This presentation is part of the ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme 2017.

1. 2017 ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme
“BuildingTransformational Leadership towardsSustainable Development Goals”
The programme jointly conducted by experts from UNU-IAS;
Academic staff of Chulalongkorn University: Faculty of Science,
HSM and SEA START RC, with cooperation from local communities and experts.
Funding is provided by UNU-IAS through ProSPER.Net secretariat, Chulalongkorn University, HSM and allies.
Sustainable Development through Local Partnership /
Multiple Scales of Sustainability Governance
Mr.Wijai Amaralikit, Mayor of Panas Nikom Municipality and
Harin Sachdev, Ph.D., Lecturer at Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University

2. “Problems can not be solved by the same levels of
consciousness that created it”
What is the Problems?

3. 3
Systems Thinking

4. 4

5. 5

6. Systems Archetypes
Structures of which we are unaware hold us
prisoner. Conversely, learning to see the
structures within which we operate begins a
process of freeing ourselves from previously
unseen forces and ultimately mastering the
ability to work with them and change them.
The recurring patterns of structure that appear
again and again embody the key to learning.

7. Viewpoints
(Hitchkins, http://sysdyn.clexchange.org)
Disjointed viewpoints
Cause
Effect
Cause
Effect
Cause
Effect
Linear control viewpoint
Cause
Effect /
Cause
Effect /
Cause
Effect
Causal loop, nonlinear
feedback viewpoint
Effect /
Cause
Effect /
Cause
Effect /
Cause

8. Causal Loop

9. Population Growth
+
PopulationBirth Death+ –

10. Fixes that Fail
Systems Archetypes
Fixes that Fail describes a system where a fix is effective in the short term,
but has unforseen consequences which may require even more use of the
original fix, thus perpetuating the problem.
Problem Fix
Unintended
Consequences

11. Fixes that Fail
Systems Archetypes
Moral: Maintain focus on the long term. Disregard short term “fix,” if
feasible, or use it only to “buy time” while working on a long term remedy.
High
maintenance
costs
Cutting back
maintenance
schedules
More breakdowns
and higher costs
Example: Maintenance
time
Maintenance
Costs
Maintenance
schedule
Break-
downs

12. Limits to Success Diagram
Growing Action
(Efforts) Condition
(Actual
Performance)
Slowing (Limiting) Action
Constraint
Also referred to as Limits to Success
People’s Express example
+
+
+ - +
+ -
s and o = how variables affect each other
Reinforcing Process Notation Balancing Process Notation

13. Limits to Success
Systems Archetypes
Condition Slowing
Action
Growing
Action
Limiting
Condition

14. Limits to Growth
Systems Archetypes
Example:
A Growing Enterprise
Growth Saturation of
market niche
Morale
Size of
market niche
Promotion
opportunities
Motivation and
productivity
Moral: Don’t push on the reinforcing (growth) process. Remove or
weaken the source of limitation..

15. Shifting the Burden
Systems Archetypes
Problem
symptom
Symptomatic
“solution”
Side
effect
Fundamental
solution
The shifting the burden structure explains a wide range of behaviors
where well-intentioned “solutions” actually make matters worse over the
long term.
+
+
+
-
-
-

16. Shifting the Burden Diagram
Symptomatic
Solution
Problem
Symptom
Fundamental
Solution
Side
Effect
s
s
s
o
o
o
-
-
R3
s and o = how variables affect each other
Reinforcing Process Notation
Balancing Process Notation

17. Shifting the Burden
Systems Archetypes
Personnel
performance
problem
Bring in HR
expert
Expectation that
HR experts will
solve problems
Develop manager’s
abilities
Moral: Leverage lies in a combination of strengthening the fundamental
response and weakening the symptomatic response. This usually requires
a long-term orientation.
Example 1:
Personnel problems
+
-
-
-
+
+

18. Shifting the Burden
Systems Archetypes
Stress
Alcohol
Health
Reduce workload
Moral: Notice how insidious the reinforcing cycle is, fostering dependence
on the symptomatic solution. Meanwhile the underlying problem grows
worse and the capability for fundamental solutions atrophies.
Example 2:
Alcohol addiction
time
Alcohol
consumption
Stress
Ability to
control workload
......
+
-
-
++
+

19. Eroding Goals
Systems Archetypes
Eroding Goals is a shifting the burden type structure in which the short-term
solution involves letting a long-term, fundamental goal decline.
Gap
Pressure to
adjust goals
Actions to
Improve
Conditions
Goal
Condition
......

20. Eroding Goals
Systems Archetypes
Quality standards and hence quality quietly erode. Meanwhile, the customer
base becomes dissatisfied, driving down revenues and undermining the
enterprise’s ability to invest in the fundamental solution.
Customer
dissatisfaction
Pressure to
lower budgets
Invest in new
higher quality
methods
High quality
standard
Quality below
standard
Example: Quality standards
......

21. Success to the Successful
Systems Archetypes
In a Success to the Successful system, the more one competitor succeeds,
the more resources it gets, thus starving its competitor.
Allocation to A
instead of B
Resources
to A
Resources
to B
Success
of A
Success
of B

22. Success to the Successful
Systems Archetypes
Because of the dominant reinforcing feedback, a Success to the Successful
system is inherently unstable. The imbalances are not self-correcting. The
only leverage lies in changing the underlying structure.
Example: Balancing work and home life
Only 24 hours
in a day
Time at
work
Time at
home
Success
at work
Success
in family
time
Time and
success at work
Time and
success at
home

23. Günther Ossimitz: Systems Thinking – THE Managerial Competence?
Thinking in Models: Heroin Market 1

24. Günther Ossimitz: Systems Thinking – THE Managerial Competence?
Thinking in Models: Heroin Market 2

25. 25