System Thinking - the what, the how and the why it is needed in developing an understanding the complexity that surrounds us. Mental models, the application and means to change the system
Systems thinking is perhaps one of the most critical tools in handling the complexity in coping challenges we are facing now and in the coming decades. This is a brief introduction to the basic concepts in System Thinking. It is defined and organized in a way that can provide those basics for every audience. I hope you find it helpful!
Slides for "Intro to Systems Thinking" workshop. Session details and resources available here: http://pwoessner.wikispaces.com/Introduction+to+Systems+Thinking
A system is a network of interdependent components that work together to try to accomplish the aim of the system. A system must have an aim. Without an aim, there is no system. The aim of the system must be clear to everyone in the system.
But what does it all mean really and how does it apply to our businesses? What does it take to have a systems thinking or holistic view and approach?
In this presentation, we'll take a look at systems thinking, how we can get into this mindset and how it is used in the real world. With some interactive exercises, historical and present examples we hope this session will leave you with an understanding of systems thinking and its many benefits.
Systems thinking is perhaps one of the most critical tools in handling the complexity in coping challenges we are facing now and in the coming decades. This is a brief introduction to the basic concepts in System Thinking. It is defined and organized in a way that can provide those basics for every audience. I hope you find it helpful!
Slides for "Intro to Systems Thinking" workshop. Session details and resources available here: http://pwoessner.wikispaces.com/Introduction+to+Systems+Thinking
A system is a network of interdependent components that work together to try to accomplish the aim of the system. A system must have an aim. Without an aim, there is no system. The aim of the system must be clear to everyone in the system.
But what does it all mean really and how does it apply to our businesses? What does it take to have a systems thinking or holistic view and approach?
In this presentation, we'll take a look at systems thinking, how we can get into this mindset and how it is used in the real world. With some interactive exercises, historical and present examples we hope this session will leave you with an understanding of systems thinking and its many benefits.
Systems thinking training course covers the hypothesis, sane, apparatuses, and procedures related with systems thinking. Systems thinking enables you to comprehend the relationship and associations between a framework's parts, rather than taking a gander at the individual segments one by one. Systems thinking training covers the hypothesis, reasonable, apparatuses, and procedures related with systems thinking.
Added Value of Systems Thinking Training:
Risk reduction
Determining developing markets and product lines
Crucial tools for competitive strategy
Tools for scenario building in a non-linear world
Effective assessment of the already existing reality and SWOT
Tools for productive involvement with diverse stakeholders
Enhanced determination of most efficient actions to drive greater “bang for the buck”
Audience:
Systems thinking training is a 2-day course designed for:
Business leaders
Executives
Strategic leaders
Mid-level and senior managers
What Will You Learn?
Below are the major topics are covered in this course:
Overview
Systems Methods and Techniques
Application of Systems Methods
Creativity and Systems
Hard Systems Thinking
System Dynamics: The Fifth Discipline
Complexity Theory
Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing
Interactive Planning
Soft Systems Methodology
Critical Systems Heuristic
Team Syntegrity
Postmodern Systems Thinking
Total Systems Intervention
Critical Systems Practice
Hands-On Activities
TONEX Systems Thinking Training Sample Workshop
Training Objectives:
Determine repeating patterns, or models, in systems — according to the behavior of the system over time
Plot the components in a system and the streams between those components
Determine causes and effects within a system
Involve stakeholders in cooperative action to impact the results of a system
Explain systems thinking
Improve their comprehending of complicated and changing organizational problems
Derive their abilities to model and examine business postulations, problems and decisions. More...
Course Outline:
Overview
Systems Methods and Techniques
Application of Systems Methods
Creativity and Systems
Hard Systems Thinking
System Dynamics: The Fifth Discipline
Complexity Theory
Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing
Interactive Planning
Soft Systems Methodology
Critical Systems Heuristic
Team Syntegrity
Postmodern Systems Thinking
Total Systems Intervention
Critical Systems Practice
Systems thinking training course
https://www.tonex.com/systems-thinking-training-course/
Build – Measure – Learn is one of the most important mechanisms of agile software development. However, this mechanism is often crippled in nowadays projects, where traditional approaches of requirements gathering are bloating up product backlogs that cannot be prioritized anymore in a meaningful way. The results are customers not interested in iteration results, release to production that happens only at the end of the project, and feedback from customers when it is already too late and the budget is burned up.
Story mapping is a method that aligns user stories along desirable outcomes, so that customers can give sooner meaningful feedback, and release to production can happen earlier. The method helps slicing and prioritizing user stories, and addresses the product design aspect that is missing when just working with a product backlog. The method is highly visual and facilitates shared product ownership among product owner, team and customer.
This presentation provide an introduction to the concept of story mapping, with examples and experience gathered in own projects.
An overview of Systems Thinking, and how to apply the ideas of Complexity Theory to management of systems, with the results being called "Complexity Thinking".
This presentation is part of the Management 3.0 course created by Jurgen Appelo.
http://www.management30.com/course-introduction/
This presentation provides an introduction to system dynamics.
Peter S. Hovmand, PhD, MSW
Founding Director, Social System Design Lab
Brown School of Social Work
Washington University in St. Louis
Understanding complexity - The Cynefin frameworkKeith De La Rue
A brief overview of the Cynefin framework, with discussion on complexity, and why it is important to understand how organisations work in order to implement change.
This is a guide to help you pave your own road to approaching web writing and making the best of it as a tool for growth, connections and more business.
Use the guide as a conceptual framework for a more holistic understanding of publishing on the web. It has been put together in the hope to show you a world where web and text are powerful tools for exchange, as intricate networks of words, things, people and the relationships between them.
How to Determine the Root Cause Analysis Techniques in a Management System?PECB
The understanding of these techniques and their effective implementation by the auditee (Process owner) in any Management system audit shall go along way to ensure that the problem does not recur and this improves the customer or stakeholder confidence, ensure safety of personnel and saves the organization money.
Main points covered:
• What is the Root Cause Analysis Technique?
• How to Ensure customers and stakeholder confidence
• Why is important to determine the Root Cause Analysis?
