Systems Thinking
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when
we created them."
Albert Einstein
Too often, today’s problems are solved by utilizing easy and comfortable
approaches to obtain simple solutions. In reality as many discover simplicity
and common approaches are far from effective in dealing with complex,
dynamic and diverse problems. Despite the initial apparent ease and
comfort, focus tends to be on the elements of the problem, rather than the
“bigger picture”; and typically there is no consideration of interactions, and
the belief that there is one best solution. As more and more program failures
escalate there is an increasing need to improve and create better results
through systems thinking. Systems’ thinking is a discipline of seeing the
“whole”, recognizing patterns and interrelationships, and learning how to
structure more effective, efficient and creative system solution(s). This
course will acquaint students to basic concepts of systems thinking. The
primary emphasis will be the introduction of basic systems thinking
fundamentals, i.e. defining and understanding the systems perspective about
any situation or problem, solving problems with that perspective, describing
and modeling a problem, and designing and improving system solutions.
Course Learning Objectives
After completing this course students will be able to:
 Provide an overview of the history, research and perspectives of
systems thinking
 Establish a basic understanding of systems thinking terminology,
methods, concepts and tools.
 Understand and document system thinking objectives
 Describe and model solutions that will enable system thinking
objectives
 Evaluate when it is appropriate to apply thinking methods, i.e.
reductionist methods (data collection, statistical quality control,
operations research, etc.) and when to apply systems thinking methods
(Smart Questions, etc.)
 Apply systems engineering and analysis techniques in a spiral
development framework to implement system solutions
 Translate system thinking objectives into a problem statement that can
be solved by traditional engineering techniques and skill sets (EE,
ME, CE, CECS, ISE, Sciences etc.)
Grading:
Midterm
Final
Class Project
Exercises
25%
25%
25%
25%
Text Book: Rather than a traditional text book, a course reader will be
assembled for this course. This will expose students to a variety of resource
materials including course slides
Course Structure:
1. Week 1. Lecture 1: Introduction & Overview
a. The Purpose
b. What is a System?
c. What is Systems Thinking?
d. Why Systems Thinking?
e. Key Terminology
f. Exercise
2. Week 2: Lecture 2: A View from the Past to Present
a. General Systems Theory
b. Learning Organization
c. System Dynamics
d. Iterative Design
e. System Approaches in Different Fields of Science
f. Full Spectrum Thinking Principles
g. Exercise
3. Week 3: Lecture 3: The Purpose
a. Linear / Reductionist vs Systematic /Integrated
b. Solving the wrong problem perfectly
c. Complexity
d. Interdependence
e. Power of Group and Teams
f. Exercise
4. Week 4: Lecture 4: Approach & Methods I
a. Hard & Soft Systems
b. Methods
i. Systems
ii. Operational
iii. Hard
iv. Soft
c. Exercise
5. Week 5: Lecture 5: Approach Methods II
a. Systems Engineering & System Architecting
b. Smart Questions
c. Exercise
6. Week 6: Case Study 1 Breakthrough Thinking & Smart Questions
a. Guest Speaker: Center for Breakthrough Thinking Guest
b. In-class Exercise, students turn in completed in-class exercise.
