Category: Articles
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All Methods Are Wrong. Some Methods Are Useful.
Interest in systems concepts is reviving and broadening. However, the sheer size of the field poses a dilemma for both newcomers and those who…
Appreciative Inquiry: Igniting Transformative Action
In the streets of Seattle, Washington, last year, the world witnessed a striking expression of social concern. An array of highly disparate groups —…
What Are Mental Models? Part 2
TEAM TIP Look for things that rise and fall in your organization, such as employee motivation, product sales, progress on goals, etc. What are…
Moving from Knower to Learner
Contrary to popular opinion, learning is not the process of merely accumulating more information. You have “learned” something only when you can produce a…
From Causal Loops to Graphical Functions: Articulating Chaos
This month we continue our look at Graphical Function Diagrams (GFD). GFD’s help us visually see how two variables are interrelated by plotting the relationship…
Balancing Loop Basics
Reinforcing processes, which we covered in last month’s issue, are only one of the building blocks of complex systems. While the snowballing effect of…
Creating Business Results Through Team Learning
As of 1993, Sigma Tech (a fictional name) was one of the most successful small corporations in the U.S. The company’s business was both…
Operational Thinking
The first three systems thinking skills help you establish an extensive (breadth) and intensive (depth) boundary for your mental or computer-based model. The next…
Systems Thinking as a Language
Language has a subtle, yet powerful effect on the way we view the world. English, like most other Western languages, is linear—its basic sentence…
Guidelines for Daily Systems Thinking Practice
Individual Practice Becoming a seasoned systems thinker starts with a strong commitment to developing your own awarenesses and skills. Ask Different Questions. Systems thinking offers…