The document outlines key laws and principles of systems thinking, emphasizing how today's problems often stem from past solutions and highlighting the necessity of considering the bigger picture. It discusses the complexities of cause-and-effect relationships and promotes experiential learning as essential for developing systems thinking competencies. Moreover, it underscores the importance of communication and flexibility in problem-solving, advocating for a holistic rather than binary approach to solutions.

1. LAWS OF SYSTEMS
THINKING

2. 1.
Today’s problems come from
yesterdays solutions
Too often time, solutions are made haphazardly, without thinking of the
whole picture.
2

3. 2. The harder you push, the harder the
system pushes back
Pushing the issue without alternative plans will lead to weariness on your
part.
3

4. 3. Behavior grows better before it
grows worse.
Making short term solutions give short-term relief as well
4

5. 4. The easy way out leads back in
Leaders often use their arsenal of tried-and-tested “quick fixes” to problems
just because those problems were like the ones encountered before.
5

6. 5. The cure can be worse than the
disease
“Give a man a fish and he will live for a day; teach a man to fish and he will
live for a lifetime”
6

7. 6. Faster is slower.
A fast often leads to a slow cure.
7

8. 7. Cause and effect are not closely
related in time and space
It is not all the time that effects and consequences can be seen after the
cause has been activated
8

9. 8. Small changes can produce big
results-but the areas of highest
leverage are often the least obvious
Small, focused actions at the right place in the system can produce the
biggest and best changes.
9

10. 9. You can have your cake and eat it
too-but not all at once
Often, problems are not solved by black/white, either/or thinking. Solutions
can be both
10

11. 10. Dividing an elephant in half
does not produce two small
elephants
11

12. 11. There is no blame
In a system, there is no “other”
12

13. Things You Should Know About Systems
Thinking
1. Systems thinking is not a natural act
2. Systems thinking can be taught (but
not to everyone, unfortunately)
3. The best way to develop your systems
thinking abilities is through
experiential learning
13

14. Inspiration
The Seven Secrets of How to
Think Like A Rocket
Scientist (Longuski 2010)
Secret #2: Work on the big
picture 14
How to Think Like Leonardo
da Vinci (Gelb 1998)
“Think of the end before the
beginning”

15. Systems Thinking
Competencies
1. Ability to define the “universe” appropriately – the system operates in
this universe
2. Ability to define the overall system appropriately – defining the right
boundaries
3. Ability to see relationships – within the system and between the
system and universe
4. Ability to see things holistically – within and across relationships
5. Ability to understand complexity – how relationships yield uncertain,
dynamic, nonlinear states and situations
6. Ability to communicate across disciplines – to bring multiple
perspectives to bear
7. Ability to take advantage of a broad range of concepts, principles,
models, methods and tools – because any one view is inevitably
15

16. Systems Thinking
“Utilizing modal elements to
consider the componential,
relational, contextual, and
dynamic elements of the
system of interest.”
16
Davidz, H. L. and Nightingale, D. J. “Enabling Systems Thinking To Accelerate the Development of
Senior Systems Engineers,” Systems Engineering, Vol. 11, No. 1, 2008.

17. 17
“Maybe pushing on that wall to the right will give some space.”

18. 18
“Oops!”

19. Why is systems thinking not a natural
act?
▪ Human evolution has favored mechanisms tuned
to dealing with immediate surface features of
problems
▫ “programmed” human tendencies
▪ Mechanistic/reductionist approach in decision
making
▫ Driven by education
▪ Complexity of the systems overwhelms our
cognitive capabilities
▫ Bounded rationality, predictably irrational
▫ Magic number 7, plus or minus two
19

20. 20

21. Why is thinking
essential?
21

22. It expands the range of choices
available for solving problem
22

23. It provides tools to describe and
communicate our understanding
of the systems
23

24. It make us aware that there are no
perfect solutions
24

25. It serves as a diagnostic tool that
surfaces one’s mental models
which contain deeply ingrained
beliefs and assumptions
25