Presenter:
This webinar was presented by Eng. Isaac Mbuvi is an Electrical and communications Engineer. A holder of Master’s Degree in Occupational Safety and Health. He is an Environmental consultant, a certified trainer with PECB for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 Management systems. He is also a certified Lead Auditor in ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.
He has worked in the Oil and Gas industry for the last 14 years and has built his career in the Management systems as an Lead Auditor, Auditor and auditee for more than seven years in various sectors such as Pipeline transport, Health, Construction, Marine, Energy, etc.
Link of the recorded webinar published on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DBljEiv9tAw
System thinking and the arizona homeless problem by Bob BergmanEric Kingsbury, MBA
Bob Bergman on Systems Thinking and Chronic Social Problems
Understand why good intentions are not enough to solve chronic social problems and the application of systems thinking to understanding why homelessness persists in Maricopa County. While there will be a brief discussion on the complexity of social problems (Wicked Problems), this will not be a discussion on complexity theory, adaptive complex systems, autopoiesis, bifurcations, co-evolution, chaos and edge of chaos, emerging properties,far-from-equilibrium-states, power-law, self-organized criticality, sensitivity to initial conditions, etc. Rather this will be a discussion on the usefulness of applying systems thinking to chronic social and structural problems, with the hope that further “futures discussions” can take a similar approach.
Bob Bergman is President at Southwest Management Technology, LLC. He has 45 years of experience in management, technology, strategic planning, and systems thinking. Bob has been a WFS member for many years as well.
Systems thinking training course covers the hypothesis, sane, apparatuses, and procedures related with systems thinking. Systems thinking enables you to comprehend the relationship and associations between a framework's parts, rather than taking a gander at the individual segments one by one. Systems thinking training covers the hypothesis, reasonable, apparatuses, and procedures related with systems thinking.
Added Value of Systems Thinking Training:
Risk reduction
Determining developing markets and product lines
Crucial tools for competitive strategy
Tools for scenario building in a non-linear world
Effective assessment of the already existing reality and SWOT
Tools for productive involvement with diverse stakeholders
Enhanced determination of most efficient actions to drive greater “bang for the buck”
Audience:
Systems thinking training is a 2-day course designed for:
Business leaders
Executives
Strategic leaders
Mid-level and senior managers
What Will You Learn?
Below are the major topics are covered in this course:
Overview
Systems Methods and Techniques
Application of Systems Methods
Creativity and Systems
Hard Systems Thinking
System Dynamics: The Fifth Discipline
Complexity Theory
Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing
Interactive Planning
Soft Systems Methodology
Critical Systems Heuristic
Team Syntegrity
Postmodern Systems Thinking
Total Systems Intervention
Critical Systems Practice
Hands-On Activities
TONEX Systems Thinking Training Sample Workshop
Training Objectives:
Determine repeating patterns, or models, in systems — according to the behavior of the system over time
Plot the components in a system and the streams between those components
Determine causes and effects within a system
Involve stakeholders in cooperative action to impact the results of a system
Explain systems thinking
Improve their comprehending of complicated and changing organizational problems
Derive their abilities to model and examine business postulations, problems and decisions. More...
Course Outline:
Overview
Systems Methods and Techniques
Application of Systems Methods
Creativity and Systems
Hard Systems Thinking
System Dynamics: The Fifth Discipline
Complexity Theory
Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing
Interactive Planning
Soft Systems Methodology
Critical Systems Heuristic
Team Syntegrity
Postmodern Systems Thinking
Total Systems Intervention
Critical Systems Practice
Systems thinking training course
https://www.tonex.com/systems-thinking-training-course/
Build – Measure – Learn is one of the most important mechanisms of agile software development. However, this mechanism is often crippled in nowadays projects, where traditional approaches of requirements gathering are bloating up product backlogs that cannot be prioritized anymore in a meaningful way. The results are customers not interested in iteration results, release to production that happens only at the end of the project, and feedback from customers when it is already too late and the budget is burned up.
Story mapping is a method that aligns user stories along desirable outcomes, so that customers can give sooner meaningful feedback, and release to production can happen earlier. The method helps slicing and prioritizing user stories, and addresses the product design aspect that is missing when just working with a product backlog. The method is highly visual and facilitates shared product ownership among product owner, team and customer.
This presentation provide an introduction to the concept of story mapping, with examples and experience gathered in own projects.
An overview of Systems Thinking, and how to apply the ideas of Complexity Theory to management of systems, with the results being called "Complexity Thinking".
This presentation is part of the Management 3.0 course created by Jurgen Appelo.
http://www.management30.com/course-introduction/
This presentation provides an introduction to system dynamics.
Peter S. Hovmand, PhD, MSW
Founding Director, Social System Design Lab
Brown School of Social Work
Washington University in St. Louis
Understanding complexity - The Cynefin frameworkKeith De La Rue
A brief overview of the Cynefin framework, with discussion on complexity, and why it is important to understand how organisations work in order to implement change.
This is a guide to help you pave your own road to approaching web writing and making the best of it as a tool for growth, connections and more business.
Use the guide as a conceptual framework for a more holistic understanding of publishing on the web. It has been put together in the hope to show you a world where web and text are powerful tools for exchange, as intricate networks of words, things, people and the relationships between them.
How to Determine the Root Cause Analysis Techniques in a Management System?PECB
The understanding of these techniques and their effective implementation by the auditee (Process owner) in any Management system audit shall go along way to ensure that the problem does not recur and this improves the customer or stakeholder confidence, ensure safety of personnel and saves the organization money.
Main points covered:
• What is the Root Cause Analysis Technique?
• How to Ensure customers and stakeholder confidence
• Why is important to determine the Root Cause Analysis?
Presenter:
This webinar was presented by Eng. Isaac Mbuvi is an Electrical and communications Engineer. A holder of Master’s Degree in Occupational Safety and Health. He is an Environmental consultant, a certified trainer with PECB for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 Management systems. He is also a certified Lead Auditor in ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.
