Systems Thinking Part 2

Louis Rowitz, PhDLouis Rowitz, PhD

Director Mid-America Regional Director Mid-America Regional Public Health Leadership InstitutePublic 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.

Y

X

Z

=Policy Development

Assessment

Assurance

Systems thinkers use visual Systems thinkers use visual language in diagram from which is a language in diagram from which is a powerful means of communication powerful means of communication because it distills the essence of a because it distills the essence of a problem into a format that can be problem into a format that can be easily remembered.easily remembered.

Within the framework of Within the framework of systems thinking, “us” and “them” systems thinking, “us” and “them” are part of the same system and are part of the same system and thus responsible for both the thus responsible for both the problems and their solutions.problems and their solutions.

Levels of Understanding

Levels of Levels of UnderstandingUnderstanding Action ModeAction Mode Time Time

OrientationOrientationTypical Typical

QuestionsQuestions

Shared Vision

Systemic Structure

Patterns of Events

Events

Generative

Creative

Adaptive

Reactive

Future

Present

What are the stated or unstated visions that generate the structures?

What are the mental or organizational structures that create the patterns?

What kinds of trends or patterns of events seem to be recurring?

What is the fastest way to react to this event NOW?

Four Systems Thinking Tools

Brainstorming ToolsBrainstorming Tools Dynamic Thinking ToolsDynamic Thinking Tools Structural Thinking ToolsStructural Thinking Tools Computer-Based ToolsComputer-Based Tools

• Reinforcing and balancing loops are the Reinforcing and balancing loops are the building blocks of complex social systems.building blocks of complex social systems.

• Reinforcing loop produces growth and Reinforcing loop produces growth and decay – compound change in one direction decay – compound change in one direction with even more changewith even more change

• Balancing loop generate the realities Balancing loop generate the realities associated with change- factors that resist associated with change- factors that resist further increases in a given directionfurther increases in a given direction

Brainstorming Tools

The Double Q DiagramQualitative and Quantitative

The Issue

HardFactors

(Quantitative)

SoftFactors

(Qualitative)

Visual Map of the Key Factor Related to an Issue

Dynamic Thinking ToolsDynamic relationships between variables

Behavior Over TimeBehavior Over Time Causal LoopsCausal Loops Systems ArchetypesSystems Archetypes

Behavior Over Time

PerformanceLevel

Time

A

B

Example

Supervisor SupportiveBehavior

EmployeePerformance

PerformanceLevel

Time

SupportiveBehavior

UnsupportiveBehavior

Behavior Over Time

Causal Loop

R= Reinforcing

B= Balancing

B

R B C

A

Guidelines to Causal Loops

1)1) Select a clear themeSelect a clear theme

2)2) Determination of time dimensionDetermination of time dimension

3)3) Behavior over time chartsBehavior over time charts

4)4) Set boundaries around the themeSet boundaries around the theme

5)5) Level of aggregation-patterns of eventsLevel of aggregation-patterns of events

6)6) Significant delay factorsSignificant delay factors

Causal Loop

R= ReinforcingB= Balancing

Stress

R2

B1Alcohol Use

HealthProductivity

System ArchetypeAid in the Recognition of common system behavior

Drifting GoalsDrifting Goals EscalationEscalation Fixes that FailFixes that Fail Growth and UnderinvestmentGrowth and Underinvestment Limits to SuccessLimits to Success Shifting the BurdenShifting the Burden Success to be SuccessfulSuccess to be Successful Tragedy of the CommonsTragedy of the Commons

Drifting Goals

Goal Pressure toLower Goal

Gap

ActualCorrective

Action

B2

B1

Delay

ss

s

s

o

o

Escalation

Threatto B

A’s Result B’s Result

Quality of A’s PositionRelative to B’s

Activityby A

Threatto A

B2B1

s s

s

s

o

o

Activityby B

s

s

Fixes that Fail

Fix

UnintendedConsequence

ProblemSymptom B1

s

so

s

R2Del

ay

Growth and Underinvestment

B3

B2

s

s

s

s o

s

s

s

R1 Demand

Performance

GrowthEffort

PerformanceStandard

Perceived Needto Invest

Investmentin Capacity

Capacity

Delay

o

Delay

Limits to Success

EffortsLimitingAction

Performance

Constraint

B2R1

ss

ss

o

Shifting the Burden/Addiction

SymptomaticSolution

FundamentalSolution

ProblemSymptom Side-Effect

B2

B1

s

s

s

s

o

o

o

R3

Delay

Success to the Successful

Resourcesto B

Allocation to AInstead of B

Success of A

Resourcesto A

R2R1

s s

s

so Success of B

s o

TotalActivity

Tragedy of Commons

Net Gainsfor A

B’sActivity

A’sActivity

Gain perIndividualActivity

R2

R1

s

s

s

s

o

o

R3

Net Gainsfor B

ResourceLimit

Delays

R4

s

ss

o

B5

B6

s