Unit 4 : Systems Thinking & Organizational Innovation Flashcards
What is system thinking ?
- An approach to integration that is based on the belief that the component parts of a system will act differently when isolated from the system’s environment or other parts of the system
- Approach that focuses on understanding the whole system, including the linkages and interactions between its components, rather than viewing them in isolation
What does system thinking concerns about?
- Understanding of a system by examining the linkages and interactiions between the elements that comprise the whole of the system
How is the difference between system thinking and traditional analysis thinking
- It was because analysis thinking is to break things down into managable pieces, while system thinking thinks that the relationship between pieces is also important
- Analytical thinking thinks that the relationships between the pieces aren’t important
Why analysis thinking therefore gives us a limited understanding of reality?
- It was because analysis thinking viewing infomation as a smaller piece, not as a whole
What can we get when we implement system thinking ? ( 2 )
- See the world around us in terms of wholes, rather than as single events, or “snapshots of life”
- See and sense how the parts of systems work together, rather than just see the parts as a collection of unrelated pieces
How does systems thinking help us understand patterns of behavior and events? ( Benefit )
- Systems thinking helps us see how relationships between elements in a system influence the patterns of behavior and events to which we react
What does systems thinking help us understand about life and situations? ( Benefit )
- Systems thinking helps us understand that life is always moving and changing, rather than being static
How does systems thinking explain the influence of events over time and space? ( Benefit )
- Systems thinking helps us understand that one event can influence another, even if the second event occurs a long time after the first and “far away” from it
What does systems thinking reveal about our perspective within a system? ( Benefit )
- It shows that what we see happening around us depends on where we are in the system.
How does systems thinking challenge our understanding of the world? ( Benefit )
- Systems thinking challenges our assumptions about how the world works (our mental models) and makes us aware of how these assumptions limit us
What dual focus ( short-term and long-term ) does systems thinking encourage when evaluating actions? ( Benefit )
- Systems thinking encourages us to consider both the long-term and short-term impacts of our actions and others’ actions.
What should we do when things don’t turn out as planned, according to systems thinking? ( Benefit )
- Systems thinking suggests asking probing questions to understand why things didn’t turn out the way we planned.
What is the overall benefit of systems thinking?
- Systems thinking is a powerful approach to understanding why situations are the way they are and how to improve results.
Question: What do we try to do when observing the phenomena around us? ( Problem Solving Treadmil )
- We try to make sense of the phenomena we perceive in our environment and use our explanations to predict what may happen in the future
( Make sense of the phenomena and use our explanations to predict the future )
What common issue arises from our explanations of how the world works?
- Our explanations often contain misconceptions about causes and outcomes and have incomplete or overly simple assumptions about how the world works
( Contain misconceptions and have incomplete assumption )
What happens when our explanations and assumptions are flawed?
- We struggle repeatedly with what seem like the same problems, taking actions we think will solve fundamental issues, but these actions often fail or worsen the original problem
( fail or worse the original problem )
What is the “problem-solving treadmill”?
- The “problem-solving treadmill” refers to the cycle of repeatedly facing the same problems and using ineffective solutions that don’t address the root cause, leading to ongoing struggles
- Cycle of repeatedly facing the same problems and using ineffective solution
How can we break free from the problem-solving treadmill?
- Systems thinking can help us break free by providing a deeper understanding of the underlying structures and relationships that contribute to problems.
- System Thinking
What are the 5 questions can get us to understand the basic characteristic of a system
- Is it a heap or a system?
- Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts?
- What is the purpose?
- Are the causes and effects shaped like a circle?
- Are we experiencing déjà vu?
What do both a heap and a system consist of?
- 2 or more parts
- Heap - A collection of parts
System - Interconnecting parts functioning as a whole
What happens when we remove or add parts to a heap?
- Nothing changes if we add or remove parts to a heap
- Example : Changing a bowl of cashews then add hazelnuts still leaves us with just a bowl of nuts
What happends when we remove or add parts to system?
- Will change the system
- Example : A car is considered a system because its parts are interconnected and removing a crucial part ( battery ) changes its functionality ( car won’t start )
What does it mean in systems thinking that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”?
- In systems thinking, it means that the interactions among parts in a system give rise to qualities or properties that cannot be measured by merely adding up those parts
- Example : In team sports, the T.E.A.M acronym - Together, Everyone Achieves More - illustrtes this concept
What question do systems thinkers often ask to understand a system better? ( 2 )
- Ask “What is the purpose of this system?”
- Understanding the various and sometimes conflicting purposes within a system can provide insight into why the system functions as it does and how it might be improved.
How can conflicting purposes within a system impact its functionality?
- Conflicting purposes can cause subsystems to be at cross-purposes, potentially leading to inefficiencies or conflict
- Example : Teacher might have conflucting goals with the guidance department or administration, which can be resolved through regular meetings to clear up conflicts
What shape do systems thinkers use to describe causality, and why?
- Describe causality in a circular shape, known as feedback loops
- Means that one event causes another, and that second event influences the first, creating a cycle of cause and effect
What does the concept of “déjà vu” signify in systems thinking?
- Signifies that systems often behave in similar ways across different settings
- Example : A bullying situation escalating into a brawl mirrors how businesses may competitively slash prices, triggering a cycle of competitive responses
How do feedback loops function in a system?
- Feedback loops function in a system by creating a cycle where the output or result of an event loops back to influence the initial event. This can either reinforce (positive feedback) or balance (negative feedback) the system.
Why might it be beneficial for systems, such as schools, to have regular meetings between different subsystems?
- Regular meetings between different subsystems, like teachers and school administrators, can help clear up conflicts arising from different or conflicting purposes, improving the overall functionality of the system.
What does systems thinkers named to whole set of common “stories”, like Deja Vu called?
- Systems Archetypes
What does systems thinking encourage practitioners to do in today’s organizations?
- Encourages practitioners to understand and analyze the contexts within which they operate, allowing them to design programs as conditions on the ground change
How does systems thinking help when working with different stakeholders?
- Helps practitioners bring together different stakeholders, especially those with radically different backgrounds and perspectives, making it easier to identify problems and increase transformational change.
- Bring stakeholders with different backgrounds and perspective for easier to identify problems and increase transformational change
What are some benefits of systems thinking for organizations? ( 4 )
- Explore new business opportunities
- Create compelling vision of the future
- Understand the complex human factors associated with change
- Re-design broken systems.
List out all the levels in sustainable development goals
- Joined-up efforts on individual goals
- A ‘network set’ of goals
- The ‘how’ of sustainable development
What does Level 1 : Joined-up efforts on individual goals emphasizes?
- If you want to fast, go alone ; if you want to go further, go together
What does Level 2 : A ‘ network set ‘of goals emphasizes?
- Looking at the inter-relationships between all the goals
What does Level 3 : The ‘how’ of sustainable development emphasizes?
- Delivering the goals in a way that models the characteristics we need for a sustainable society