He has worked in the Oil and Gas industry for the last 14 years and has built his career in the Management systems as an Lead Auditor, Auditor and auditee for more than seven years in various sectors such as Pipeline transport, Health, Construction, Marine, Energy, etc.
Link of the recorded webinar published on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DBljEiv9tAw
System thinking and the arizona homeless problem by Bob BergmanEric Kingsbury, MBA
Bob Bergman on Systems Thinking and Chronic Social Problems
Understand why good intentions are not enough to solve chronic social problems and the application of systems thinking to understanding why homelessness persists in Maricopa County. While there will be a brief discussion on the complexity of social problems (Wicked Problems), this will not be a discussion on complexity theory, adaptive complex systems, autopoiesis, bifurcations, co-evolution, chaos and edge of chaos, emerging properties,far-from-equilibrium-states, power-law, self-organized criticality, sensitivity to initial conditions, etc. Rather this will be a discussion on the usefulness of applying systems thinking to chronic social and structural problems, with the hope that further “futures discussions” can take a similar approach.
Bob Bergman is President at Southwest Management Technology, LLC. He has 45 years of experience in management, technology, strategic planning, and systems thinking. Bob has been a WFS member for many years as well.
1The Nature of SuccessClass SeventeenREVIEW!!!!.docxvickeryr87
1
The Nature of Success
Class Seventeen
REVIEW!!!!
Midterm Exam
1. 55 multiple choice questions
2. Testing your fund of knowledge
3. Mainly from lectures, readings that are directly relevant
4. An ‘A’ means an ‘A’
5. Understand the concepts
November 6
3
The Nature of Success
Class One
Introduction and Course Overview
4
Reality is Amorphous
Draw a line around the system boundary
Indicate the most important challenges the system must face
Indicate how the system interacts to face these challenges
What it means to draw that boundary line
You have defined the domain of success/failure that you want to understand.
You have identified the entities inside the boundary that are needed to achieve success (through their interactions). Thus, you have defined your system.
You have identified the entities outside the boundary that will pose the challenges/opportunities that must be managed by the system for the achievement of success.
You understand that it is the information that comes in from the outside entities and is processed by the inside entities – according to an established set of rules – that defines the functioning of the system.
The systems use of this established set of rules is based on the system’s working model of reality.
Core Ideas
Once a system’s purpose/aims and boundaries are known, then we have to understand the system’s structure and function.
A system’s structure describes the entities contained by the system and the particular way they are organized.
A system’s function describes how the entities interact with each other and how these interactions form the emergent properties of the system.
Emergent properties: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Remarkably, a great variety of different systems have similar structural and functional characteristics.
Understanding these commonalities will make our work much easier.
Once we get all this we will see that Complex Systems – no matter how complex – usually follow a small number of simple rules.
If we can understand the rules of the Complex System containing a domain of success we care about, then we understand the rules that lead to the domain of success we care about.
6
7
The Nature of Success
Class Two
System Observations
8
The Nature of Success
Class Three
What is a System?
Our Basic System Model
Pattern of Emergent
Behavior
Observed Regularities
Behavior of System Elements
Positive
Feedback
Negative
Feedback
Responding to Ever-Changing
Environment
Key Points re Systems
System Boundaries: what’s in and what’s out
System components: what are the entities that comprise the inside of the system?
System interactions: what governs the behavior about how the systems entities interact with each other?
System purpose: What is the system ‘trying’ to accomplish? What does success and failure mean related to this definition of purpose?
System information pr.
When building digital products and services, we are designing complex systems.We need to think the customer experience through on several channels, figure out the system architecture, gain understanding through data and research, decide what to iterate... - not easy, but fun!
In this keynote talk given at Agile Cambridge 2016, Johanna introduces core systems thinking principles for designing better services, discussed how data and feedback mechanisms help us understand what is going on in a system, and addressed the challenge of bringing about change in a system.
This lectures focuses on analyzing the gaps that exist within larger systems (e.g. society-wide) and the role each sector in our society (public, private and nonprofit) plays to either reinforce or remove those gaps.
Notes on reader introducing systems approaches prt 3 vsmJames Cracknell
Viable System Model - Notes Stafford Beer's VSM model - its approach, uses and applications for organisational change and understanding. A part of my TU811 Open University Study - Thinking strategically: systems tools for managing change
This presentation is part of the Pacific Education Institute's content for the STEM Project Based Learning tutorial available through NH e-Learning for Educators as part of the Conservation Education series supported by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Scaling a business is a leadership challenge. This is the message that this amazing book leaves you with, how though do we do that? Musings - that stream of thought that arrives from any direction as we read, take-in information and process it - are captured in a slidedeck that will hopefully act as an aide memoir but also as a catalyst for you to read the work.
Musings from: The Real Business of BlockchainJames Cracknell
Blockchain is a technology I knew very littel about, that is until I committed, in this lockdown period, to educate myself in it. As a technology it could be seen as revolutionary but combined with a business model, a decentralised mindset and an open innovation culture, it becomes a powerful tool for a new way of doing business. I have worked with cooperative models, social enterprises and charities, this technology sits comfortably in any of them. B-Corps are not the only beneficiaries to this - all businesses in the future will have to shift from the centralised models to a deentralised format - especially in a world so dependent upon the digital platforms of the day.
Profiting from innovation in the digital economy teece 2018James Cracknell
David Teece's 1986 seminal work' Profiting from Innovation' set out a framework highly relevant to trhe industrial age but not so specific to address the digital landscape of today. The 2018 version has just done that. These are notes and musings from reading the paper, extracting valuable insight into IP and appropriations that protect. IOt also addresses the issues of how we reward the inventor in a permiable society,
The world has moved on from 1973 when this paper appeared in the Journal of Sociology. At the core of human interaction is the desire to impart knowledge, that hasn't changed. If you want insight into how to strategically manage your networks to maximise knowledge exchange I have summarised the Granovetter's landmark paper here. The paper itself has been cited over 50,000 times and is seminal to the debate. You can access it here https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124424500500250
The reason why we keep coming back to a paper like this is because no matter how far and fast we move forward, understanding why, is always an expression of interest and a depth of understanding
The power of moments - musings by James CracknellJames Cracknell
Musings on Chip and Dan Heaths book The Power of Moments. In the field of human psychology understanding a life of moments, what they mean and how we can use them to make life that little bit more engaging
All things business - how to bootstrap your business by doing the right things that don't cost you heaps of money. Validation that your business is professionally run gets you noticed.
