Unveiling Complexity- A Look at Systems Thinking

Unveiling Complexity- A Look at Systems Thinking

Systems thinking is a practice that involves the investigation of the interaction of factors that could contribute to a possible outcome. It is more of a mindset than a set of recommended rules that may lead to the occurrence of a desired result (Arnold & Wade, 2015). As a mindset, systems thinking helps individuals or teams learn how they may collaborate toward attaining the desired result. As the name suggests, systems thinking emanates from a unit system that may comprise two or multiple individuals (Arnold & Wade, 2015). For instance, the family consists of members whose individual decisions and interactions lead to specific outcomes. Also, a class is another excellent example of a system, with the interaction of different tools and teacher and student decisions collectively impacting student outcomes.

One of the significant characteristics of systems thinking is that it is holistic. In this case, holistic means looking at the whole instead of just a part of a system (Dugan et al., 2021). For instance, if one is undertaking a project, it is essential to consider all relevant patterns and behaviors and how they influence the entire project. Also, one may consider the stakeholders in a project and how they will be affected by the project before proceeding. Another vital characteristic of systems thinking is the willingness to inquire (Senge, 2006). Accordingly, this requires naming a problem and considering the different factors that contribute to the problem. While doing this, one should be disciplined and avoid bias to determine the contributing factors to a problem.

An excellent example of a situation where I applied systems thinking was while I was working in a newly established local restaurant. In the beginning, we experienced low sales, a trend that would badly hurt the business if sustained. We were forced to consider multiple factors contributing to the low sales, including possible poor customer service, below-par culinary expertise, and poor menu choice. We made changes across the system, and eventually, sales improved. This would not have been possible if we limited our investigation to a single factor.

References

Arnold, R. D., & Wade, J. P. (2015). A definition of systems thinking: A systems approach. Procedia Computer Science, 44(44), 669–678. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050915002860

Dugan, K. E., Mosyjowski, E. A., Daly, S. R., & Lattuca, L. R. (2021). Systems thinking assessments in engineering: A systematic literature review. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 39(4), 840–866. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2808

Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. Currency Doubleday.

Unit 1.1 DB: Systems ThinkingUnit 1.1 DB: Systems Thinking
Describe systems thinking in your own words. Use resources from this unit or from your own research to support your description. Also, please discuss a time you have used systems thinking to solve a problem. How does your example meet your definition of systems thinking?
In response to your classmates, compare/contrast your descriptions of systems thinking. What are the similarities and what are the gaps?

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Unit 1.1 DB: Systems ThinkingUnit 1.1 DB: Systems Thinking
Describe systems thinking in your own words. Use resources from this unit or from your own research to support your description.

Also, please discuss a time you have used systems thinking to solve a problem. How does your example meet your definition of systems thinking?
In response to your classmates, compare/contrast your descriptions of systems thinking. What are the similarities and what are the gaps?