The old adage “if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail” can also apply to language.

We can gain leverage for improving conversations by paying attention to advocacy and inquiry. Advocacy is stating one’s views. Describing what I think, disclosing…

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…

The most successful organizations understand that the purpose of any business is to create value for customers, employees, and investors, and that the interests…

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…

I frequently talk to groups of managers on the nature of systems thinking and its radical implications to management. In doing so, I use…

Your daughter was sick last night and you didn’t get much sleep. Tony’s car was rear-ended on the way to the office. Vivian has…

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…

Systems thinking can be thought of as a language for communicating about complexity and interdependencies (see “Systems Thinking as a Language,” Viewpoint, April 1991). To…

During the mid-1980s, a large high-technology company launched a project to begin thinking more systemically about strategy. “COPEX” (a fictional name) designed, manufactured, sold,…