From school we are taught to “analyze” what is complex, that is, to break it down into its different parts, because the whole is too “difficult.” By doing so, we end up not only losing the global vision, but also the meaning, meaning and scope of that same element in its context: we observe it as if it were an entity in itself. Thinking systemically, on the other hand, means being interested in the relationship that exists between the elements, in their evolution, in the connections (probable and improbable that they may be); It means moving from the category of the guilty/responsible to the logic of the conditions that have facilitated an event. In this Psychology-Online article we will see more precisely What is systems thinking with some examples, its characteristics and principles, as well as the benefits what’s wrong with it.
What is systems thinking
Systems thinking is the discipline that studies the causal and retroactive connections between events in order to understand, prevent and influence them at the lowest possible intervention cost. A field of studies aimed at understanding complex dynamic systems (such as humans), developed with the objective, among others, of efficiently guiding interventions and innovation efforts.
In other words, systems thinking is a way of thinking, it is a language for the description and understanding of the forces and interrelationships that shape the behavior of systems. This discipline helps us see how to modify systems more efficiently and act more in tune with the natural processes of the natural and economic world.
He systemic thinking it’s a set of methods and tools that focuses on systems (instead of its parts) as context for:
- Define and solve complex problems.
- Promote learning, development and application of more effective solutions.
At their best, systems thinking practices help us:
- Stop that action that leads us to go from one crisis to another.
- Think in less fragmented and more integrated ways.
If you want to know the , you will find them in this article. Related to systemic thinking, we find holistic thinking and also systemic psychology. In the following article, you can continue reading about .
Characteristics of systems thinking
The key elements of systems thinking:
- Interconnections. Systems thinking requires a change of perspective and moving from linear to circular thinking where each element is interconnected because, if it exists, it depends on or is caused by or causes something else.
- Change. It is the ability to detect change, because all systems are dynamic, there are always flows in motion between the elements.
- Summary. It is the ability to see the interconnections, to see the issue as a whole and its components.
- Feedback. Since everything is interconnected, systems thinking requires looking at the balancing or reinforcing effects that a given event generates. In other words, knowing how to identify flows and reactions.
- Randomness. It is the ability to figure out how things affect each other in a system.
Next we will see the principles and examples of systems thinking.
Principles of systems thinking
What are the basic principles of systems thinking? Focusing on the system rather than its parts means being able to see the system as a whole. To achieve this, it is essential to understand the deep relationships between the different components of the system: neglecting some of these (relevant) connections will have the effect of giving us a distorted vision of the system (incomplete, not true) and will lead us to make ineffective decisions. Herein lies one of the basic capabilities of the systems thinker: deepening the relationships existing in the system at a given moment. Here are the “Eleven Laws of Systems Thinking” by Peter Senge:
- Today’s problems arise from yesterday’s solutions.
- The more you push forward, the more you push back.
- Before it gets worse, the behavior improves.
- The easy way out usually brings us back to the inside of the problem.
- The cure may be worse than the disease.
- Faster is slower.
- Cause and effect are not closely related in time and space.
- Small changes can produce big results, but the areas where the best effects can occur are often the least obvious.
- They can eat the cake, but not immediately.
- Dividing an elephant in two does not give two elephants.
- There is no blame to attribute.
Benefits of systems thinking
- Systems thinking helps us understand the complexity of a problem without simplifications, taking into account how the different elements affect each other.
- Apply systems thinking helps see reality in interacting parts and to increase awareness of the short and long term consequences of our actions.
- Systems thinking allows gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of events, bringing to the surface the mechanisms and interactions that underlie, govern and define them.
- It is an instrument that exalts the recombination capabilities of our mindallowing you to reveal the intrinsic mechanisms of how things work, from partial to total, reading the complete sequence of interrelationships.
- The moment systemic thinking becomes as spontaneous as walking, the individual acquires almost a superpower, the mind receives new information and effortlessly filters it through a matrix of past experience that leads each new element to find its place and its connections, becoming part of a broader knowledge, well organized, easily accessible and always dynamically evolving.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Battista, R. (2020). Once we have completed the need to adopt the systemic pensiero. Retrieved from: https://www.italiachecambia.org/2020/04/necessita-adottare-pensiero-sistemico/
- CREDA (2021). Systemic thinker. Retrieved from: https://www.creda.it/pensiero-sistemico/
- Panetti, R. (2020). Essere creativi in contesti complessi. Methodology and creative tools to recognize opportunities and generate ideas and realize them. Milan: Franco Angeli.