Applying Systems Thinking and
Common Archetypes to Organizational Issues
Getting Started
Welcome to Applying Systems Thinking and Common Archetypes to Organizational Issues.
Organizations often try to solve problems or improve performance with information from the surface – or “tip of the iceberg” – rather than exploring the lower, more meaningful structures. Systems Thinking provides a disciplined way of understanding the underlying organizational structure and dynamic relationships among data, information and people. Most importantly, it expands individual and collective thinking skills and improves individual and collective decision-making by focusing attention on the causes of performance problems and the systems changes that will produce improved results.
Before diving in to the course itself, take a few minutes to read about the eight modules and coursework ahead of you. We’ll explain the significance of the iceberg metaphor, review course goals, summarize each of the course modules, and provide tips for getting the most out of the material.
Applying Systems Thinking and Common Archetypes to Organizational Issues introduces the organizational learning discipline of Systems Thinking. Systems Thinking was popularized in a book called The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. The author, Peter Senge, refers to Systems Thinking as the fifth discipline, one that defines leadership primarily in terms of building shared vision and fostering teamwork.
For those of you who have already completed a basic workshop, this course is a good reinforcement and resource.