Module 7

 Systems thinking

allows behavior that is already present within the structure of a system to be suppressed or released as we study and understand systems and problems.

Barry Richmond

Coined the term “systems thinking” in 1987

Barry Richmond

According to him, “Systems thinking is the art and science of making reliable inferences about behavior by developing an increasingly deep understanding of underlying structure.”

Systems thinking

the art and science of making reliable inferences about behavior by developing an increasingly deep understanding of underlying structure.

Peter Senge

The author of the Fifth Discipline Fieldbook

Peter Senge

He states that “Systems thinking is a way of thinking about, and a language for describing and understanding, the forces and interrelationships that shape the behavior of systems. This discipline helps us to see how to change systems more effectively, and to act more in tune with the natural processes of the natural and economic world.”

Systems thinking

a way of thinking about, and a language for describing and understanding, the forces and interrelationships that shape the behavior of systems.

Systems thinking

This discipline helps us to see how to change systems more effectively, and to act more in tune with the natural processes of the natural and economic world.

System

A group of things that are interconnected and demonstrate their own behavior pattern over time.

Systems

Are usually the cause of their own behavior. Even when outside forces act on a ______, it reacts in a way that is consistent with the character of the ______. If the same outside forces were to act on a different _______, there would likely be a different outcome.”

• Elements

• Interconnections

• Function or a Purpose

Parts of a system

Function

The word “______” is used when talking about a non-human system.

Purpose

the word “———” is used for human system

Elements

The ______ are the actors in the system.

Systems thinking

This helps us look at the world in a new way because it encourages us to look at events and patterns by focusing on the connection and “relationship between a system’s parts, instead of only looking at the individual parts in isolation.

Systems thinking

Leads us away from trying to come up with a quick fix to a problem, which we too often do, in favor of considering the long-term consequences our actions may cause.

Systems thinking

Is a paradigm shift from our more traditional thinking patterns because we have been taught to look at things rationally, and to try to look for clear cause and effect connections.

Interconnections

are a critically important part of a system.

Interconnections

are not physical flows, but rather the flow of information.

Interconnections

they are usually harder to see, but if you look deeply enough, the system will always reveal itself.

Not a system

Anything that is only a collection of items without the interconnections or a function