Be aware - I am NOT a qualified solicitor, am not offering legal advice, accountancy advice or health and safety advice - I am only saying that you need to be aware - so ask!
A startup course that I delivered to a group of 18 in Maldon in Essex courtesy of Moat Foundation and Colbea. We were looking at developing the marketing and sales side of their business
My notes and musing around this valuable book on the leadership challenges around scaling an organisation. These are my notes, my comments and insights, but the work is that of Robert I Sutton and Rao Hayagreeva, their case studies, their thinking and sometimes their words.
Notes on reader introducing systems approaches prt 6 cshJames Cracknell
The final part of Notes on Systems Approaches to Managing Change: A Practical Guide. Edited by Martin Reynolds and Sue Holwell. This section cover Critical Systems Heuristics - it is part of OU Module TU811 and is a part of a Master in Systems Thinking
Notes on reader introducing systems approaches prt 5 ssmJames Cracknell
Part 5 - Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). What it is, how we use it and why we need it. The quality of management thinking is generally poor, decisions made on the hoof, under pressure and without thought for real ramifications. SSM is a human centered, action orientated tool that, unlike many pieces of analysis brings with it the essential element of worldviews, bias and a way of seeing the situation.
Notes on reader introducing systems approaches prt 4 sodaJames Cracknell
Part 4 - A practical workshop facilitation process that ties into cognitive mapping and Personal Construct Theory. In essence a piece of delivery that underpins change and can be used to explore new facts of business development and value creation
Stage 1 of the Design Process for Growth - the 'What is...' portion first asks us to take the 'customer journey' - this presentation is to help the businesses we work with as we move them forward in a redesign process that sets them up for meaningful, sustainable growth
The final workshop which brought together the learning over the last six month and used Keller's process to analyse three brands. The questions were there to use on your own brand and open the conversation
Reaching the top of the pyramid - Brand Resonance is being the only one. The only pub in the village or the only motorcycle you ever want to own. This explores the four pillars loyalty, attachment, community and engagement in building your marketing model.
Part 4 of the BIG Boot Camp on Keller's Brand Equity Model. Looking at responses - how our customers reflect the brand an what we do to create the desired response
Senior Project and Engineering Leader Jim Smith.pdfJim Smith
I am a Project and Engineering Leader with extensive experience as a Business Operations Leader, Technical Project Manager, Engineering Manager and Operations Experience for Domestic and International companies such as Electrolux, Carrier, and Deutz. I have developed new products using Stage Gate development/MS Project/JIRA, for the pro-duction of Medical Equipment, Large Commercial Refrigeration Systems, Appliances, HVAC, and Diesel engines.
My experience includes:
Managed customized engineered refrigeration system projects with high voltage power panels from quote to ship, coordinating actions between electrical engineering, mechanical design and application engineering, purchasing, production, test, quality assurance and field installation. Managed projects $25k to $1M per project; 4-8 per month. (Hussmann refrigeration)
Successfully developed the $15-20M yearly corporate capital strategy for manufacturing, with the Executive Team and key stakeholders. Created project scope and specifications, business case, ROI, managed project plans with key personnel for nine consumer product manufacturing and distribution sites; to support the company’s strategic sales plan.
Over 15 years of experience managing and developing cost improvement projects with key Stakeholders, site Manufacturing Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Maintenance, and facility support personnel to optimize pro-duction operations, safety, EHS, and new product development. (BioLab, Deutz, Caire)
Experience working as a Technical Manager developing new products with chemical engineers and packaging engineers to enhance and reduce the cost of retail products. I have led the activities of multiple engineering groups with diverse backgrounds.
Great experience managing the product development of products which utilize complex electrical controls, high voltage power panels, product testing, and commissioning.
Created project scope, business case, ROI for multiple capital projects to support electrotechnical assembly and CPG goods. Identified project cost, risk, success criteria, and performed equipment qualifications. (Carrier, Electrolux, Biolab, Price, Hussmann)
Created detailed projects plans using MS Project, Gant charts in excel, and updated new product development in Jira for stakeholders and project team members including critical path.
Great knowledge of ISO9001, NFPA, OSHA regulations.
User level knowledge of MRP/SAP, MS Project, Powerpoint, Visio, Mastercontrol, JIRA, Power BI and Tableau.
I appreciate your consideration, and look forward to discussing this role with you, and how I can lead your company’s growth and profitability. I can be contacted via LinkedIn via phone or E Mail.
Jim Smith
678-993-7195
jimsmith30024@gmail.com
Oprah Winfrey: A Leader in Media, Philanthropy, and Empowerment | CIO Women M...CIOWomenMagazine
This person is none other than Oprah Winfrey, a highly influential figure whose impact extends beyond television. This article will delve into the remarkable life and lasting legacy of Oprah. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of perseverance, compassion, and firm determination.
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities to radically reinvent the way we do business. This study explores how CEOs and top decision makers around the world are responding to the transformative potential of AI.
The case study discusses the potential of drone delivery and the challenges that need to be addressed before it becomes widespread.
Key takeaways:
Drone delivery is in its early stages: Amazon's trial in the UK demonstrates the potential for faster deliveries, but it's still limited by regulations and technology.
Regulations are a major hurdle: Safety concerns around drone collisions with airplanes and people have led to restrictions on flight height and location.
Other challenges exist: Who will use drone delivery the most? Is it cost-effective compared to traditional delivery trucks?
Discussion questions:
Managerial challenges: Integrating drones requires planning for new infrastructure, training staff, and navigating regulations. There are also marketing and recruitment considerations specific to this technology.
External forces vary by country: Regulations, consumer acceptance, and infrastructure all differ between countries.
