Making the Jump to Systems Thinking

Making the Jump to Systems Thinking ... When Albert Einstein began to play with the theory of quantum physics, he didn't like it. He spent a few years trying to ...       WhenAlbertEinsteinbegantoplaywiththetheoryofquantumphysics,hedidn’tlikeit.Hespentafewyearstryingtodisproveit,becauseitdidn’tmakesensetohim.Butintheend,Newtonianphysicscouldn’tanswerEinstein’squestions.Hisonlychoicewastobecomeaquantumthinker.Thisdidn’tmeanthatherejectedNewtonianphysicsentirely;itsimplymeantthatthereweremanyoccasionswhenhehadtouseaquantumratherthanaNewtonianapproach. Peopledon’tbecomesystemsthinkersbecausesystemsthinkingissocool;theydosobecausetheydiscoverthatlinearthinkingwon’tanswertheirquestions.Linearthinkingiscause-and-effectthinking:Onecausehasoneeffect.Sometimesitworksadequately,aswhenyourunoutofgasandyourcarstops.Yourcarstopped(effect)becauseithadnogas(cause).Ifyouputgasinagain,yourcarwillrun.Linearthinkingisquiteeffectiveinsolvingthiskindofproblem. TEAMTIP Somanyoftheinterventionswedesignfocusonaddressingsymptomsratherthanunderlyingproblems.Usethecluesin“IsItaProblemoraSymptom?”todeterminewhetheryouractionsaremerelybandaidsorarelikelytohavealasting,positiveimpact. However,ourworldismadeofmanycomplexrelationshipsandinterrelationships.Systemsthinkingprovidesaperspectivethat,mostofthetime,variouscomponentsaffecteachotherinvarious,andoftenunexpected,ways.So,forexample,theuseofthepesticideDDTtokillmosquitoesledtoanumberofunanticipatedsideeffects.Theseincludedthedecimationofseveralspeciesofmosquito-eatingbirdsandtheriseofDDTresistantmosquitoes.Overtimeinsomeplaces,thisdynamicmadethemosquitoproblemworse(see“UnintendedConsequencesofDDT”).Inorganizations,systemsthinkingbringspowerfultoolsandenlightenedperspectivestoorganizationaldiagnosis,problemsolving,strategy,andleadership(see“Linearvs.SystemsThinking”). UNINTENDEDCONSEQUENCESOFDDT LINEARVS.SYSTEMSTHINKING TheRoadtoBecomingaSystemsThinker Adoptingasystemsapproachtakespersistenceandcuriosity.Beingthesolesystemsthinkerinalinearthinkingorganizationcanbealonelyplace.Peoplewillnotunderstandyou.You’llfeellikeyou’rewalkingaroundwithtwoheads…wheneveryoutalk,peoplewillstareatyou,confused. Ofcourse,manypeoplehavethoughtsystemicallyalltheirlives.Manyofthemdon’tevenknowthatwhattheyaredoingislabeled“systems.”Butforthevastmajorityofus,thejumptosystemsthinkingrequirestime,practice,curiosity,andintentionality(see“MakingtheShift”). MAKINGTHESHIFT IsItaProblemoraSymptom? Onewaytostarttoshiftfromlineartosystemsthinkingistopracticeidentifyingwhethersomethingistheproblemormerelyasymptomofsomethingdeeper.Linearthinkingtendstofocusonaddressingsurface-levelbehaviors–orsymptoms.Unfortunately,makingasymptomgoawaywon’tsolvetheproblem.Infact,itmaymakethingsworseandcauseeffectsinotherpartsoftheorganization.Amanagertakingasystemsthinkingapproachwillworktounderstandtheunderlyingproblembeforeaddressinganyofthesymptoms.Usually,ifthetrueproblemissolved,thesymptomswillbeeliminatedaswell. Howdoyouknowifyou’reseeingthereal,underlyingproblemorsimplyasymptomofsomethingdeeper?Belowareeightcluesthatwhatyouareexperiencingisanindicatorofalargerproblemratherthantheproblemitself: