11/15/23, 9:42 AM The Systems Thinker – Systems Thinking: What, Why, When, Where, and How?

, Where, and How? - The Systems Thinker

SYSTEMS THINKING: WHAT,

WHY, WHEN, WHERE, AND
HOW?
BY MICHAEL GOODMAN

f you’re reading The Systems Thinker®, you

I probably have at least a general sense of the
benefits of applying systems thinking in the work-
place. But even if you’re intrigued by the possibility of
looking at business problems in new ways, you may not
know how to go about actually using these principles and
tools. The following tips are designed to get you started,
whether you’re trying to introduce systems thinking in your
company or attempting to implement the tools in an
organization that already supports this approach.

What Does Systems Thinking

Involve?
It’s important to TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

remember that
Study the archetypes.
the term “systems
Practice frequently, using
thinking” can newspaper articles and the
mean different day’s headlines.
things to different Use systems thinking both at
people. The work and at home.
discipline of Use systems thinking to gain
systems thinking insight into how others may see
a system differently.
is more than just a
Accept the limitations of being
collection of tools
in-experienced; it may take you

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11/15/23, 9:42 AM The Systems Thinker – Systems Thinking: What, Why, When, Where, and How? - The Systems Thinker

and methods – it’s a while to become skilled at

using the tools. The more
also an underlying
practice, the quicker the
philosophy. Many process!
beginners are Recognize that systems
attracted to the thinking is a lifelong practice
tools, such as
causal loop
diagrams and
management flight simulators, in hopes that these tools will
help them deal with persistent business problems. But
systems thinking is also a sensitivity to the circular nature
of the world we live in; an awareness of the role of structure
in creating the conditions we face; a recognition that there
are powerful laws of systems operating that we are unaware
of; a realization that there are consequences to our actions
that we are oblivious to.
Systems thinking is also a diagnostic tool. As in the medical
field, effective treatment follows thorough diagnosis. In this
sense, systems thinking is a disciplined approach for
examining problems more completely and accurately before
acting. It allows us to ask better questions before jumping
to conclusions.
Systems thinking often involves moving from observing
events or data, to identifying patterns of behavior overtime,
to surfacing the underlying structures that drive those
events and patterns. By understanding and changing
structures that are not serving us well (including our
mental models and perceptions), we can expand the choices
available to us and create more satisfying, long-term
solutions to chronic problems.
In general, a systems thinking perspective requires
curiosity, clarity, compassion, choice, and courage. This
approach includes the willingness to see a situation more
fully, to recognize that we are interrelated, to acknowledge
that there are often multiple interventions to a problem,
and to champion interventions that may not be popular (see

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11/15/23, 9:42 AM The Systems Thinker – Systems Thinking: What, Why, When, Where, and How? - The Systems Thinker

“The Systems Orientation: From Curiosity to

Courage,”V5N9).

Why Use Systems Thinking?

Systems thinking expands the range of choices available for
solving a problem by broadening our thinking and helping
us articulate problems in new and different ways. At the
same time, the principles of systems thinking make us
aware that there are no perfect solutions; the choices we
make will have an impact on other parts of the system. By
anticipating the impact of each trade-off, we can minimize
its severity or even use it to our own advantage. Systems
thinking therefore allows us to make informed choices.
Systems thinking is also valuable for telling compelling
stories that describe how a system works. For example, the
practice of drawing causal loop diagrams forces a team to
develop shared pictures, or stories, of a situation. The tools
are effective vehicles for identifying, describing, and
communicating your understanding of systems, particularly
in groups.

When Should We Use Systems

Thinking?
Problems that are ideal for a systems thinking intervention
have the following characteristics:

The issue is important.

The problem is chronic, not a one-time event.
The problem is familiar and has a known history.
People have unsuccessfully tried to solve the problem
before.

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11/15/23, 9:42 AM The Systems Thinker – Systems Thinking: What, Why, When, Where, and How? - The Systems Thinker

Where Should We Start?

When you begin to address an issue, avoid assigning blame
(which is a common place for teams to start a discussion!).
Instead, focus on items that people seem to be glossing over
and try to arouse the group’s curiosity about the problem
under discussion. To focus the conversation, ask, “What is it
about this problem that we don’t understand?”

In addition, to get the full story out, emphasize the iceberg

framework. Have the group describe the problem from all
three angles: events, patterns, and structure (see “The
Iceberg”).
Finally, we often assume that everyone has the same picture
of the past or knows the same information. It’s therefore
important to get different perspectives in order to make
sure that all viewpoints are represented and that solutions
are accepted by the people who need to implement them.
When investigating a problem, involve people from various
departments or functional areas; you may be surprised to
learn how different their mental models are from yours.

How Do We Use Systems Thinking

Tools?
Causal Loop Diagrams. First, remember that less is better.
Start small and simple; add more elements to the story as
necessary. Show the story in parts. The number of elements
in a loop should be determined by the needs of the story
and of the people using the diagram. A simple description
might be enough to stimulate dialogue and provide a new
way to see a problem. In other situations, you may need
more loops to clarify the causal relationships you are
surfacing.

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11/15/23, 9:42 AM The Systems Thinker – Systems Thinking: What, Why, When, Where, and How? - The Systems Thinker

Also keep in mind that people often think that a diagram

has to incorporate all possible variables from a story; this is
not necessarily true. In some cases, there are external
elements that don’t change, change very slowly, or whose
changes are irrelevant to the problem at hand. You can
unnecessarily complicate things by including such details,
especially those over which you have little or no control.
Some of the most effective loops reveal connections or
relationships between parts of the organization or system
that the group may not have noticed before.
And last, don’t worry about whether a loop is “right”;
instead, ask yourself whether the loop accurately reflects
the story your group is trying to depict. Loops are
shorthand descriptions of what we perceive as current
reality; if they reflect that perspective, they are “right”
enough.

THE ICEBERG

The Archetypes. When using the archetypes, or the classic

stories in systems thinking, keep it simple and general. If
the group wants to learn more about an individual
archetype, you can then go into more detail.
Don’t try to “sell” the archetypes; people will learn more if
they see for themselves the parallels between the
archetypes and their own problems. You can, however, try
to demystify the archetypes by relating them to common
experiences we all share.

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11/15/23, 9:42 AM The Systems Thinker – Systems Thinking: What, Why, When, Where, and How? - The Systems Thinker

How Do We Know That We’ve “Got

It”?
Here’s how you can tell you’ve gotten a handle on systems
thinking:

You’re asking different kinds of questions than you

asked before.
You’re hearing “catchphrases” that raise cautionary
flags. For example, you find yourself refocusing the
discussion when someone says, “The problem is we
need more (sales staff, revenue).”
You’re beginning to detect the archetypes and
balancing and reinforcing processes in stories you hear
or read.
You’re surfacing mental models (both your own and
those of others).
You’re recognizing the leverage points for the classic
systems stories.

Once you’ve started to use systems thinking for inquiry and

diagnosis, you may want to move on to more complex ways
to model systems-accumulator and flow diagrams,
management flight simulators, or simulation software. Or
you may find that adopting a systems thinking perspective
and using causal loop diagrams provide enough insights to
help you tackle problems. However you proceed, systems
thinking will forever change the way you think about the
world and approach issues. Keep in mind the tips we’ve
listed here, and you’re on your way!

Michael Goodman is principal at Innovation Associates

Organizational Learning

 how, intro, overview, Systems Thinking, volume 8, what,

when, where, why

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