Systems View Is a Means

¶ … systems view is a means of addressing problems by focusing on the bigger picture and dealing with causes rather than symptoms. Systems thinking makes it possible to achieve critical results when problems are chronic and resist traditional approaches. Systems thinking is, at its core, a system for collective inquiry -- it cannot be effectively accomplished with just individual. It is a team-based, collaborative approach designed to bring fresh, unique insight to the organization in terms of its practices and how they impact the organization.

Central to this approach is that learning is driven by a discrepancy between current reality and vision. The traditional view sees these discrepancies as having obvious solutions that are easy to solve. The systems approach digs deeper to find the underlying, systemic causes of the problem. Systems thinking is especially useful for solving problems that are long-standing and where there is resistance to the basic changes implemented under the traditional problem solving model.

Systems thinking creates creative tension, which is central to the learning organization. It can help to identify the underlying causes of a problem, to increase creative discussion about ongoing issues, to bring out the validity in multiple perspectives, to make assumptions explicit and to test the viability of proposed solutions. Disciplines that help the organization establish creative tension are shared visioning, personal mastery, mental modeling, team learning and systems thinking. The result of this creative tension should be that the organization produces results that are more consistent with its vision, and are less a reaction to immediate circumstances. This is done by changing the way that management thinks to match the systemic way in which the organization operates.

The first step in systems thinking is to develop what is known as "systems language." The language and visual notation enables you to precisely communicate about the underlying structures of the organization. This allows you to identify and explain the feedback loops present in the organization. A feedback loop is the way in which an action causes a reaction that reinforces the original action.

Structures affect performance. Structures are created and maintained by management. In order to understand the linkages between structures and performance we need to understand the predominant mental models of the decision-makers and ourselves and how those models lead to the decisions and structures that are the root of the variance between our performance and our vision. Mental models are the beliefs, assumptions and internal conversations we have -- they are usually subconscious but they have a strong impact on our behavior. Mental models are also feedback loops -- they influence our actions, our actions deliver results and these results reinforce our beliefs.

There are a number of systems archetypes that occur frequently, each one a potential cause of deviation in performance and each one also serving as a feedback loop creating perpetual deviation -- fixes that backfire, shifting the burden, limits to success, tragedy of the commons, accidental adversaries, escalation, success to the successful, drifting goals and growth & underinvestment. These archetypes are common responses to challenges -- ways in which organizations deal with adversity. In understanding these archetypes you will be able to easily observe them in real-world situations. These archetypes are linked to each other, in a complex pattern of relationships. Ultimately, these linkages drive the organization in circles, always seeking another explanation of the problem. Remember that systems thinking is about finding solutions to problems that keep occurring. It is important to know these archetypes because they are all symptoms of underlying problems. As a manager, if you see multiple archetypes you could view this as multiple problems, yet the presence of all of these archetypes could well point to the same underlying systemic problem. These archetypes, in systems thinking, are a problem identification mechanism.

For each archetype, you will soon notice its theme, generic patterns of behavior, a generic feedback loop diagram, the typical mental models that underlie the archetype, and soon you will begin to understand the implications of the archetype and the leverage points to resolve the archetypal behaviors. Once you can identify archetypes and understand leverage points, problem solving at the systems level can take hold -- the archetypes can be broken and real solutions developed.

Once we understand the root of the problem, we can propose and implement interventions, which we can then test back against our vision. We use the image of the iceberg to illustrate how systems thinking can bring us to the root of the problem. The tip of the iceberg is the adverse outcome we have observed or experienced. We then look deeper -- has this happened before? Then further down the iceberg we can examine why this has been happening, and dig deeper until we find at the base of the iceberg the systemic causes that have lead to this recurring problem. The next level down will be physical architecture such as reporting relationships, policies and procedures and contracts. But underlying these are the mental models -- why do we have these reporting relationships? What attitude resulted in the creation of this policy? Once we get to the bottom of this iceberg we should be able to answer this simply question -- how do we improve the performance of the system? Along the way, the underlying attitudes and infrastructure have been revealed and we have taken steps to understand how these contribute to the feedback loops that result in our current action choices.

With solutions in place, a new feedback loop can be analyzed. We can implement the solution and then once again search for archetypes. There are many reasons why the problem is not solved yet -- there could be delays or there could be unintended consequences. Systems thinking understands that not every solution generated will solve the underlying problem right away, but the understanding of feedback loops will allow the manager to analyze the solutions for problems. This provides the opportunity for new learning that can provide better insight into the issues surrounding the problem.