LAWS OF SYSTEMS

THINKING
1.
Today’s problems come from
yesterdays solutions

Too often time, solutions are made haphazardly, without thinking of the
whole picture.
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2. The harder you push, the harder the
system pushes back

Pushing the issue without alternative plans will lead to weariness on your
part.
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3. Behavior grows better before it
grows worse.

Making short term solutions give short-term relief as well

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4. The easy way out leads back in

Leaders often use their arsenal of tried-and-tested “quick fixes” to problems

just because those problems were like the ones encountered before.
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5. The cure can be worse than the
disease

“Give a man a fish and he will live for a day; teach a man to fish and he will
live for a lifetime”
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6. Faster is slower.

A fast often leads to a slow cure.

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7. Cause and effect are not closely
related in time and space

It is not all the time that effects and consequences can be seen after the
cause has been activated
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8. Small changes can produce big
results-but the areas of highest
leverage are often the least obvious

Small, focused actions at the right place in the system can produce the
biggest and best changes.
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9. You can have your cake and eat it
too-but not all at once

Often, problems are not solved by black/white, either/or thinking. Solutions

can be both
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10. Dividing an elephant in half
does not produce two small
elephants

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11. There is no blame

In a system, there is no “other”

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Things You Should Know About Systems
Thinking
1. Systems thinking is not a natural act

2. Systems thinking can be taught (but

not to everyone, unfortunately)
3. The best way to develop your systems
thinking abilities is through
experiential learning

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Inspiration
How to Think Like Leonardo
The Seven Secrets of How to
da Vinci (Gelb 1998)
Think Like A Rocket
Scientist (Longuski 2010)

“Think of the end before the

beginning”
Secret #2: Work on the big
picture 14
Systems Thinking
Competencies

1. Ability to define the “universe” appropriately – the system operates in

this universe
2. Ability to define the overall system appropriately – defining the right
boundaries
3. Ability to see relationships – within the system and between the
system and universe
4. Ability to see things holistically – within and across relationships
5. Ability to understand complexity – how relationships yield uncertain,
dynamic, nonlinear states and situations
6. Ability to communicate across disciplines – to bring multiple
perspectives to bear
7. Ability to take advantage of a broad range of concepts, principles, 15
models, methods and tools – because any one view is inevitably
Systems Thinking

“Utilizing modal elements to

consider the componential,
relational, contextual, and
dynamic elements of the
system of interest.”

Davidz, H. L. and Nightingale, D. J. “Enabling Systems Thinking To Accelerate the Development of

Senior Systems Engineers,” Systems Engineering, Vol. 11, No. 1, 2008.

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“Maybe pushing on that wall to the right will give some space.”

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“Oops!”

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Why is systems thinking not a natural
act?
▪ Human evolution has favored mechanisms tuned
to dealing with immediate surface features of
problems
▫ “programmed” human tendencies
▪ Mechanistic/reductionist approach in decision
making
▫ Driven by education
▪ Complexity of the systems overwhelms our
cognitive capabilities
▫ Bounded rationality, predictably irrational
▫ Magic number 7, plus or minus two
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Why is thinking
essential?

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It expands the range of choices
available for solving problem

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It provides tools to describe and
communicate our understanding
of the systems

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It make us aware that there are no
perfect solutions

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It serves as a diagnostic tool that
surfaces one’s mental models
which contain deeply ingrained
beliefs and assumptions

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