What is systems of thinking?

There are systems all around us, if we know where to look.

A family unit is one system, while the community in which we live is another. That community is part of a bigger system of a county or city. All parts of a university make up different systems within the whole. Financial aid, the classroom and the library make up different systems.

By learning to view the world as a series of systems, and by understanding our part within them, we can begin to make better decisions, be better teammates and find infinite ways to be more productive in all areas of our lives.

In short, “systems thinking is about investigating what set of factors and interactions are contributing to or could contribute to a possible outcome,” said Steve Brown, deputy director of collaborative learning and strategic insight at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

“Systems thinking is useful in helping teams become more aware of how they’re interacting with each other and within the team, and it helps them understand the outcomes they’re producing,” Brown said.

There is a wide application for thinking in this type of holistic way. Christina Dumeng, associate dean of business programs, said, “Thinking about the impact of any system as it relates to decision making is important in understanding the broader scope of how all of the pieces in your organization connect.”

While any team at work or at play is a system, perhaps the biggest system of all is the one with which we’re most familiar: the natural environment.

“Think about the different interactions of the ecosystem and how they change,” Brown said. When one aspect of the ecosystem changes, there is a domino effect on the rest of the system, sometimes in ways we could not have predicted.

Now, apply that thinking to the workplace. Consider nursing, for example.

“You have professionals who need to have a comprehensive understanding of many different systems in order to do their job,” said Dumeng. “They need to know about the human body, but also the community, the population and information management. Nursing professionals have to be able to connect the dots far and wide throughout these different systems to provide the best outcome for patient treatment.”

Systems thinking is a great tool to remind us to always consider the bigger picture, according to Brown. While it's easy to see how to take things apart, it can be much more challenging to understand how the individual parts interact to make up the big picture.

Before sitting down on your own or with a team to devise a project, make a change, or solve a problem, consider the different systems your ideas could impact.

“Applying a systems thinking mindset can help provide clarity for all of the different factors that impact results," Brown said. "This type of thinking also helps you identify potential problem areas and provide you with a sense of perspective."

Holistic thinking is a key characteristic of systems thinking. “Consider the whole over the parts,” Dumeng said. “Study the patterns of behavior that you might see, and think holistically about your project to ensure you’re making the best decisions that you can.” Consider all possible stakeholders who might have insight or who might be affected, positively or negatively, by your proposed change.

Another key characteristic of systems thinking is the willingness to ask the right questions. Brown suggests starting by naming the problem, and then considering the factors that might be impacting the problem. Throughout the inquiry, try to be disciplined in determining the answers. A willingness to ask the right questions and consider all possible answers, as well as taking the time to experiment to find the answers rather than guess at the answers ourselves, is key.

The world is complex, so our thinking should be complex as well. By making it a habit to consider and reconsider how our own role might be connected to others, we can mitigate impact and work together to create better solutions.

“If you just try to fix a problem by focusing on the part that needs fixing and not considering how that part got broken in the first place," said Brown, "or how the fix may impact others, you risk either getting a new problem, or you get the same problem again later.”

A RACI chart is an excellent tool for systems thinking. RACI stands for:

Considering each of those elements when attempting to solve any problem “helps you continuously ask who is responsible for this decision, and determine who the right people are who need to be informed before making a decision or a change,” Dumeng said.

For Brown, the iceberg metaphor is a classic tool. “The outcomes that we see are only what’s above the surface of the water,” he said.

When applying the iceberg metaphor to any problem, ask these questions:

Always start with what you know, but apply the iceberg metaphor as a reminder to ask lots of questions about what might be lurking below.

The benefits of systems thinking are wide-ranging.

Involving the right stakeholders from the beginning saves time, energy and ultimately, money when making any business decision. “Systems thinking helps you move through a decision logically, continuously asking if this decision will impact anyone outside the scope,” said Dumeng.

When implementing change, administrators need to consider all stakeholders across the entire affected system before taking action. “Otherwise,” said Dumeng, “we’re just going back to assumptions with our design and that’s not the most effective path to creating something worthwhile.”

Both Dumeng and Brown agree that the hallmark of systems thinking is the way this mindset forces non-linear thinking. “Including perspectives from outside your narrow scope helps widen your frame of vision and helps you see outcomes you might not have considered,” said Dumeng.

Adopting a systems thinking mindset is never about winning a battle or being right. Systems thinking helps each person manage different perspectives to bring them together in the best possible way. Keeping that in mind can help you effectively solve any problem.

Understanding the system is critical before you can create the design. It's helpful to apply systems thinking before designing a project, because "you can use systems thinking to consider which stakeholders will be most affected by your proposed project," said Dumeng.

By doing that, you can use their feedback to design the project. "This way, you are basing your design on what the stakeholders actually need, not what you think they need” said Dumeng.

• Explore new business opportunities.
• Create compelling vision of the future.
• Understand the complex human factors challenges associated with change.
• Understand and fix the “problems that never seem to go away”.
• Re-design broken systems.
• Design new systems.

Systems thinking is 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. Standing in contrast to positivist and reductionist thinking, systems thinking sets out to view systems in a holistic manner. Consistent with systems philosophy, systems thinking concerns an understanding of a system by examining the linkages and interactions between the elements that comprise the whole of the system.  Systems thinking in practice encourages us to explore inter-relationships (context and connections), perspectives (each actor has their own unique perception of the situation) and boundaries (agreeing on scope, scale and what might constitute an improvement). Systems thinking is particularly useful in addressing complex or wicked problem situations. These problems cannot be solved by any one actor, any more than a complex system can be fully understood from only one perspective. Moreover, because complex adaptive systems are continually evolving, systems thinking is oriented towards organizational and social learning – and adaptive management.

