What is Systems Thinking? And How to Use the Fifth Discipline to Understand it?

Systems thinking, also known as systems dynamics, combines understanding how complex systems integrate with each other and solving complicated problems that involve multiple inputs and outputs from these systems’ perspectives. The theory can also help us to build a clear vision of the system while proposing a solution that considers seeing the complex system as a whole picture rather than individual parts. This approach contributes to building a solution considering all the system’s aspects and related systems. In our previous article, The Six Systems Thinking Steps to Solve Complex Problems, we discussed systems thinking as a tool to solve complex problems.

Solving problems is not as easy a job. In many situations, the solutions themselves may lead to more complex problems without understanding the systems mindset, and the endeavours that attempt to solve a simple problem in a project or a company end up with catastrophic consequences. So, the question is, how can we solve a problem while trying to avoid causing the company further problems? The quick answer is to build a holistic approach to solving problems that is based on understanding systems’ mindsets and the interconnectedness between them.

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What is the Fifth Discipline?

One of the systems-thinking-related theories that propose an answer to this question is the Fifth Discipline theory. It was coined by Peter Sense, senior lecturer at MIT, in his book The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning organization. His theory focuses on transforming a firm into a learning organization through undressing complexity, developing a reflective conversation and fostering aspiration while systems mapping to achieve this transformation, these five disciplines were introduced in the book:

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– Personal Mastery refers to the employee’s personal ability to learn and grow. Employees who have high personal mastery are continually learning and improving their capabilities.

– Mental Models suggest that employees will develop their own mental characteristics based on their views, assumptions, and prejudices, and while their actions don’t align with what they say, their actions align with their mental models. Therefore, it is important for managers to understand the mental models of their employees in order to be effective system thinkers.

– Shared Vision refers to the picture of the future shared by the employees inside the organization that can be used to create a connection between them through common aspirations and motivation.

– Team Learning depends on personal mastery as it aims to align the team’s capabilities and develop them to achieve the holistic goal of the team or the organization.

– Systems Thinking refers to seeing the system as a whole rather than as individual parts. Systems thinking depends on the above disciplines to ensure they are building a smart system that is able to identify causes and effects and the implications of findings toward solving problems efficiently.

Fifth Discipline
The Fifth Discipline can turn the company into a learning organization.

 

What are the feedback loops?

Before xtending to the Fifth Disciplne laws, it is worth clarifying the term feedback loops and their main two loops. Feedback loops refer to the interconnections between the cause and effect in the system, and how the inputs and output are affecting each other within the system.  There are main two feedback loops that affect the systems’ components:

– Reinforcing feedback: In this loop, any change in the system can trigger a change in it in the same direction of the change itself.

– Balancing feedback: The system aims to balance (adaptive system). So, the more you push for change in the system, the system pushes back as it seeks balance.

feedback loops
The main concept of the feedback loop (Source: Wikipedia).

The 11 Laws of the Fifth Discipline

In association with the Fifth Discipline theory, Peter Sense suggested 11 laws that synthesis different situations that may face the application of a specific solution, which are assumed to result from a problem-solving process. One or more of the below situations may occur and have a negative impact on the problem-solving process. 

1- Today’s problems come from yesterday’s solutions

Since the organization is a connected system, the current problem is more than likely to result from a previous solution adopted either by existing colleagues or previous ones. So, before adopting any new solutions, it is very important to understand the history of the existing problem. What is the previous solution that produced it? Is the problem related to existing organizational policy or vision? If so, this means that any new solutions will turn out to also be a problem because of the company’s strategy or policy. The cause/effect diagram can help build a link between all the possible causes of the problem, including the previous solutions adopted by the organization.

2- The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back

When you plan to push the system toward a specific solution, the system tends to resist the change, resulting in a phenomenon known as “compensative feedback.” Through this process, the implementation of the solution should consider factors such as: how the system will accept the intervention and the expected feedback (response) from the system, how the changes will affect the existing elements inside the system, such as employees, and what different parties understand the benefits of the change to be. If the system is expected to push back against the solution, then the prior preparation stages can be implemented, such as partial applications of the solution or increasing the employee’s awareness of the benefits of the changes.

enforcement feedback loops
The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back.
3- Behaviour grows better before it grows worse

One of the more noticeable situations when applying a solution for a specific problem is that the system may start to backfire and interact in an undesirable way before showing improvement. For example, changing the project development process may cause negative effects, such as delays in the project delivery, chaos, and a lack of clarity among the project stakeholders. Once these side effects end, the benefits flow, and a better process is adopted that can improve the development cycle and final product. This can be solved by being prepared for this period. For example, the change in the process can be done outside the peak time or applied to a small group of employees first before adopting it with the entire team.

The 11 Laws can provide clear awareness of the problems that may occur while applying a problem-solving solution.

