Category: Articles
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Changing Our Systems by Changing Our Brains: The Leverage in Mindfulness
According to recent findings in neuroscience, not only do sensory experiences and actions change the brain’s physical structure, but so does thinking. Concentrating on…
Communities of Practice: Learning as a Social System
You are a claims processor working for a large insurance company. You are good at what you do, but although you know where your…
The Promise of Systems Thinking for Shifting Fundamental Dynamics
People in Guatemala—smart people—were working harder, hiring brighter people, raising more money, doing better projects, and getting improved results. And yet, what they sought…
Why Few Organizations Adopt Systems Thinking
I frequently talk to groups of managers on the nature of systems thinking and its radical implications to management. In doing so, I use…
Hexagons: From Ideas to Variables
System thinking tools, such as causal loop diagrams, foster high-quality thinking, communication, and decision-making in teams. But plunging into the realm of complex, dynamic…
Guidelines for Drawing Causal Loop Diagrams
The old adage “if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail” can also apply to language.
Managing Your Time as a Leader
Many leaders feel starved for time. Working under the assumption that longer hours lead to improved productivity, they drive themselves and others to increase…
Learning and Leading Through the Badlands
We hear a lot about complexity in the business world today — specifically, that increasing complexity is making it tougher than ever for companies…
Value Creation and Business Success
The most successful organizations understand that the purpose of any business is to create value for customers, employees, and investors, and that the interests…
Moving from Blame to Accountability
When something goes wrong in an organization, the first question that is often posed is, “Whose fault is it?” When there’s data missing in…