Welcome! This text is continued from the “What Is Systems Thinking?” section of the About page on this site.

Some common themes in systems thinking:

• The parts are important, but the relationship between the parts is where the magic happens

• It’s easy to misdiagnose cause/effect relationships in complex systems because, out of habit, we use problem solving methods that have worked well for us in simple systems

• The purpose of a system is its real-world outcomes, which can be different from its stated purpose. Different outcomes require a different system structure.

This article by Michael Goodman summarizes all the things really well.

Systems thinking typically takes three forms:

1. A method for identifying patterns of behavior, surfacing the hidden structures that drive those patterns, and determining how to change those structures in order to achieve better outcomes

2. A set of tools like causal loop diagraming, root cause analysis, viable systems analysis, and more - which help build clarity, consensus, and action plans for designing healthy systems

3. A way of seeing that equips people to understand how complex systems work so they can make better, faster decisions that produce better long-term outcomes

If you’re experiencing persistent or complex challenges, we’d love to help you take a systems approach to understanding and resolving it.