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Date Submitted: 03/31/2013 08:53 AM
A BEGINNER’S
GUIDE TO
SYSTEMS THINKING
Edited by Colleen Lannon
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SYSTEMS THINKING AS A LANGUAGE
BY
MICHAEL
anguage has a subtle, yet powerful
effect on the way we view the
world. English, like most other Western
languages, is linear—its basic sentence construction, noun-verb-noun, translates into
a worldview of “x causes y.”This linearity
predisposes us to focus on one-way relationships rather than circular or mutually
causative ones, where x influences y, and y
in turn influences x. Unfortunately, many
of the most vexing problems confronting
managers and corporations today are
caused by a web of tightly interconnected
circular relationships.To enhance our
understanding and communication of such
problems, we need a language more naturally suited to the task.
L
R.
GOODMAN
Diagrams also facilitate learning.
Studies have shown that many people learn
best through representational images, such
as pictures or stories.A systems diagram is
a powerful means of communication
because it distills the essence of a problem
into a format that can be easily remembered, yet is rich in implications and
insights.
A systems diagram is a
powerful means of
communication because it
distills the essence of a
problem into a format that can
ELEMENTS OF THE
LANGUAGE
Systems thinking can be thought of as a
language for communicating about complexities and interdependencies. In particular, the following qualities make systems
thinking a useful framework for discussing
and analyzing complex issues:
• Focuses on “closed interdependencies.” The language of systems thinking is
circular rather than linear. It focuses on
closed interdependencies, where x...