7. Week 7: Midterm
8. Week 8: Lecture 5: Describing and Visualizing the Problem
a. Brainstorming Tools
b. System Mapping
c. Dynamic Thinking Tools
d. Structural Thinking Tools
e. Computer – Based Tools
f. Translating system objectives and the future solution description into a
problem statement that can be solved today
g. Exercise
9. Week 9: Lecture 6 The Solution & Applications
a. Systems Thinking Tools Application
b. Exercise
11. Week 10: Lecture 7 System Implementation and The Next Release
a. Systems Engineering and Spiral Development
i. Evolutionary and incremental implementation
ii. Timely system implementation
b. Planning technical implementation and system design
i. Prioritize system capability phasing
ii. Technology Roadmapping
iii. Engineering Economy
c. Managing technical implementation and system design
i. Engineering Management
Exercise
11. Week 11: Lecture 8 The Solution & Applications I
a. Application 1: Leadership/ Learning Process
b. Exercise
12. Week 12: Lecture 9: The Solution & Applications II
a. Application 2: Job Design
b. Application: 3: Global Warming
c. Exercise
13. Week 13: Lecture 10: The Future of Systems Thinking and The Next Steps
14. Week 14: Class project presentations
15. Week 15: Final
Bibliography
1. Russell L. Ackoff (1999) Ackoff's Best NY: Wiley
2. Virginia Anderson and Lauren Johnson (1997) Systems Thinking Basics:
From Concepts to Causal Loops (Pegasus)
3. Robert Axelrod and Michael D. Cohen ( ) Harnessing Complexity
4. Bela H. Banathy (1996) Designing Social Systems in a Changing World NY:
Plenum
5. Bela H. Banathy (2000) The Guided Evolution of Society NY: Plenum/Kluwer
Academic
6. Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1968) General System theory: Foundations,
Development, Applications, George Braziller New York
7. Peter Checkland (1981) Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. (Wiley)
8. Peter Checkland Jim Scholes (1990) Soft Systems Methodology in Action.
(Wiley) ISBN 0-471-92768-6
9. Peter Checkland Jim Sue Holwell (1998) Information, Systems and
Information Systems. (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-95820-4
10. John Gall (1978) Systemantics Pocket Books
11. Jamshid Gharajedaghi Systems (2005) Thinking, Second Edition: Managing
Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture
(Butterworth-Heinemann)
12. Charles L. Hutchins (1996) Systemic Thinking: Solving Complex Problems
CO:PDS ISBN 1-888017-51-1
13. Michael C. Jackson ( ) Systems Thinking; Creative Holism for Managers
14. Bradford Keeney(1983) Aesthetics of Change Guilford Press
15. Daniel H. Kim Introduction to Systems Thinking (Pegasus Communications
Inc.)
16. Daniel H. Kim (1995) "Systems Thinking Tools: A User's Reference Guide"
Part of the Toolbox Reprint Series. (Pegasus Communications Inc.)
17. Draper Kauffman ( ) System One and System Two
18. M. Davidson, Uncommon sense: The life and thought of Ludwig von
Bertalanffy, Father of General Systems Theory (J. P. Tarcher, Inc)
19. Gerald Nadler, Shozo Hibino (1999) Creative Solution Finding: The Triumph
of Breakthrough Thinking over Conventional Problem Solving Prima
Publishing
20. Gerald Nadler, William Chandon ((2004) Smart Questions: Learn to Ask The
Right Questions For Powerful Results John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
21. Joseph O'Connor, Ian McDermott (1997) The Art of Systems Thinking:
Revolutionary Techniques to Transform Your Business and Your Life
HarperCollins.
22. Tom Ritchey (2002) General Morphological Analysis: A General Method for
Non-Quantified Modelling
23. Mitchell Resnick ( ) Turtles, Termites and Traffic Jams
24. Peter M. Senge (1990) The Fifth Discipline - The Art & Practice of The
Learning Organization (Currency Doubleday).
25. Senge, Kleiner, Roberts, Ross and Smith The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook
26. Dennis Sherwood ( ) Seeing the Forest for the Trees: A Manager’s Guide to
Applying Systems Thinking
27. Lars Skyttner (2006) General Systems Theory: Problems, Perspective,
Practice (World Scientific Publishing Company) ISBN 9-812-56467-5
28. Gerald M. Weinberg (1975) An Introduction to General Systems Thinking
(1975 ed., Wiley-Interscience) (2001 ed. Dorset House).
29. Brian Wilson (Systems) (1984) Systems: Concepts, Methodologies and
Applications. (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-92716-3
30. Brian Wilson (Systems) (2001) Soft Systems Methodology: Conceptual Model
Building and its Contribution. (Wiley) ISBN 0-471-89489-3
31. Heidi Leoti Davidz, Enabling Systems Thinking To Accelerate The
Development Of Senior Systems Engineers, Doctor Of Philosophy In
Engineering Systemsat The Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, February
2006
Disability Policy Statement
Any Student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to
register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of
verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure
the letter is delivered to the professor (or to TA) as early in the semester as possible.
DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213)740-0776.