Systems Thinking
Part 2
Louis Rowitz, PhD
Director Mid-America Regional
Public Health Leadership Institute
Systems thinking creates a new
language for communicating about
complexities and interdependencies.
Systems thinking language is circular
rather then linear, focusing on closed
interdependencies.
X
Assessment
=
Z
Y
Assurance
Policy Development
Systems thinkers use visual
language in diagram from which is a
powerful means of communication
because it distills the essence of a
problem into a format that can be
easily remembered.
Within the framework of systems
thinking, “us” and “them” are part of
the same system and thus
responsible for both the problems
and their solutions.
Levels of Understanding
Levels of
Understanding
Action Mode
Shared Vision
Generative
Systemic Structure
Creative
Patterns of Events
Adaptive
Events
Reactive
Time
Orientation
Future
Typical
Questions
What are the stated or unstated
visions that generate the
structures?
What are the mental or
organizational structures that
create the patterns?
What kinds of trends or
patterns of events seem to be
recurring?
Present
What is the fastest way to react
to this event NOW?
Four Systems Thinking Tools
 Brainstorming Tools
 Dynamic Thinking Tools
 Structural Thinking Tools
 Computer-Based Tools
• Reinforcing and balancing loops are
the building blocks of complex social
systems.
• Reinforcing loop produces growth
and decay – compound change in
one direction with even more change
• Balancing loop generate the realities
associated with change- factors that
resist further increases in a given
direction
Brainstorming Tools
The Double Q Diagram
Qualitative and Quantitative
Hard
Factors
(Quantitative)
The Issue
Soft
Factors
(Qualitative)
Visual Map of the Key Factor Related to an Issue
Dynamic Thinking Tools
Dynamic relationships between variables
 Behavior Over Time
 Causal Loops
 Systems Archetypes
Behavior Over Time
A
Performance
Level
B
Time
Example
Behavior Over Time
Supportive
Behavior
Performance
Level
Employee
Performance
Supervisor
Supportive
Behavior
Unsupportive
Behavior
Time
Causal Loop
B
R= Reinforcing
R
B= Balancing
A
B
C
Guidelines to Causal Loops
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Select a clear theme
Determination of time dimension
Behavior over time charts
Set boundaries around the theme
Level of aggregation-patterns of events
Significant delay factors
Causal Loop
R= Reinforcing
B= Balancing
Stress
B1
Alcohol Use
R2
Productivity
Health
System Archetype
Aid in the Recognition of common system behavior








Drifting Goals
Escalation
Fixes that Fail
Growth and Underinvestment
Limits to Success
Shifting the Burden
Success to be Successful
Tragedy of the Commons
Drifting Goals
o
Goal
B2
Pressure to
Lower Goal
s
s
Gap
o
s
B1
Actual
s
Corrective
Action
Escalation
s
Activity
by A
A’s Result
B1
s
B’s Result
o
Quality of A’s Position
Relative to B’s
B2
s
Threat
to A
o
s
Threat
to B
s
Activity
by B
s
Fixes that Fail
s
Problem
Symptom
Fix
B1
o
s
R2
Unintended
Consequence
s
Growth and Underinvestment
Growth
Effort
R1
s
s
Demand
s
B2
Performance
Standard
o
Performance
Capacity
s
s
B3
o
s
Perceived Need
to Invest
Investment
in Capacity s
Limits to Success
Constraint
R1
Efforts
s
s
o
s
B2
Performance
Limiting
Action
s
Shifting the Burden/Addiction
Symptomatic
Solution
s
B1
R3
s
o
o
Problem
Symptom
Side-Effect
s
B2
Fundamental
Solution
s
o
Success to the Successful
s
Success of A
s
Success of B
o
s
s
Allocation to A
Instead of B
R1
Resources
to A
s
R2
o
Resources
to B
Tragedy of Commons
s
R1
s
s
Total
Activity
s
R4
s
s
Net Gains
for A
A’s
Activity
B5
o
R3
Gain per
Individual
Activity
o
B’s
Activity
R2
Resource
Limit
o
B6
s
Net Gains
for B
s
s