Demographics matter: Younger generations might be more receptive to drone delivery, while older populations might have concerns.
Stakeholders for Amazon: Customers, regulators, aviation authorities, and competitors are all stakeholders. Regulators likely hold the greatest influence as they determine the feasibility of drone delivery.
The Team Member and Guest Experience - Lead and Take Care of your restaurant team. They are the people closest to and delivering Hospitality to your paying Guests!
Make the call, and we can assist you.
408-784-7371
Foodservice Consulting + Design
3. Is it a system?
Can you identify
specific elements?
No
Yes
Not a system
Are the parts
interconnected
and dependent on
each other?
No Not a system
Yes
When the parts
work together is
the effect different
from each part on
its own?
No Not a system
Yes
Is the effect
persistent over
time despite the
environment?
Yes
No Not a system
It’s a system
4. A system consists of:
• Elements
• Interconnections
• Common
Purpose
System
5. The competitive exclusion principle
Two species that compete for
the exact same resources
cannot stably coexist.
6. The Blind Men
and the Matter
of the Elephant
“The behaviour of the system cannot be known by
just knowing the elements of which the system is
made” - DHM
7. Systems – more than the sum of its parts
Behaviours can and may include:
• Adaptive
• Dynamic
• Goal-seeking
• Evolutionary
9. What can determine a system’s behaviour?
• Purpose & Function working n
harmony
• Interconnections married to purpose
10. And discourse?
Changing relationships normally
changes a systems behavior
“To ask whether elements,
interconnections, or purpose are the
most important in a system is to ask
an unsystemic question” - DHM
11. Information
The flow of which often
holds the system
together so when
combined with
knowledge and know-
how they operate as a
collective force.
12. Functions and
Purpose
Functions are often
ascribed to machines whilst
purpose is associated with
human elements. In truth a
system has both because
elements are often
intertwined
A system will behave as the
function or purpose
determine
13. Stock
Elements you can
see, feel, count or
measure
The memory and history of the
changing flows within the
system
“Changes in stocks set the pace
of the dynamics of systems” P22
There rate of change tends to be
slow – so they act as a buffer or
shock absorbers to a system
14. Feedback loops
Attributes
• Closed chain of causal connections
• Runs from a stock and is impacted by
a set of rules
• Often dependent upon stock levels
• Circular and iterative
Type –
Balancing Feedback Loops
• Stabilizing – stock equilibrium maintained
• Goal relevant
• Sources of resistance to change
Type
Reinforcing Feedback
• Ability to reproduce itself
• Self-enhancing – exponential
leanings
• Non linear
15. Reinforcing
Loop – Doubling
Time
Or
Td = 70 / R
Where R is the rate of growth
Ln(2) Ln(1+R/100)
Years to
double
R = 5.00
Ln(2)/Ln(1+R
/100)
0.693147 0.04879016 14.20669908
Approx
70 R = 5.00 14
16. Delays
Causality and delay
The delays in information mean
that feedback can only effect
future behaviour.
Even non-physical feedback is not
fast enough to correct behaviour
it can only impact the future
behaviour
17. Room temperature
Heat from furnace Heat to outside
Discrepancy between
desired and actual room
temperature
Discrepancy between
outside and inside
temperatures
18. A heating system is a
stock maintaining
balancing feedback loop
with natural heat loss or
gain. To establish
equilibrium the goal
must be set high or low
of target to avoid over or
undershoot. Flow does
not respond to flow – it
responds to a change in
the level off the stock
19. Shifting dominance
• Dominance – when one
feedback loop (reinforcing or
balancing) has hold of a system.
This relationship can be dynamic
and has a profound impact upon
system behaviour.
• When neither feedback loop
dominates the system is said to
be in ‘dynamic equilibrium’
20. Be wary of acceptance – not all models are good
• Are the driving factors of the
model realistic?
• Do you believe the model is a
fair representation of
behaviour?
• What are driving the driving
factors?
System dynamics – What if?
21. Systems for population and economic growth
Systems with
similar feedback
structures
produce similar
dynamic
behaviour
22. Stock control
• Perception delay – is the change
in demand for real?
• Response delay – is there a need
to make partial adjustments?
• Deliver delay – If demand is rising
what delays are wholesalers
experiencing of their own?
23. Delays – a system would
never be without them
• They are pervasive
• They have repercussions
• Systems can modify their
behaviours on the back off
them
• They lead to oscillations
24. Limits
• In any exponentially growing system with physical aspects
there must be a reinforcing feedback loop driving growth and
a balancing loop acting against this.
• No physical system can grow forever
26. Resilience
The ability of a system to
bounce back after a large
perturbations
“There are always limits to
resilience” – DHM p76
Dynamic systems need to be
resilient – this resilience needs to be
managed
27. Koch snowflake
Systems often have the
ability to self-organise,
to learn, diversify and
become increasingly
complex
Fractal geometry – elaborate
shapes created by relatively
simple rules
28. Hierarchy
“An arrangement of systems
and sub-systems is called a
hierarchy.” DHM p82
In hierarchical systems relationships within each
sub-system are denser and stronger than relationships
between sub-systems
30. Hora and Tempus were
both fine watchmakers
but Tempus was losing
money whilst Hora
was very successful.
Why?
Hierarchy
31. Each watch was
made of 1000
pieces. Tempus
constructed his
watch one piece at
a time. When the
end of day came
and the watch was
not complete he
would lay the
pieces down and
the watch fell
apart.
32. Hora on the other
hand built his watch
in 100 units of 10
pieces that held
together. So at the
end of the day, if the
watch wasn’t
finished the most
work he lost was just
the one unit.
