Applying Systems Thinking and
Common Archetypes to Organizational Issues
Module 2: Organizational Learning and Systems Thinking Framework
Steps in Systems Thinking
The iceberg image provides an outline for the Steps in Systems Thinking and for this program. In Module 3 (Systems Language) and Module 6 (Systems Archetypes), we will focus on feedback loops as a tool for identifying structure. In Module 4, we will review the Going Deeper questions to identify more intangible structures including mental models, beliefs, and culture. In Module 4, we will also develop our theories about how to improve the system as we plan interventions. In Module 5, we will focus on more tools for identifying intangible structures. When you are more familiar with all these tools, we will apply the steps to case situations in Module 7.
EVENTS
1. State the Issue & Tell the Story: Begin your inquiry with the evidence. What are some of the facts that make you or others think that there is an issue?
PATTERNS
2. Graph Performance Patterns Over Time: What are the trends?
3. Establish Creative Tension & Draft a Focusing Question: When the trends are visible, we can state how this reality differs from our vision. A good focusing question describes the patterns in the context of what we want. For example: Why, despite our efforts to improve quality, do we continue to miss deadlines?
STRUCTURE
4. Identify Structural Explanations: What are key causes and consequences of the trends we observe? How do the consequences, particularly our own responses to the situation, become the cause of more problems?
5. Apply the Going Deeper Questions: What are the deeper structures that keep this set of causes and consequences in place? Is this system successfully accomplishing a purpose other than the stated one? Are beliefs and values causing the situation to persist?
6. Plan an Intervention: Based on our understanding of the structure, what is our hypothesis about how to change it? What general approaches are needed? What specific actions?
7. Assess the Results: Since our intervention is based on a theory of the situation, the results of our attempts to improve things provide new data, allowing us to continue through the steps again, if necessary.