Five principles

2. SYSTEMS THINKING IN A
NUTSHELL

3. FIVE PRINCIPLESWITHOUT EXAMPLES OR MUCH DEVELOPMENT…

4. 1. A GOOD SYSTEMS THINKER KNOWS THAT NOTHING HAPPENS
IN ISOLATION
WHEN SHE THINKS ABOUT AN ACTION SHE’S ABOUT TO
TAKE, SHE ASKS HERSELF,
“AND WHAT ELSE WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS? WHAT
ELSE WILL RESULT FROM MY ACTION?

5. 2. A GOOD SYSTEMS THINKER RESISTS THE TEMPTATION TO
REACT TO EVENTS AS THEY OCCUR
BUT INSTEAD ASKS, “DOES THIS EVENT FEEL FAMILIAR - IS IT
PART OF A PATTERN OF SIMILAR EVENTS?
AND IF IT SEEMS TO BE, “WHAT IS CAUSING ALL OF THESE
EVENTS - IS THERE SOMETHING IN OUR STRUCTURE THAT COULD
BE CHANGED ?
AND WOULD THEN MAKE THESE EVENTS LESS LIKELY TO OCCUR?

6. 3. A GOOD SYSTEMS THINKER IS AWARE OF PEOPLE’S DIFFERENT
LOCATIONS IN THE SYSTEM
AND CRAFTS HER ACTIONS TO WORK WELL FOR PEOPLE IN
ALL LOCATIONS
SHE IS SENSITIVE TO THE DISTORTED PERCEPTIONS OF EACH
LOCATION, INCLUDING HER OWN
AND TAKES THOSE INTO CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AS SHE
CHOOSES HER STRATEGIES FOR INTERVENING IN THE
SYSTEM

7. 4. A GOOD SYSTEMS THINKER LOOKS AT LIFE AS A VIDEO RATHER THAN
A SNAPSHOT
IN WORKING WITH A SITUATION, SHE ASKS:
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST THAT IS INFLUENCING THIS SITUATION
(FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF OTHERS)?
HOW CAN I CHOOSE MY ACTIONS SO THEY BUILD ON POSITIVE PAST
EXPERIENCES, WITHOUT TRIGGERING REACTIONS TO NEGATIVE PAST
EXPERIENCES?
IF I TAKE THIS ACTION, WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? AND AFTER THAT? AM I
SATISFIED WITH THESE CONSEQUENCES?
IF NOT, CAN I TWEAK WHAT I’M ABOUT TO DO TO LIMIT THE NEGATIVE
CONSEQUENCES?

8. 5. A GOOD SYSTEMS THINKER LOOKS FOR HIGH LEVERAGE
INTERVENTIONS
KNOWING THAT THERE ARE MANY WAYS OF MOVING A
SITUATION, SHE DOESN’T SETTLE ON THE 1ST STRATEGY THAT
OCCURS TO HER, BUT EXPLORES A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES,
THINKING THROUGH THE IMPLICATIONS OF EACH
SHE PARTICULARLY ASKS HERSELF, “HOW AM I A PART OF THIS
SYSTEM? HOW AM I CONTRIBUTING TO ITS NEGATIVE
CHARACTER, ITS POSITIVE CHARACTER?
WHAT CAN I DO TO STRENGTHEN THE SYSTEM AND NUDGE IT IN A
POSITIVE DIRECTION?

9. REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. CAN WE THINK OF SITUATIONS IN OUR EXPERIENCE OF OUR GROUP OR TEAM THAT DEMONSTRATE THESE
PRINCIPLES?
2. IF WE LOOK AT A COMPLICATED OR DIFFICULT SITUATION THAT WE WILL FACE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, DO ANY OF
THESE PRINCIPLES SUGGEST PLACES WHERE OUR DECISION-MAKING WOULD BE HELPED BY SYSTEMS THINKING?

10. SYSTEMS THINKING IN A NUTSHELL
thank you!