33. Traits of
Hierarchical
Systems
• Self-organising systems modify
hierarchies
• Hierarchies evolve from the
lowest level – up
• The goals of a subsystem can
subsume the overall goal –
resulting in suboptimisation
• Autonomy and control need to
be in balance
• The purpose of the ‘upper levels’
is to serve the purpose of the
lower ones
34. Evolution
started with a
single cell
Systems start from the bottom
• A cell to an organ
• An organ to organism
• Individual to team
• Production to management of
production
35. “Everything we think
we know about the
world is a model”
(DHM p87)
Models have a strong correlation
with the reality but fall far short of
‘being reality’
Systems are our longer term
perspectives – avoiding short term
distractions and focusing on the
bigger picture
36. Systems are not represented by sequential events -
events are the outputs that occur from the black box of a system
37. Examples of system
behaviours
Event analysis does not predict the future; has no
ability to change behaviours or achieve stability in the
stock market
Behaviour based models emphasise the ‘system
flows’ and play down the ‘system stock’ since flows
move quickly and stocks respond slowly.
Feedback between flow and stock is ignored placing
the focus on changing the flows.
FLUX
41. Tree Rings
tell a system’s
story of a
battle of
nonlinear
proportions
42. The story of
400 years of
budworm
carnage
• Spruce supply only became an issue when the ‘white
pine’ ran out
• Spraying only increased the population and now the
expense of the practice exceeds the value (Cost benefit)
• Predators – wasps, birds, spiders and disease primary
means of population control (unintended harm)
• 6 to 10 year cycle of outbreaks related to rise of balsam
fir crowding out spruce and birch (limiting factors)
• Nonlinear relationship between fir population and
budworm outbreak – reproduction dependent upon
weather conditions as well (Multiple goals)
• Predator numbers grow (reinforcing relationship) but
capped (nonlinear)
• Eventual death of food supply sees population crash
(nonlinear) – resurgence of spruce and birch – cycle
begins again
• Spraying creates an imbalance that will likely lead to a
failure in the future (unbounded consequence)
43. Nonlinear
relationships
• As stock shifts strength of
flows change
disproportionally
• Nonlinearities in feedback
produce shifting
dominance in loops
• Behaviours are complex
44. Boundaries – where are they?
Beware the clouds –
• Main source of system surprises
• Mark the beginning an end of flows
• Clouds = Stocks, sources and sinks
• Mark the ‘boundary of a system model’
• Greatest complexities at the point of the
boundary
• Can be the greatest sources of creativity and
diversity
• Boundaries drawn around systems are
dependent upon the purpose of the
discussion
45.
46. Layers of
Limits
“At any given time, the input
that is most important to a
system is the one that is most
limiting.”
47. Limits
Growth itself depletes or enhances limits
There always will be limits to growth.
Any physical entity with multiple
inputs and outputs is surrounded by
layers of limits.
Limits to growth – self-imposed or
system imposed
53. Problematic
behaviour
• Delays
• Non-linear properties
• No firm boundaries
How they mimic the real world
– information is subject to
delay; life outcomes are non-
linear and all boundaries
depend upon the problem
itself.
54. Archetypes
Those systems that ‘produce truly
problematic behaviours such as:
• Addiction
• Drift to low performance
• Escalation
We call these ‘Archetypes’ -system
structures that need changing because
they are destructive.
Our response – tinkering at the edges
which will never change the systemic
risk
TRAPS
55. The Trap: Policy
resistance
• Various actors pull the stock toward
various goals. New policy actions, if
they are effective, just pull the stock
further from other actors goals
adding to the resistance.
• No one likes the direction and
everyone fights against it. Energy that
is expended and has no value.
The Way Out
Let go! Seek out ways that satisfaction
can be achieved through compromise and
negotiation.
See the bigger issue – unite the direction
through this
56. Policy Resistance –
Fixes that Fail
Examples of fixes that fail
• Farming cycles that create gluts
• War on drugs – no change despite billions
spent
• Banking regulation to stop excessive risk
taking
Policy resistance comes from the ‘bounded
rationality’ of the actors – multiple goals and
multiple directions
Resistance happens when goals of
subsystems are incongruent and misaligned.
57. The Trap: The Tragedy
of the Commons
“Ruin is the destination toward which
all…rush, each pursuing his own best
interest”
A commonly shared resource that
benefits all from its direct use. Weak
feedback (delays) from the condition of
the resource allows for ‘overuse’ leading
to erosion and eventual collapse.
The Way Out
Give & restore feedback through
education to the users of the common
resource. Privatise the resource so that
all users feel the impact of its declining
availability and quality. Regulate access
which further emphasises the
vulnerability.
58. The Trap: Drift to low
performance
“The actor tends to believe bad news
more than good news so that the
desired state of the system is
influenced by the perceived state”
If past performance has disappointed
we use this to reset the goals creating
a feedback loop that erodes goals and
the system drifts to ever lower
performance
The Way Out
Maintain standards and keep them absolute.
Set the goals in a state of betterment not
discouragement. Reverse the cycle and set up
a positive reinforcement loop
59. The Trap: Escalation
Competition between two stocks
seeking to out-do each other. This
creates a reinforcing feedback loop
that creates the exponential
escalation and eventual collapse of
one party.
Examples of this include – The Arms
Race, tit-for-tat killings between
factions.
‘Escalation’ can be in a good direction
– but again not always of benefit
since they lead to the wrong goals
Goals are not absolute since they are
dependent upon the state of the
other actor.
The Way Out
Best way out – avoid it in the first place. If
you’re in – then unilaterally disarm and leave.
Manage the system with balancing loops that
control escalation
60. The Trap: Success to
the Successful
Those who win are rewarded by the
means of winning again. A person
who owns land, rents the land and
uses the rent to buy more land.
It is pervasive and creates inequality
because it is biased towards the
successful.
Winner takes all – losers are
eliminated
The Way Out
Diversification – get out of this game and start a
new one. Limit the pie – company law and
antitrust laws. Progressive taxation systems that
aim to rebalance the system. Start a fresh at each
round – inheritance tax to remove the ‘leg-up’
children get.
61. The Trap: Shifting the
Burden to the Intervenor
The shifting of the burden to an
intervenor is when the enacted
solution to a systemic problem does
nothing to actually eradicate the
underlying problem – it simply
disguises or covers up the symptoms.
Atrophy can then set in as the self-
maintaining functions of the system
are weakened. The system becomes
even more dependent on the drug.
