![]() Watch out: giving people information that moves their behavior in the WRONG direction - like “there are only 50K left in the budget, and whoever puts in their PO first gets to use it” which causes a race to the bottomģ) Think about the Rules: Simplify the rules, change who makes the rules, and what the rules encourage.Application: Is there a clear dashboard that showcases the most important metrics that define success? Is the information shared flexibly and fluidly that reflects the most current picture?.The people with a gas meter in a visible place in their house used a lot less gas. Example: In Thinking in Systems, Donella gives the example of an electric meter in a Dutch housing development.Do not distort, delay or withhold information. Systems work better with more timely, more accurate, and more complete information. Balance: How can we introduce more examples of what good leadership looks like in an organization? How can we reward people for acting in a new way?Ģ) Adding or restoring information flows that encourage accountability. Application: Think about the warning signs: How will we know when we are in a culture of busyness and action? What will it look like? Interrupt: Stop promoting people exhibiting those behaviors, coaching to upskill and learn new ways of leading. ![]() That reinforcing loop will continue to drive behavior until the organization is so busy and hardworking that there is no room for other types of leadership. An organizational example is where leaders are promoted because of their ability to appear busy and hardworking and NOT because of their ability to drive meaningful outcomes.Ways we’ve tried to interrupt and balance this loop are taxes, antitrust laws, charity, welfare, etc. Example: The classic example here is rich people get richer because they have more money which gathers more interest and allows people to invest in more ways to make money.There are three approaches to doing this: name the warning signs, interrupt and balance. It’s important to recognize when these exist and think about how to interrupt these forces. These types of reinforcing loops can accelerate systems in the wrong direction - fast. The following approaches are some of the most powerful levers for shifting the behavior of systems.ġ) Weaken reinforcing loops that are moving your system in the wrong direction. Applying a systems lens means instead of seeing specific events and trying to solve those specific events in unique/siloed ways, we can see when tensions or opportunities are representative of the patterns, structures, or cycles in systems so that we can name the problem and address the real, underlying cause. Now that you have a snapshot of the system, it’s time to consider your approach. What are the outside forces acting on this system?.How does information and money flow through this system?.What are the rules that this system plays by?.What are the purpose and goals of the system?.What are the major groups or structures in your system?.Who are the key players and influencers?.Just try to roughly capture it as you understand it - here are a few questions you can ask: In a large, complex system, it is almost impossible to understand all of these parts with 100% accuracy, so don’t strive for that. Donella outlines these as elements, interconnections, and purpose. I wanted to share these with others who are facing big, complicated systems problems - and asking yourself: where do I start?įirst things first, it’s helpful to try and understand the basic units of the system. Over the years, I’ve adapted and applied her many insights to my work. ![]() The way she breaks down complex systems into easy-to-understand examples, stories, and metaphors is unparalleled. When I’m stuck on a big, messy change problem, I find myself returning to Thinking in Systems by Donella H.
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