinking can be taught (but not to everyone, unfortunately) 3. The best way to develop your systems thinking abilities is through experiential learning 13
- 14. Inspiration The Seven Secrets of How to Think Like A Rocket Scientist (Longuski 2010) Secret #2: Work on the big picture 14 How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci (Gelb 1998) “Think of the end before the beginning”
- 15. Systems Thinking Competencies 1. Ability to define the “universe” appropriately – the system operates in this universe 2. Ability to define the overall system appropriately – defining the right boundaries 3. Ability to see relationships – within the system and between the system and universe 4. Ability to see things holistically – within and across relationships 5. Ability to understand complexity – how relationships yield uncertain, dynamic, nonlinear states and situations 6. Ability to communicate across disciplines – to bring multiple perspectives to bear 7. Ability to take advantage of a broad range of concepts, principles, models, methods and tools – because any one view is inevitably 15
- 16. Systems Thinking “Utilizing modal elements to consider the componential, relational, contextual, and dynamic elements of the system of interest.” 16 Davidz, H. L. and Nightingale, D. J. “Enabling Systems Thinking To Accelerate the Development of Senior Systems Engineers,” Systems Engineering, Vol. 11, No. 1, 2008.
- 17. 17 “Maybe pushing on that wall to the right will give some space.”
- 18. 18 “Oops!”
- 19. Why is systems thinking not a natural act? ▪ Human evolution has favored mechanisms tuned to dealing with immediate surface features of problems ▫ “programmed” human tendencies ▪ Mechanistic/reductionist approach in decision making ▫ Driven by education ▪ Complexity of the systems overwhelms our cognitive capabilities ▫ Bounded rationality, predictably irrational ▫ Magic number 7, plus or minus two 19
- 20. 20
- 22. It expands the range of choices available for solving problem 22
- 23. It provides tools to describe and communicate our understanding of the systems 23
- 24. It make us aware that there are no perfect solutions 24
- 25. It serves as a diagnostic tool that surfaces one’s mental models which contain deeply ingrained beliefs and assumptions 25