Examples – a businesses need for
perpetual funding; health and our
reliance on drugs to fight disease
weakening our immune systems;
children’s ability to do mental
arithmetic – replaced by a calculator
The Way Out
Avoid getting in – but of you are in, be aware
of all the signs and symptoms of masking.
Move the goals of the system from short
term to longer term.
62. The Trap: Rule Beating
Rule beating stems from the
desire to pervert the system in
some shape or form. It is
following the ‘letter of the law’
but not the ‘spirit in which the
law was created’. In a hierarchy –
rule beating stems from lower
order rebellion against rules
from above.
The Way Out
Let creativity redesign the rules so that the energy
is redirected into achieving the goals of the system
not the defeat of the rules.
Reacquaint the actors with the higher purpose and
a set of principles
63. The Trap: Seeking the
Wrong Goal
If the goal of a system is poorly
defined, cannot be measured
effectively then the system will not
function in the way it is designed to.
If you set the goal of society to be
measured by GNP – it will aim for this.
If we seek to measure well-being then
this will be the desired target.
What we aim for – the system will
obediently work to produce it
The Way Out
Understand the most desirable system
behaviours and be specific. Take care not to
create a system of effort but not results –
since you will end up with effort and no
results
69. 12. Numbers –
Constants and
parameters such
as subsidies,
taxes, standards
Parameters become leverage
points when the act as the
catalyst to some more powerful
leverage point. System goals
are parameters that can really
change the system.
70. 11. Buffer –
The sizes of
stabilizing
stocks relative
to their flows
Big stocks relative to their
flows are more stable –
these are known as ‘buffers’.
Stores hold inventory; banks
hold our life savings; certain
soils are more stable
because there is a large
stock of nutrients.
Big buffers can lead to
inflexibility, slow reaction or
response times and the
prospect of large systemic
errors leading to failures
71. 10. Stock-and-
Flow structures
– Physical
systems and
their nodes of
intersection
The only way to fix a
poorly designed system –
rebuild it! This leverage
point is hard to change,
can create bottle necks
and have unintentional
consequences. The real
leverage point is to design
it well at the beginning.
72. 9. Delay – The
length of time
relative to the
rates if system
changes
Delays in the feedback loop
determine the way the system will
behave. Rates of change in a stock,
impacted through delays in
feedback, can make the difference
between success or failure. Delays
though are not easy to change – it
is easier to change the ‘rate-of-
change’ itself.
73. 8. Balancing
Feedback Loops –
The strength of
feedbacks relative
to the impacts
they are trying to
correct
Whistleblowers – given protection to call time on
bad practice.
Balancing Feedback Loops are self-correcting
Ubiquitous in systems – either
occurring naturally or through human
intervention they are essential to the
long term health of the system. The
purpose is to keep the stock at or near
its goal but this depends upon all the
parameters, the ability to monitor and
respond appropriately. Price is often
used by the market to keep supply and
demand in check.
74. 7. Reinforcing
Feedback Loops
– The strength
of the gain of
driving loops.
The more soil erodes, the less vegetation it can support,
the greater the run-off, the more soil erodes
Self-reinforcing loop that
eventually will explosion,
erosion or collapse of a system.
It is normal for a balancing loop
to kick in at some point.
Slowing the growth is a
powerful point of leverage.
75. 6. Information
Flows – The
structure of who
does and who
does not have
access to
information
Missing information the most common
cause of system malfunction. Adding
this is a powerful point of leverage. Fish
stocks are low – price rises – more
people fish – price is not a great piece
of information – fish stocks would be.
There is a tendency for humans to avoid
accountability – a reason for missing
feedback loops.
76. 5. Rules –
Incentives,
punishments,
constraints
Rules – define scope and boundaries of a
system, Rule of gravity – but laws,
punishments, incentives and social
agreements are weaker forms of rules.
Leverage comes from restructuring the rules
and understand the power of them
77. 4. Self-
Organisation –
The power to
add, change or
evolve system
structure
Rules for self-organisation – complexity is
evolved from simplicity – grown by a set of
rules. DNA – governing evolution; technical
advancement through innovation. Leverage
comes from encouraging experimentation –
but pushing the lever in the wrong direction
and we could wipe out eco-systems
78. 3. Goals – The
purpose or
function of
the system
The goal sets the direction of all other
leverage points. If the goal of the system is
to bring about radical social change then all
levers must push in that direction. Systems
can have multiple goals under which the
whole system goal sits. The goal of keeping a
market competitive trumps the goal
organisational monopoly.
79. 2. Paradigms – The
mind-set out of
which the system –
its goals, structure,
rules, delays,
parameters – arises
Our social model has one embedded
assumption – money is the measure of a
person’s worth, if you do not have money
you are simply worth less. This is our
understanding of fairness and why we repel
the notions of redistribution. Paradigm's like
this are the source of the system, they are
hard to change because they are ingrained.
A powerful leverage for change.
Changing a paradigm: - Point at anomalies of the existing
system, failures that standout and that you can identify as
reasons for change. Act with braveness, be bold in those
actions and promote those who have already made the
shift. Work with active change agents – open minded
advocates for change. Build a model of life inside the new
80. 1.
Transcending
Paradigms
Realising that ‘no paradigm is true’ and
getting comfortable with this. Let go of ‘not
knowing’ and reach the point of tranquillity
or enlightenment. Mastery over paradigms –
relieves of the burden of dependency of
inclusion and the basis for radical
empowerment.
81. General notes on the ‘list of leverage points’
The higher the leverage point the
harder the change will be resisted.
The order is by no means set in
stone
The direction that the point of
leverage will take you is not always
intuitive correct.
Be humble – not knowing is the first
step towards mastery of knowing
Dance with the system – observation
and engagement with the outcomes
creates clarity
83. “Life is not an illogicality; yet it is a
trap for logicians. It looks just a
little more mathematical and
regular than it is.” – G.K.
Chesterton
84. Prediction
and Control
It is one thing to
understand how to fix
the system but it is
entirely different to
actually fix it.
