There are ten archtypes of systems. These are the basic models, which can be used in a
multitude of specific cases. These models will be summarized, with a few of them
explored in greater depth and with examples. Some of these are discussed in your text.
Archetype 1. Limits to Growth
A process leading to continuous growth inadvertently creates secondary effects
which slows the growth.
Archetype 2. Shifting the Burden
Rather than solving a problem, the symptoms of the problem are treated with
easier solutions. This looks like it works, but the problems still remain.
Archetype 3. Special Case – Shifting the Burden to the Intervenor
When an outside person solves a problem, those within the system rely on that
person and never learn to solve problems for themselves.
Archetype 4 Eroding Goals
A short-term solution results in the decline of the long-term fundamental goal
Archetype 5. Balancing Process with delay
The response to delayed feedback is too extreme, the system cannot find its
balance.
Archetype 6. Escalation
In competitive situations, people seek an advantage because they feel threatened
to be behind.
Archetype 7. Success to the Successful
When resources are limited, they are directed toward the most successful, which
leads to greater disparity.
Archetype 8. Tragedy of the Commons
Shared resources are used until they are depleted or destroyed.
Archetype 9. Fixes that fail
A fix that worked in the short time must be continually reused because of
unintended consequences for the initial uses.
Archetype 10 Growth and Underinvestment
Limits to Growth can be delay with sufficient investment, but hesitance to invest
soon enough may lead to slowing of growth justifying the delay in investing.
We will focus on two of three of these.
Limits to growth
Shifting the burden
Tragedy of the Commons
Limits to Growth
Definition: A reinforcing (amplifying) process is set in motion to produce a
desired result. It creates a spiral of success but also creates inadvertent secondary effects
(manifested in a balancing process), which eventually slow down the success.
Management Principle: Don’t push growth, remove the factors limiting growth.
Where is it found?
Organizations grow for a while then stop growing
Working groups get better for a while, but stop getting better
Individuals improve themselves for a period, then plateau
Crash diet to lose weight but motivation wanes.
A farmer increases yield with fertilizer, but crop is larger than local rainfall can
support.
The structure
Limiting
Condition
Slowing Action
Growing Action
Condition
Example 1.
A high tech company grows rapidly because of its ability to introduce new products.
As new products grow, revenues grow, the R&D bedget grows and the engineering and
research staff grows.
Technical staff becomes complex and difficult to manage.
Management burden falls on senior engineers who have less time for engineering.
Longer product development time slows introduction of new products.
Read limit to growth structures by starting with the reinforcing loop.
Size of Engineering
Staff
Management
Complexity
R & D Budget
Revenue
R
New Products
B
Delay
Management Burden to
Senior Engineers
Product Development
Time
Pattern of Behavior
After rapid, initial growth, there is a slowing of growth as the balancing loop
becomes more dominant. This can lead to morale decline and a reversing of the
reinforcing loop: less revenue, less R&D, fewer products, less revenue …
How to achieve leverage
Typical response is to push harder.
If you can’t break your bad habit, become more diligent in monitoring your own
behavior.
If your relationship is having problems, spend more time together
If your staff are unhappy, keep promoting junior staff to make them happy.
If the flow of new products is slowing down, start more new products
Because these worked in the beginning, it seems reasonable they would continue to work.
Unfortunately, the harder you push on the familiar levers, the more strongly the balancing
process resists and the more futile your efforts become.
A better way – leverage is in the balancing loop, not the reinforcing loop. Change the
limiting behavior.
In the relationship problem, give up on the idea of a perfect partner which is a
goal that limits the continued improvement of any relationship.
If the staff are unhappy, change the paradigm from promotions to acknowledging
work well done, not a person’s place in the hierarchy. Distribute challenging work
assignments equitably and not to the elite of the company.
In the technology company – solutions include decentralizing, bringing in
professionals skilled in managing creative engineers (which is not easy) and some by
management development for engineers who want to manage.
When one limit to growth is weakened, growth can continue until the next limit is felt.
All growth eventually stops
Activity: Create your own Limits to Growth Story and show on the board then look for
the leverage and state your alternative to working harder. Do this in partnership that is
different than your groups (rotate everyone one space).