By applying even a little bit of systems thinking to your life, you can improve countless areas. Systems thinking gives us a complete picture by allowing us to examine the interconnected relationships between the components of the system rather than viewing them only as independent individual parts.
The Elements of Systems Thinking
Changing the system's purpose changes it enormously, even if all the elements and interconnections remain unchanged. Each part of the system is equally important as they work hand in hand, but.
Types of Thinking
Working at level 0 of systems thinking means that you are completely unaware of the concept of systems thinking. This level of systems thinking means that you are aware of the concept of systems thinking, but you do not demonstrate deep understanding.
How to Shift from Linear Thinking Patterns to Systems Thinking
You've repeatedly tried to fix the problem and haven't been successful - if you keep trying to fix a problem but it turns into a related issue or keeps popping up like a bad penny - chances are that you didn't do that still exposed the real problem. According to Ollhoff and Walcheski, there are ten statements - red flags - that can cause linear thinking and that act as obstacles to systems thinking. Once we add a fixed deadline to the mix, we couldn't be further away from systems thinking.
Systems thinking requires us to stretch ourselves outside of our comfort zone, which not everyone welcomes. Many people find their thinking systems somewhat unstructured and disorganized when they first start looking at the world through this lens. I'm not here to tell you that the transition to systems thinking will be easy; I tell you it will be worth it.
Understanding System Behavior
The tributaries are citrus growth and the amount of oranges that can successfully survive until they are ripe enough to harvest. The stock level will always increase if the total inflow is greater than the total outflow. The stock level will always decrease if the total outflow is greater than the total inflow.
Regardless of what the feedback loop does, inputs and outputs to and from the stock are determined by the level of the stock itself. The buyer for the retail store must constantly monitor the system stock and work inputs and outputs to make inventory decisions. Finally, there is a "delivery delay". This is one that is largely out of the buyer's control, but should be considered in their ordering decisions.
System Errors
If you relax a little and let go of some of the tension, those pulling against you will also relax. If this can really be achieved in a system, then you can pause to study the reactions of the system and perhaps find a win-win solution for all actors and subgroups while steering the system in a more positive direction. The most successful way to overcome policy resistance is to find a way to unify the goals of all subsystems.
We see this when all the people of a country come together to do their individual tasks to support their troops and economy in a time of war. They abandon their individual goals and place the good of the whole system as It's a naïve statement, but I'll make it anyway: if everyone could put aside their individual goals to focus their efforts and energies on the larger and more important goals of the system as a whole, great things could be accomplished. to be achieved.
The Falling Systems
The actor in the feedback loop in each of our examples has a goal for the system, namely the desired outcome compared to the state the system is currently in. If there is a gap between where the system is and the target where it should be, corrective action is taken. This is a normal balancing feedback loop that usually keeps the system's performance at the desired level.
However, in the case of our examples, there is a difference between how the system actually works and the perception of how the system works. The lower the perception of the system's performance, the lower the goal and expectations of how the system is able to perform the fall. When poor results occur, they are seen as a temporary obstacle that the system is able to overcome and get back on the path to better performance.
Escalation
This would continue in the same vein, with both actors arming themselves to try and get ahead of each other. This can be risky, as the competitor may choose not to follow suit, but it can be effective if you can withstand the advantage your competitor will have in the short term. This requires a major change in the structure and design of your system, as you will need to create new balancing control loops that will help keep our competitor in check.
Disarmament agreements are not easy to reach, and they come with their own set of challenges for both actors, but in the long run they are certainly better than being stuck in the escalation loop. Also think about other examples of escalation that you have seen in the world or studied as part of history. The best way out of this trap is not to fall into it in the first place.
Why Do the Rich Get Richer?
For the past few years, it seems to be becoming a kind of dynasty created by a few teams as the same 2-3 teams have made the playoffs over and over again. Karl Marx, a German economist and philosopher who developed the idea of communism in response to the problems he saw in capitalism, believed that market competition actually eliminates market competition. This advantage would generate more cash, which could then be reinvested in the company and its facilities and technology.
Wealthy individuals and corporations have access to attorneys who can help them find tax loopholes and avoid paying a similar amount. The fact that the rich pay a higher tax rate than the poor, that people make donations to charity organizations, the public welfare system, unions in the workplace and assistance in obtaining healthcare and scholarships are some of the measures that many societies have taken to combat this. to fight. system trap. Finding ways to limit some of the benefits of those with power and give them to those without through unions, scholarships, or financial aid; and offering rewards to winning competitors that will not affect future success in the competition are all possible solutions to break free from the system trap called “success for the successful.”
Systems Thinking in Relationships
Gottman uses the metaphor of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who symbolize the end times in the New Testament, in his analysis of marriages headed for divorce. We may not always recognize it as it is happening, and the effects of change may not always be apparent to us. In a healthy relationship, both parties understand that change happens and neither person will be exactly the same as they were at the beginning of the relationship.
It's recognizing that there's more to your relationship than just two feedback loops that affect the stock of the relationship. Being able to take personal feelings out of the equation means that we can be more efficient in our search for solutions. We need to find the real root of the problems so that we can come up with long-term solutions.
Key Takeaways from Systems Thinking
If the concern is significant, the problem has occurred repeatedly and has a history that can be studied and analyzed, and people have tried to solve the problem in the past with little or no success, it is a prime candidate for a systematic thinking. When you begin your systems thinking analysis, it's entirely possible that the data and information in front of you is just the tip of the iceberg. Only by being willing to listen to all points of view can you really get to the heart of the problem.
When we try to solve complex problems without a systems thinking approach, we can make a difficult situation worse. Systems thinking can help us minimize these negative unintended consequences or avoid them altogether. Systems thinking is a powerful way of thinking that has great potential to impact our lives in so many ways if we are open to all the benefits and lessons it offers.
Conclusion
Systems thinking is a whole new way for us to look at ourselves, our businesses, our relationships and the world around us. It involves being aware that the choices we make may have unintended consequences, so they deserve careful and deliberate thought. Systems thinking expands our cognition and opens us up to many possible solutions as we look at problems in new ways.
We can make more informed choices knowing that there is no such thing as a perfect solution, and every choice we make will impact other parts of the system because it is all connected. It won't be easy for us or happen immediately, but with time and practice we can become systems thinkers. I wish you the best of luck in your systems thinking and your attempt to conquer the world step by step.
Endnotes