85. Questions
lead to
questions System thinkers cannot reduce the complex to a set of rules from
which to control or predict an uncertain future. The ability to
utilise the tools of system thinking opens up a whole world of
possibility of design. It allows us to envision a different future, to
design and then redesign in a more purposeful way. To profit
from uncertainty as surprise and chance events reshape the
future design or what we strive to build.
• Remain awake
• Listen to the system – what it is telling us beneath the surface
• Learn to ‘dance with them’
“A system insight … can
raise more questions!” –
DHM p167
87. Get the Beat of the System
• Do Not Disturb – spend time listening
to and watching the behaviours of a
system
• Learn its culture, history and map its
outputs over time
• Focus on facts
• Recognise your assumptions and
misconceptions
• Look at the data
• Remain observant, objective and
emotionally detached
• Question – dynamic analysis not just
static observation
• Clear articulation of a problem
• Listen in at meetings
• Watch people leap to solutions
• What is the system doing and why is it
doing it?
88. Expose mental models to the light of day
• Be aware of all your assumptions and
articulate them
• Mental models are slippery – you resort to
a model to fit a purpose – be aware of this
• Diagrams help
• Clarity of thinking aids speed and accuracy
• Practice mental flexibility – redraw
boundaries; be observant to paradigm
shifts
• It’s all only a model – get it challenged by
others with evidence
• Be diverse in your thinking – don’t hang
your hat on one model
• Rigorous models – mean scientific models
89. Honour, Respect and Distribute information
• Information is the glue of the
system
• Delays, inaccuracies and
missing information leads to
broken outcomes
• Decision makers need timely,
accurate, complete
information
• Information is power
• Information is regulated,
policed and filtered by those
who have a short term interest
to do so
90. Use Language with Care and
Enrich it with Systems
Concepts
• Information is transmitted primarily
through language
• Mental models can be verbalised
• Avoid language pollution
• Expand our language to be able to
communicate about complexity
• A society that talks about
‘productivity’ but rarely mentions
‘resilience’ – will become productive
but not resilient
• We are what we communicate
• Go for concrete, meaningful and
truthful
• Enlarge language to match our
enlarged understanding of systems
• Learn the language of systems
91. Pay Attention to What Is Important, Not Just
What Is Quantifiable
• What we can measure is no more
important than what we can’t
• We make quantity more important
than quality
• Put emotive and emotional labels
into systems things like – self-
esteem, quality of life, prejudice
• Make up quantitative scales to
measure qualitative experience
• If it’s hard to quantify but essential
to understanding include it
92. Make Feedback Policies for Feedback Systems
• Set the feedback policy to change
dependent upon the stocks and
flows of the system
• Policies that include the ability for
the system to learn by establishing
dynamic feedback loops
• Example – to protect the ozone layer
the Montreal Protocol was signed. It
set chemical manufacturing targets
based on scientific feedback. If there
was an accelerated expansion in the
ozone hole – the list of damaging
chemicals to be controlled increased.
This is a feedback policy designed for
learning
93. Go for the Good of the Whole
• Don’t focus on the one sub-system
within hierarchy while ignoring the
whole
• Hierarchies exist to serve the
bottom layers not the top
• Focusing on relationships without
spending time on health is a short
term fix
94. Listen to the Wisdom
of the System
• Before contemplating changing a
system focus on the value of what is
already within
• Don’t destroy the areas of system
that are designed to self-serve it
• Example – the difference between
the micro finance initiative in rural
India vs. a macro government
response was the micro finance
worked directly with the people. It
took what was good and worked to
make it better. The macro response
was to bring in big business and
build what was not wanted
95. Locate Responsibility in the System
• Intrinsic responsibility – creating
systems where the feedback is
directed to the decision maker and
is compelling, direct and quick.
• A pilot sits at the front o the plane
because the actions they take have
a direct impact on them
• Focus on what can be controlled
from within – do not seek to
apportion blame to activities,
inputs and resources beyond the
scope of the system
96. Stay Humble – Stay a Learner
• Listen to your gut, go with your
intuition
• Keep building mental models
• Don’t bluff – don’t freeze –
experiment & learn
• To learn – take small steps,
constantly monitor outcomes,
embrace change if the direction is
not correct
• Make mistakes and admit them
• Error embracing – seeking, using &
sharing information about goals and
why they have not be achieved
• Be the kind of person who truly
accepts their responsibilities
97. Celebrate complexity
• The world is messy – non-linear,
turbulent and dynamic
• The world is – self-organizing and
evolving; it creates diversity and
uniformity
• The world is beautiful
• As humans we embrace linear,
structured and whole but we must
learn to embrace chaos, the
incomplete and the unknown
98. Expand Time Horizons
• We focus only on the first
generations – we need to look
longer
• In systems there is no long or short
term distinction
• Actions today have immediate but
also long-term ripple effects
• Embedded within systems – nested
• Kondratieff Wave – economic
patterns set at 50 year intervals
• You are a fool just to look at the
path directly ahead of you without
looking at the long term
destination.
• Whole systems require an
appreciation of short and long term
99. Defy the Disciplines
• The system’s journey is not the
specialist one
• Be able to step from each discipline
with a learning hat on
• Systems cross borders and
boundaries
• Systems require a focus on the
desired future state and the ability
to communicate this across
disciplinary boundaries
• Systems require learning
100. Expand the Boundary of Caring
• Embrace the morality and ethical
codes
• All systems are interconnected and
interdependent
• If the rich succeed at the expense of
the poor then that is not success
• If our lungs fail our heart cannot
succeed
• If the human race is to survive the
eco-system we inhabit must also
survive
101. Don’t Erode the Goal of Goodness
• System architype - “Drift to low
performance” – the modern
industrial culture has eaten away at
our morality
• Cynicism is everywhere – distrust of
authority and an inability to talk of
love and compassion but an easiness
to talk about hate
• Expectations are lowered, the goal of
the system no longer uplift
• Don’t way the bad news MORE
heavily than the good
• Set your standards in absolute terms
102. Donella H. Meadows
Edited by Diana Wright
Sustainability Institute
Chelsea Green Publishing
2008
ISBN 978-1-60358-055-7