Post on 08-Jul-2015
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US@TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SEtobias.fors@citerus.se
With inspiration from Ackoff, Weinberg, Checkland
time
energy
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Energy, enthusiasm, training and
peptalks
’It kind of petered out’
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
The problem of …
Let’s Doodle
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
‣ Other people: involved, affecting and/or affected by the situation
‣ Tools, platforms and other resources that are involved
‣ Visualize relations, interactions, flow of information
‣ Visualize problems and pains
‣ Visualize strengths and joys
‣ Add what’s missing to complete the picture
‣ (It may be the thing you always forget to include when you think about this situation)
Let’s call this ”Org doodling’Let’s Doodle
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Discuss with your partner (5 mins]
To what degree do the people in your picture agree on what the problem is?
What can you say about what’s causing the problem, and what’s
causing it to stick?
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Unseen structures
Strange behavior
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
I promised to create a testing dashboard, but it’s
gonna have to wait
tid
energi
Visible structures
Understood behavior
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Prio number one now, is to work on the
backlog.
Tight deadline = no slack
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
A conscious way of thinking about the structures affecting us
Systems thinking
Visible structures
Thinking about structures
Understood behavior
Thinking
Systems
Behavior
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
The way we think …
… causes us to create certain structures …
… that has a certain kind of influence on us
1300 1600 1900
Age of machines
Age of systems
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Middle Ages Renaissance
Environment
System
Part
Part
Part
Part
Part
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SESYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
The performance of a system is not the sum of its parts, it is
the product of their interactions.
The essential parts
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SESYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Improving the parts individually does often not lead to an improvement of
the whole
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SESYSTEMTÄNKANDE FÖR OSS ANDRA @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
We need to focus on the interactions (not just the actions)
of the parts of the system.
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Discuss with your partner (5 mins]
Which interactions might hold the key to ”unsticking” your problem?
What new questions or insights about your ”mess” do you have now?
Try to see more of the system
Build your understanding of the system
Tweak the system, not just
the parts
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
It should be easier to do what’s right
Start simple, but involve more people: Draw, doodle, think
together
Why are we getting the results we’re getting?
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
”It’s not so much about systems, but how to use yourself in the system”– Edie Seashore
@TOFO CITERUS.SE
TOBIASFORS.SEWant to learn more? Read something by Russell Ackoff or Gerald M. (Jerry) Weinberg