TheSizeoftheProblemIsn’tCommensuratewiththeDiscussionAroundIt. Istheproblemtoosmallincomparisontothetimeandenergyitistaking?Ifpeoplearespendingalltheirtime,forexample,complainingaboutthecolorofthecarpetortheshapeoftheiroffices,youcanassumethattheirreactionisasymptomofanotherproblem. PeopleDon’tSolveaSolvableProblem. Isitwithinthepowerofthepeopleinyourorganizationtosolvetheproblem,buttheydon’t?Forexample,peoplecomplainthereisnodecaffeinatedcoffee,butnoonedoesanythingaboutit.Whydon’ttheyfeelempoweredtochangethestatusquo? TheProblemWon’tGoAway. Whathasthehistoryoftheproblembeen?Isitsomethingthatwon’tgoaway?Haveyoutriedtosolveitandhavebeenunsuccessful?Doesitkeepcomingback,likeamonsterinahorrormovie?Doestheproblemmorphintoarelatedissueonceyou“solve”theoriginalissue?Generallyspeaking,ifyou“solveit”anditcomesback,thenyouhaven’taddressedtheunderlyingproblem. TheProblemInvolvesEmotionalBarriers. Inthemiddleages,priortoChristopherColumbus,marinerswereafraidtosailsouthoftheequator.Contrarytopopularbelief,theyweren’tafraidoffallingofftheedgeoftheworld.(TheancientGreekshadproventhattheworldwasroundinabout500B.C.)Theywereunwillingtodoitbecauseithadn’tbeendonebefore.Sailorsneverevenconsidereditapossibility.Assuch,itwasanemotionalbarrier,aproductofstuntedimagination.Thesamekindsofemotionalbarriersarepresentintoday’sorganizations.Whatarethethingsthatarenevertalkedabout?Whatarethethingsthat,ifsomeonementionsthem,peoplelaughthemoff?Whereistheimaginationstuntedinyourorganization? TheProblemHasaPattern. Doestheproblemhaveanannualcycle?Isitpredictable?Ifso,itmaybeasymptomofsomethingdeeper. TheOrganizationHasKepttheProblemAround,likeaPet. Inahealthyorganization,ifaproblemarises,peoplesolveitonceandforall.Unhealthyorganizationsneedproblemsbecausetheygivepeoplesomethingtofocusonandfussabout.Nooneconsciouslytriestokeeptheproblem,andeveryonesaystheywanttosolveit.However,eventhoughwemaynotbeawareofit,wemanagetokeepthechallengeswelike! OtherStressesandAnxietiesArePresentintheOrganization. Themoreanxietyinanorganization,themorelikelyitisthatrealproblemsarehidden,manifestedonlyinsymptoms.Forexample,incompanieswithadomineeringculture,employeescanfeelvictimizedbymanagement.Mostpeople,whenfeelingvictimized,willcomplainaboutotherthingsratherthanrevealtheirtruefeelings.Themorestressesthatarepresent,themorelikelytherewillbeavarietyofseeminglyunrelatedsymptoms. AsOneProblemIs“Solved,”AnotherCropsUp. Inanorganizationthatreliesonreactive,quick-fix,cause-and-effectmanagement,onceoneproblemissolved,anothertendstocropup.Mostlinearthinkerswon’trealizethatthetwoissuesarerelated.Meanwhile,theunderlyingdynamicsfuelingtheproblemsfailtobeaddressed.   TenEnemiesofSystemsThinking Thetenstatementsbelowareusuallyevidenceoflinearthinkingand,thus,enemiesofsystemsthinking.Hearingthemisnotalwaysasure-fireguaranteethatlinearthinkingiscoming,buttheyshouldsetoffwarningbells. We’vegottofixitquick! Thisistheproverbial“quick-fix”mentality.Weseeaproblem,andwereacttofixitbeforewereallyunderstandit.Thereisnothingwrongwithquick,assertiveaction,andasystemsresponsetoaproblemisnotnecessarilyslow.Butdoingthefixbeforegraspingtheproblemisarecipefordisaster. “Oh,let’sjustputabandageonit.” Thebandagesolutionisoftenahalf-heartedattempttofixaproblem.Thedangeristhatitcancoveruptheworstofthesymptomswhileallowingtheproblemtocontinuetofester. “Wemustmakethebudgetbytheendofthefiscalyear!” Budgetsarenotoriouslylinear.Theyforceustomakedecisionsbasedonmoneyratherthanonwhethertheideaisgood.Inparticular,makingadecisiontofixsomethingsoweare“intheblack”byanarbitrarydeadlineisproblematic.Whilebeingprofitableisdesirable,last-minuteHerculeaneffortstoreachmonetarytargetsaretheantithesisofsystemicthinking.Short-termquickfixesalmostalwaysharmlong-termsustainability. “Weneedtorespondimmediately!” Knee-jerkreactionsandpanicattacks,borneoutofanxietyandlearnedhelplessness,createlinearsolutions.Acalm,reasonedstrategyoffersamoresystemicwaytoaddressasituation.Thisdoesnotmeanactingslowly;