An Introductory Guide to Systems Thinking

Introduction

Hello, and welcome to ‘An Introductory Guide to Systems Thinking’.

As a former student of the world-renowned management consultant and systems thinker, Stafford Beer, I have been using the principles of systems thinking for over twenty years in a variety of roles across the IT and management consulting sector. I have also used it to undertake a large number of strategic reviews and performance improvement initiatives for organisations across a range of sectors that include higher education, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, local government, retail and banking.

As an organisation that focuses on creating sustainable performance improvements for people and organisations, systems thinking is an extremely important part of what we do at Watt Works Consulting.

If you want to find out what is really happening in your organisation, manage large-scale change, unlock hidden potential and make step-changes in your performance, systems thinking can provide some significant insights.

I hope you find this introductory guide illuminating and useful, either in your personal or professional life.

Section 1 – An Overview

Systems thinking is not new. The principles of systems thinking have been known and adopted for hundreds (even thousands) of years. Famous systems-thinkers throughout history include Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein.

The wisdom and knowledge inherent in systems-thinking crosses cultural and language barriers and is implicit in the teachings of ancient Hindu scriptures, Sufis, Zen Buddhists and Native American culture.

The modern world, however, is only now beginning to understand the relevance of systems thinking. School children are routinely taught now about how complex systems such as climate change work and how small changes in the balance of things can have disproportionate effects and unintended consequences in other areas. Thirty or forty years ago these ideas were simply unthinkable to the mainstream.

You are about to realise that you’ve been a systems thinker all your life.

DEFINITION OF A SYSTEM

An interconnected set of elements that is coherently organised in a way that achieves something.

Many things in your life are systems. Your own body, for example, is a perfect example of a system comprising a digestive system, immune system, temperature regulation system etc. Other systems might include a car, a forest, a school, or an organisation.

Systems are all around you.

SYSTEM ‘ELEMENTS’

A key principle of systems is that they are comprised of elements or components. Hence, your car for example has an ignition system, fuel system and braking system.

These components can work alongside each other, or they can be contained or embedded within each other. I remember being fascinated with this embedding of elements as a