Systems Thinking
Part 2
Louis Rowitz, PhD
Director Mid-America Regional
Public Health Leadership Institute
Systems thinking creates a new
language for communicating about
complexities and interdependencies.
Systems thinking language is circular
rather then linear, focusing on closed
interdependencies.
X Assessment
=
Z Y Assurance Policy Development
Systems thinkers use visual
language in diagram from which is a
powerful means of communication
because it distills the essence of a
problem into a format that can be
easily remembered.
Within the framework of systems
thinking, “us” and “them” are part of
the same system and thus
responsible for both the problems
and their solutions.
Levels of Understanding
Levels of Time Typical
Action Mode
Understanding Orientation Questions
Shared Vision Generative Future What are the stated or unstated
visions that generate the
structures?
Creative What are the mental or
Systemic Structure organizational structures that
create the patterns?
Adaptive What kinds of trends or
Patterns of Events patterns of events seem to be
recurring?
Reactive Present What is the fastest way to react
Events
to this event NOW?
Four Systems Thinking Tools
Brainstorming Tools
Dynamic Thinking Tools
Structural Thinking Tools
Computer-Based Tools
• Reinforcing and balancing loops are
the building blocks of complex social
systems.
• Reinforcing loop produces growth
and decay – compound change in
one direction with even more change
• Balancing loop generate the realities
associated with change- factors that
resist further increases in a given
direction
Brainstorming Tools
The Double Q Diagram
Qualitative and Quantitative
Hard
Factors
(Quantitative)
The Issue
Soft
Factors
(Qualitative)
Visual Map of the Key Factor Related to an Issue
Dynamic Thinking Tools
Dynamic relationships between variables
Behavior Over Time
Causal Loops
Systems Archetypes
Behavior Over Time
A
Performance
Level
B
Time
Example
Behavior Over Time
Supportive
Behavior
Performance
Level
Supervisor
Employee
Supportive
Performance
Behavior
Unsupportive
Behavior
Time
Causal Loop
B
R= Reinforcing
R B C
B= Balancing
A
Guidelines to Causal Loops
1) Select a clear theme
2) Determination of time dimension
3) Behavior over time charts
4) Set boundaries around the theme
5) Level of aggregation-patterns of events
6) Significant delay factors
Causal Loop
R= Reinforcing
B= Balancing
Stress Alcohol Use
B1
R2
Productivity Health
System Archetype
Aid in the Recognition of common system behavior
Drifting Goals
Escalation
Fixes that Fail
Growth and Underinvestment
Limits to Success
Shifting the Burden
Success to be Successful
Tragedy of the Commons
Drifting Goals
o
Goal Pressure to
B2 Lower Goal
s
s
Gap
o
s
B1 Corrective
Actual
Action
s
Escalation
s
s A’s Result s o B’s Result
Quality of A’s Position
Activity
by A
B1 Relative to B’s
Activity
by B
B2
s s
Threat Threat
to A to B
s
o
Fixes that Fail
s
Problem Fix
Symptom B1
o
s
R2
Unintended
s
Consequence
Growth and Underinvestment
s s
Growth
Effort R1 Demand B2
Performance
s o
Standard
Performance
s
s
Capacity o
B3
Perceived Need
s
to Invest
Investment
in Capacity s
Limits to Success
Constraint
s o
R1
s
B2
Limiting
Efforts Performance
Action
s s
Shifting the Burden/Addiction
Symptomatic
s
Solution
B1 R3
s
o Problem
Symptom Side-Effect
o
s
B2
Fundamental s
Solution
o
Success to the Successful
s s
Success of A s o Success of B
s
Allocation to A
R1 Instead of B R2
Resources Resources
to A to B
s o
Tragedy of Commons
s
Net Gains s
Resource
for A
Limit
R1 B5
s s A’s o
Activity
R3 Gain per
Total
Individual
Activity s
o Activity
R4 B’s
o
s
s Activity
B6
R2
s
Net Gains
for B
s