With this interactive presentation, my intention is to help participants see the value of engaging with a bigger picture when struggling with challenges in developing their organization.

1. SEEING A
BIGGER PICTURE
@TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
tobias.fors@citerus.se

2. SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE

3. time
energy
SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Energy,
enthusiasm,
training and
peptalks
’It kind of
petered out’

4. SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE

5. SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
The problem
of …
Choose a
sticky problem
you are
experiencing

6. SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
‣ Other people: involved, affecting and/or affected by the situation
‣ Tools, platforms and other resources that are involved
‣ Visualize relations, interactions, flow of information
‣ Visualize problems and pains
‣ Visualize strengths and joys
‣ Add what’s missing to complete the picture
‣ (It may be the thing you always forget to include when you think about this situation)
Let’s call this ”Org doodling’

7. SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Discuss with your neighbors (3 mins]
!
To what degree do the people in your
picture agree on what the problem is?
!
What can you say about what’s
producing the problem, and what’s
making it stick?

8. SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE

9. SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE

10. Unseen
structures
Strange
behavior
SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
I promised to
create a testing
dashboard, but it’s
gonna have to
wait
tid
energi

11. Visible
structures
Understood
behavior
SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Prio number
one now, is to
work on the
backlog.
Tight deadline
= no slack

12. SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
A conscious way
of thinking
about the
structures
affecting us
Systems
thinking
Visible
structures
Thinking about
structures
Understood
behavior

13. Thinking
Systems
Behavior
SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
The way we
think …
… causes us to
create certain
structures …
… that has a
certain kind of
influence on us

14. 1300 1600 1900
Age of machines
Age of
systems
SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Middle Ages Renaissance

15. Environment
System
Part
Part
Part
Part
Part
SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE

16. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SESEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
The performance of a system is
not the sum of its parts, it is
the product of their interactions.
The essential
parts

17. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SESEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Improving the parts individually does
often not lead to an improvement of
the whole

18. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SESEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
We need to focus on the
interactions (not just the actions)
of the parts of the system.

19. SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Discuss with your partner (5 mins]
!
Which interactions might hold the key
to ”unsticking” your problem?
What new questions or insights about
your ”mess” do you have now?

20. Try to see more
of the system
Build your
understanding
of the system
Tweak the
system, not just
the parts
SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
It should be easier
to do what’s right
Start simple, but involve more
people: Draw, doodle, think
together
Why are we getting the
results we’re getting?

21. SEEING A BIGGER PICTURE @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
”It’s not so much about systems, but
how to use yourself in the system”
– Edie Seashore
Want to learn more? Study:
‣ Gerald M. (Jerry) Weinberg
‣ Russell Ackoff
‣ http://bit.ly/eliminera