When you encounter situations which are complex and messy, then systems thinking can help you understand the situation systemically. This helps us to see the big picture – from which we may identify multiple leverage points that can be addressed to support constructive change. It also helps us see the connectivity between elements in the situation, so as to support joined-up actions. You can start with this LfS post –  An introduction to systems thinking and systemic design – concepts and tools  – that provides a framework for thinking about systems thinking in the context of a decision making cycle. The links below point to other sources introducing systems thinking and how to manage and facilitate it to support a collective understanding of a problem situation. More information on how this can be used to support collaborative and constructive social change can be found through the linked LfS pages  on  systemic design and systems thinking tools.

Systems Thinking and Practice: A Guide to Concepts, Principles and Tools This 2023 guide by Jim Woodhill and Juliet Millican offers an insight into the theoretical foundations, conceptual frameworks and facilitation tools for adopting a systems mindset and putting it into practice. It reminds us that our decision-making, governance and organisational cultures need to shift from the false security of linear, disciplinary and reductionist ways of thinking and working. Without systems thinking we risk constant cycles of reacting to immediate crises in fragmented ways, while failing to understand and deal with the root causes of the issues at hand. The guide explores what this implies for working practices, business processes and leadership. It also offers links to additional resources and tools on systems thinking.

Systems Thinking: An introduction This 2015 brief by Kimberly Bowman and colleagues introduces the concept of ‘systems thinking’ in the context of international development. Systems thinking encourages practitioners to understand and analyse the contexts within which they operate, and to design programmes that can adapt as conditions on the ground change. It helps practitioners to bring together many different stakeholders – especially those with radically different backgrounds and perspectives – to identify problems and solutions to challenges, increasing the possibility of transformational change. Start with the Making systems thinking real post by John Chettleborough which also points to a related – and useful – systems thinking  animation.

Working with Change: Systems approaches to public sector challenges This 2017 report by  OECD’s Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate explores the theory and practice behind the use of systems approaches in tackling public challenges. Part 1 addresses the need for systems thinking in the public sector, its theoretical underpinnings and why it has not been widely used in the public sector. Part 2 identifies a set of tactics – people & place, dwelling, connecting, framing, designing, prototyping, stewarding and evaluating – that can be deployed by government agencies either unilaterally or with partners to work toward systems change. The third part provides an in-depth examination of systemic change case studies.

Systems thinking: Unlocking the Sustainable Development Goals This 2016 post by Stephanie Draper reminds us that successfully delivering the SDGs will require a really strong systems approach. She suggests that for organisations that means operating on three levels – joining up with others’ efforts to achieve individual goals; looking at the inter-relationships between all the goals; and finally delivering the goals in a way that models the characteristics we need for a sustainable society.

Tackling wicked problems : A public policy perspective This 2012 discussion paper put out by the Australian Public Service Commission explores the characteristics of wicked problems and the challenges they pose for the traditional approaches and skills sets of policy makers. Although developing effective ways to tackle wicked problems is an evolving art, this paper identifies some of the main ingredients that seem to be required.

Introduction to systems thinking This page introduces Daniel Kim’s useful introduction to systems thinking.  You can download the full introduction which aims to give you the language and tools you need to start applying systems thinking principles and practices in your own organization.

Learn about systems thinking These pages from the  Australian Partnership Prevention Centre provides a selection of resources for those wanting to learn more about systems thinking, from the beginner to those who are already using systems thinking in their research and work.

Overview of systems thinking This short article by Daniel Aronson illustrates what systems thinking is using an integrated pest management example. Another short introduction can be found in Systems Thinking “in 25 Words or Less” by Debra Lyneis talking about primary and secondary schools.

Leverage points: Places to intervene in a system This classic article by Donella Meadows looks at the nine key leverage points where systems can be changed.

Systems archetypes This Daniel Kim guide reprint reviews nine systems archetypes (patterns of behaviour of a system). Each archetype tends to highlight a “classic problem story” which occurs frequently and is present in many everyday situations, from the individual to the international level. As diagnostic tools they provide insight into the underlying structures from which behavior over time and discreet events emerge. (See also the ISEE guide – Applying Systems Thinking and Common Archetypes to Organizational Issues). A more recent 2017 post from Leyla Acaroglu reminds us that there are also some positive social archetypes in systems dynamics.

Systems thinking: a means to understand our complex world This paper by Linda Booth Sweeney introduces systems, system behavior and systems concepts. She then introduces some key concepts around levels, feedback loops and temporal delays.

Open University – Systems thinking (free courses) This Open University page provides a guide to all their free course offerings that explore systems as a subject in its own right, and subjects which can be understood through the application of systems thinking. You could start by checking out course introductions for Systems thinking and practice,    Mastering Systems Thinking in Practice, or Systems diagramming. Other courses look more specifically at systems modelling, IT systems and learning. Another set of courses look more specifically at the use of systems concepts in helping manage the environment,  sustainability, complexity.

Managing complexity: a systems approach – introduction If you want to generate a fresh perspective of complex issues; if you want to break out of traps and rigid ways of thinking … then this course is a good place to visit. It is designed to help build your capacity to manage complexity and to develop a deep understanding of contemporary systems thinking.