Innovation in Management Series Applying Systems Archetypes, So, you’ve chosen a problem you want to address using systems thinking tools. You gather together some coworkers, round up some flip-chart paper and markers, and sit down to work. But after an hour of trying to match your issue to a particular archetype (and drawing diagrams that quickly look like spaghetti!), you give up. It all seems so simple when you read about it, why is it so difficult to actually do? Applying the systems archetypes can be quite challenging. But there are actually four effective ways to use them: (1) as “lenses,” (2) as structural pattern templates, (3) as dynamic scripts (or theories), and (4) as tools for predicting behavior. Each approach provides a different method for generating discussion or gaining insight into a problem. One method, or a combination of them, may best fit your team’s particular situation or preferred learning style. So, before you get caught up in the notion that there’s only one “right” way to use these tools, read this volume to see how these four approaches can help you take effective action in problem solving.