Guidelines for Systems Thinking Practice — the 14 Habits
On this page 4 headings
Start here Systems thinking isn’t a subject you finish. It’s a way of seeing that you build one habit at a time. Prof. Shiva’s challenge: master one habit every 15 days, and in a year you’ll be one of the few true systems thinkers around.
The 14 habits of a systems thinker
From the Waters Center for Systems Thinking. The habits marked ✓ were explained in this week’s lectures.
| # | Habit | Covered |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seeks to understand the big picture | ✓ |
| 2 | Observes how elements change over time, generating patterns and trends | ✓ |
| 3 | Recognises that a system’s structure generates its behaviour | ✓ |
| 4 | Identifies the circular nature of complex cause-and-effect relationships | ✓ |
| 5 | Makes meaningful connections within and between systems | ✓ |
| 6 | Changes perspectives to increase understanding | |
| 7 | Surfaces and tests assumptions | ✓ |
| 8 | Considers an issue fully and resists the urge to come to a quick conclusion | ✓ |
| 9 | Considers how mental models affect current reality and the future | ✓ |
| 10 | Uses understanding of system structure to identify possible leverage actions | ✓ |
| 11 | Considers short-term, long-term and unintended consequences of actions | ✓ |
| 12 | Pays attention to accumulations and their rates of change | ✓ |
| 13 | Recognises the impact of time delays when exploring cause and effect | ✓ |
| 14 | Checks results and changes actions if needed: “successive approximation” | ✓ |
What “mastering a habit” means: you follow it, remember it, use it, apply it, and teach it.
Questions to ask yourself
| Question | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| How can I look beyond this problem, more broadly? | See the connections behind the event |
| How could other people’s perspectives help me? | You may be wrong, and you only find out by looking at others’ views |
| How will my solution play out over the long run? | Think about consequences |
| What unintended consequences might happen? | Avoid “Operation Cat Drop” surprises |
| How do my current actions limit me from seeing other options? | Open up new choices |
Books to read
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| The Fifth Discipline | Peter Senge. “The book that completely changed my life,” says Prof. Shiva. |
| Thinking in Systems | Donella Meadows, an expert on systems thinking. A little harder to read. |
Also: the Waters Center for Systems Thinking website (habits and exercises), and simple online articles on systems thinking.
Prof. Shiva’s closing thought: “If there is one subject that teaches wisdom, this is the one.” Look at your own life and others’ lives as systems, and you will understand life better.
In one line: Practise the 14 habits one at a time, ask broader questions, read Senge and Meadows, and use systems thinking to understand life wisely. Exam words: 14 habits of a systems thinker, Waters Center for Systems Thinking, The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge, Thinking in Systems, Donella Meadows, other perspectives, wisdom.