Systems Thinking

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S t Thi ki O iSystems Thinking Overview

Systems Thinking

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D P t SDr. Peter Senge• Founding chairperson of theFounding chairperson of the Society of Organizational Learning (SoL)Learning (SoL) 

• Senior lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute ofMassachusetts Institute of Technology 

A h f Th Fif h• Author of The Fifth Discipline: the Art and P i f h L iPractice of the Learning Organization

Systems Thinking

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S t Thi kiSystems Thinking

• Is the art of seeing the world in terms of• Is the art of seeing the world in terms of wholes, and the practice of focusing on the relationships among the parts of a systemrelationships among the parts of a system. 

Systems Thinking

Team Systems thinking is learning how toSystems thinking is learning how to see the whole!

Systems Thinking

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A S t MA System Map

Systems Thinking

Team Systems Thinking:Systems Thinking: When is it most valuable?

• In complex problems that involve helping many actors see the “big picture” and not just their part of itof it.

• When problems are recurring or when problems h b d b t “ l ti ”have been made worse by past “solutions.”

• In an issue where an action affects (or is affected by) the environment surrounding the issue, either the natural environment or the competitive environmentenvironment.

• Where solutions to a problem are not obvious.

Systems Thinking

Team Senge’s “Laws” of SystemsSenge’s “Laws” of Systems

• Today’s problems come from yesterday’s• Today s problems come from yesterday s “solutions.”

• The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back.

• Behavior grows better before it grows worse.

h ll l d b k• The easy way out usually leads back in.

• The cure can be worse than the disease.The cure can be worse than the disease.

Systems Thinking

Team Senge’s “Laws” of Systems 2Senge’s “Laws” of Systems ‐ 2

• Cause and effect are not closely related in time and space.

• Small changes can produce a big result – but the areas of highest leverage are often the lease obvious.

• Dividing an elephant in half does not produceDividing an elephant in half does not produce two small elephants.

Th i bl• There is no blame.

Systems Thinking

Team Peter Senge &Peter Senge &                      The Learning Organization

• are organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together. 

Systems Thinking

Team 5 Disciplines of the5 Disciplines of the Learning Organization

(Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge, ‘90)

Systems Thinking

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P l M tPersonal Mastery

• The significance of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, focusing our energies, developing patience, and seeing reality objectively.

• “Acutely aware of their• Acutely aware of their ignorance, their incompetence their growthincompetence, their growth areas”

Systems Thinking

Team Shared VisionShared Vision

• The "picture of the future." A shared vision is intuitive and i ti ti it' t thiinstinctive; it's not something that's learned by rote. 

• It is also a collective experience‐‐it's the cumulative total of each participant's personal vision.

• It is an answer to, “What do weIt is an  answer to,  What do wewant to create.”

Systems Thinking

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T L i• Any group's collective IQ will always be much

Team LearningAny group s collective IQ will always be much higher than an individual's IQ. 

• The only way to begin building group IQ is to• The only way to begin building group IQ is to open the channels of communication within the group and start talking to one anotherthe group and start talking to one another. 

Systems Thinking

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M t l M d l• Deeply ingrained

Mental ModelsDeeply ingrained assumptions, generalizationsgeneralizations, and even pictures or images thator images that influence how we understand theunderstand the world. 

Systems Thinking

Team Learn to Look Below the Surface toLearn to Look Below the Surface to see the Entire Iceberg!

Events: What just happened?

Patterns: What’s been happening?  Have we seen this before?

Structures: What are the forces at play 

we seen this before?

contributing to these patterns?

Mental Models: What about ourMental Models: What about our thinking allows this situation to persist?

Systems Thinking

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I b E lIceberg ExampleEvents: What just happened?• Obesity rates are rising substantially in the U.S.

Patterns: What’s been happening?  Have we seen this before?• Exercise is less frequent.  We snack throughout the day.  Consumption 

of sugar through soft drinks has risen dramatically.  

Structures: What are the forces at play contributing to these patterns?• Food is within easy reach.  Food marketing is a big business.  Physical 

environment does not allow for enough exercise.  

Mental Models: What about our thinking allows this situation to persist?

• Overeating is not a serious health threat Obesity is a matter of• Overeating is not a serious health threat.  Obesity is a matter of personal responsibility.  The physical environment cannot change.

Systems Thinking

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S ll G E iSmall Group Exercise• Events: What just happened?Events: What just happened?

• Patterns: What’s been happening?  H hi b f ?Have we seen this before?

• Structures: What are the forces atStructures: What are the forces at play contributing to these patterns?p

• Mental Models: What about our thinking allows this situation tothinking allows this situation to persist?