itmeanstakingamomenttoconsiderthedifferentvariablesthatcontributetoasituation. “Whocares?” Anapatheticapproach,oraplainlackofcuriosity,isabarriertoeffectiveproblemsolving.Curiosity,play,imagination,andadventurearetheantidotestostuckorganizations. “Weneedmoreinformation.” Thereisnothingwrongwithseekingmoreinformation,unlesswebelieveitwillsolvetheproblemforus.Additionaldataisgoodwhenweknowitsplace.We–notinformation-havethepowertoact.Andwe–notinformation–musthavethecouragetodoso. “Oh,you’rejustthinkingtoomuch.” Shallowandsuperficialthinkingiseverywhere–justwatchthenightlynews.Allofthecomplexproblemsoftheworldareboileddowntoafewsoundbytes.Theaccusationof“thinkingtoomuch”usuallymeans“Stopthinkingdifferentlyfromme.”Therealityisthatsystemsthinkingisanewkindofthinking,andnoteveryonelikestostretchinnewways. “Tohellwiththerestoftheorganization;wemustgetourownneedsmet.” Manypeopleinorganizationsholdthiskindoffortressmentality.Inourcompaniesandschools,weliveinbunkers,protectingourownneedsandtheresourcesofourunit.Consequently,weendupthinkingofwin-losestrategiesandstrategizingabouthowtogetmoreforourselves.Thisapproachisclassiclinearthinking. “Wecan’thaveanyconflict.” Someofuswilldoanythingtokeepthepeaceinourorganizations.EdwinFriedmancallsthis“peace-mongering.”Peace-mongerswillavoid,suppress,andmaskconflict,attheexpenseofdiscussingandaddressingrealissues. “Youwilldoitthisway,andyouwillenjoyit!” Authoritarianmanagerswhoforcetheirwillontheworkforceareprimeexamplesoflinearthinkers.Wisdomiscollaborative,anddomineeringinterventionsundermineinnovation,collectiveproblemsolving,andcreativity. Systemsthinkingiseasyforsomeanddifficultforothers.Somepeopleintuitivelythinkinsystemstermsandhavedonesotheirentirelives.However,mostpeopletodaythinkinlinear,reductionistic,andmechanisticterms. Atfirstwhenpeoplestartthinkinginsystems,theycanfindthingstobeabitchaotic.Theybecomeoverwhelmedbythenumberofvariablesandthink,“HowcanIdoanythingifIdon’tknowwhateffectmyinterventionwillhave?”Thiskindofthinkingisnormalandusuallygiveswaytoasenseofdeeperinsightasanindividualbeginstolearnvariousprinciplesofsystemsbehavior.Wehopetheideasinthisarticleofferafirststeptowardthatkindofunderstanding. JimOllhoff([email protected])isacollegeprofessor,withanacademicbackgroundthatincludestrainingineducation,familystudies,developmentalpsychology,socialpsychology,andsystemstheory.Hisacademicinterestsaretheprocessofdiscoveryinanxioussystems,effectivemanagementfromacomplexityperspective,leadership,strategy,andadultlearning.Jimteachescoursesintheareasoffamilystudiesandinmanagement. MichaelWalcheskiisthechairoftheDepartmentofFamilyStudiesatConcordiaUniversity,St.Paul,Minnesota.HehasaPhDinMarriageandFamilyTherapyandisalicensedmarriageandfamilytherapist. Signuporsignintobookmarkthisarticle. ViewArticleasPDF RelatedArticles MovingfromBlametoAccountability By MarilynPaul Whensomethinggoeswronginanorganization,thefirstquestionthatisoftenposedis,“Whosefaultis… The“Thinking”inSystemsThinking:HowCanWeMakeItEasiertoMaster? By BarryRichmond Despitesignificantadvancesinpersonalcomputersandsystemsthinkingsoftwareoverthelastdecade,learningtoapplysystems… SystemsThinking:What,Why,When,Where,andHow? By MichaelGoodman Ifyou’rereadingTheSystemsThinker®,youprobablyhaveatleastageneralsenseofthebenefitsof… FromKeySuccessFactorstoKeySuccessLoops By DanielKim Manyofusarefamiliarwiththefollowingdrill:Corporatepushesanewprogram,andeachdepartmentmust…   Search Cancel Signuptostayintheloop Receiveupdatesofnewarticlesandsaveyourfavorites. 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