| To Resource Centre | Home |What Is Systems Thinking?
The world is very complex today, and getting more so with today's technological inventions and innovations. We have a complex, interconnected, world economy and global Internet communications. Thus, it is seductive to think that the new sciences of complexity and chaos theory will finally help us understand the world. In fact, our complex world actually obscures the realities of how life truly functions.
Unfortunately, complexity is just one, albeit a very important one of the 12 characteristics of General Systems Theory regarding living systems here on earth. So, you can't ignore complexity and chaos, yet you have to somehow deal with it. For example, no one today can fully understand the global economy or our brain's functioning. Our complex, yet simplistic minds can't understand either, yet they are our reality.
Systems Thinking is finding patterns and relationships, and learning to reinforce or change these patterns to fulfill your vision and mission.. In order to do this it is necessary to understand some of the key features of system thinking in relation to the way events are perceived or should be perceived.
Starting with the aphorism" The whole is greater than the sum of the parts"- The first major aspect of perception within systems has to do with objectives. Taking a systems view would entail the acceptance of objectives of the part to be subordinate to the objectives of the system as a whole.. When the global view is held the relative significance of the parts will be clearer and will allow for a perception of reality closer to the true reality itself.
Systems thinking promotes thinking about the external environment in which the system operates. The linkages of the system with the external environment are often the more significant factors that affect the performance of the system. This will help provide focus on the true significant factors - however "hard" they may be.
Where boundaries do exist, internal in the organisation or otherwise, the approach will not be to exclude but rather to build and to create synergy. Only a systems view will enable to see the possibilities for synergy. Feedback on performance or status will be viewed positively through a systems view . The dynamic nature of events where the past clearly has influence over the present and the future is emphasised in a systems view as opposed to the "short term" event by event mechanistic view. This is extremely important because it provides a mechanism for self correction and organic adjustment a significant advantage in a dynamic environment. The other major ability that develops with systems thinking is the appreciation of simplicity.There is a huge difference between simplicity and being simplistic:
Simplistic thinking is done by someone who is naïve and simple in their thinking, ignores the complexity involved, and often comes up with knee-jerk and poor, direct cause-effect solutions. These attempts usually create more problems than the ones they are attempting to solve.
Simplicity in thinking is different. It is actually accomplished by a person who is quite sophisticated, disciplined, and critical in their thinking. They look for ways to include the complexity of the situation, but go beyond it to a higher (H) view to solve the problem or issue in a more effective way. We refer to this as elegant simplicity as it truly is an elegant way to a much better result.
1. This thinking works first, from the "outside-in" by looking at "the whole system" and its purpose in its environment. This is the H view from 2000 feet that allows you more simplicity in which to see the different and natural hierarchical levels of living systems below (individuals, families, teams, organizations, communities, societies, earth) and how they interact (and often collide) with each other.
2. Secondly, "each whole system" has a natural structure and 6 systems characteristics that define it as a system. These include its inputs, throughputs (or processes) and multiple outputs into the environment. And, Living Systems have a feedback loop to correct, adapt or modify their inputs to improve their outputs.It allows us to visually see, and elegantly clarify the main parts of each whole living system interacting with its environment. Again, it is a simplicity that allows us to understand what we are seeing far better than the average person does.
3. Thirdly, now you can more effectively spend time, work and deal "inside-out" with the "inner workings" (or throughputs or processes) of any living system. If you are trying to make it more effective (based on the outputs and feedback loop above), only at this third point can you focus effectively on the activities and inner workings of any living system. This is due to the fact that all the parts of a system are not separate, but are interrelated parts that ideally should work together to achieve the desired outputs.
Managers within organisations clearly require the new skills relating to systems thinking to be able to constantly respond to the changes in the environment, while also being able to more accurately interpret the events in the reality around them.
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