4- The easy way out usually leads back in

In some cases, the best solution is to understand the problem from a systematic approach to eliminate it. Systems thinking depends on having an understanding of the systems structures and the other related systems. Therefore, before solving a problem, it is important to understand more about it and how eliminating it will affect other related systems in order to avoid creating bigger problems. For example, using pesticides to eliminate field pests, such as frogs, may lead to increasing harmful insects. In this case, the solution should consider the consequences before adopting a solution.

5- The cure can be worse than the disease

The solution for problems can become worse than the original problem if the main problem is not well-defined. Sometimes, the proposed solution doesn’t fit the existing system or problem. In this situation, a clear understanding of the problem should help to suggest solutions that work with the existing system. For example, a company changes their design team because the product is not consumer-centred, which may cause the company to bring on a new team who isn’t familiar with the product, thus making the results worse. However, if a clear definition of the problem was set in the beginning, we may end up realizing that more communication between both the marking team and the design team was the only solution needed.

6- Faster is slower

If the solution aims to increase the system productivity beyond its optimal rate, the system may actually slow down to compensate for this change in growth rate. All systems have an optimal growth rate, which is far less than its fastest growth rate. If the problem tends to increase the rate over the optimal growth rate, the system will react by slowing down its growth to reach the optimal growth rate. For example, if you push employees to work harder for a longer period of time, you end up with a burnt-out team who slows down their progress in order to overcome their exhaustion.

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

When we covered the cause/effect relationship in a previous article, we didn’t cover how they relate. Many people think that the cause of the problem, the effect of the problem, or the problem itself are connected in terms of time and space. However, the cause or number of causes may create effects at different times and locations. For example, if transportation costs increase, the future prices for a product may increase in the market, which causes the consumer satisfaction rate to decrease…etc.

8- Small changes can produce big results—but the areas of the highest leverage are often the least obvious

Small, well-focused solutions can lead to demonstrate significant impacts, especially when they are implemented in the right place and time. For example, finding the right combination of procedures to solve a problem can contribute to building a long-term, sustainable solution.

9- You can have your cake and eat it too — but not all at once

A majority of problem-solvers base their decisions on the “either-or” selection method, as they believe that problem-solving tools can only provide one solution in a specific amount of time. However, the systems thinking method teaches us to consider the big picture. We can provide a complete solution that accomplishes all the required goals if we consider achieving these solutions based on a determined timeline. In this context, we need to understand the problem, the company, and if the problem is actually an effect of a bigger issue.

10- Dividing an elephant in half does not produce two small elephants

Problems need to be seen as a whole rather than as individual parts. Dividing problems into sub-divisions may lead to more problems than solutions. Subsequently, the solution should be planned with consideration for the whole system or organization rather than individual departments.

11- There is no blame

One of the common difficulties when solving problems is to point the finger at someone as the sole guilty person. However, in system thinking, everyone is part of a whole system. So, me, you and the other stakeholders are all part of the problem and the solution. The solution should always consider the stakeholders while planning the solution. For example, solving problems requires the involvement of all of the stakeholders in order to learn about each one’s perception of the problem and suggested solutions.

Problem solvers face challenging issues related to the application of their solutions in reality, which may lead to failed problem-solving processes. If we look at the systems thinking theory, we may find solutions for these practical issues through understanding the system behaviour and variables. The 11 Laws of the Fifth Discipline highlighted situations that problem-solvers face when applying systems thinking as a problem-solving method inside organizations. Considering the above 11 laws during the problem-solving process may contribute to building a real and applicable solution.

Bibiliography

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

Wright, D., & Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in systems. Earthscan.

What is system thinking?

The systems thinking, also known as systems dynamics, combines understanding how complex systems integrate with each other and solve complicated problems that involve multiple inputs and outputs from these systems perspective.

What is the Fifth Discipline?

Fifth Discipline theory. It was coined by Peter Sense, senior lecturer at MIT, in his book The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning organization. His theory focuses on transforming a firm into a learning organization through undressing complexity, developing a reflective conversation and fostering aspiration while systems mapping to achieve this transformation.

What are the feedback loops?

Feedback loops refer to the interconnections between the cause and effect in the system, and how the inputs and output are affecting each other within the system.  There are main two feedback loops that affect the systems’ components: reinforced feedback loop and balanced feedback loop.

What are the 11 Laws of the Fifth Discipline?

1- Today’s problems come from yesterday’s solutions
2- The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back 
3- Behavior grows better before it grows worse
4- The easy way out usually leads back in
5- The cure can be worse than the disease
6- Faster is slower
7- Cause and effect are not closely related in time and space
8- Small changes can produce big results—but the areas of the highest leverage are often the least obvious
9- You can have your cake and eat it too — but not all at once
10- Dividing an elephant in half does not produce two small elephants
11- There is no blame

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Dr Rafiq Elmansy

I'm an academic, author and design thinker, currently teaching design at the University of Leeds with a research focus on design thinking, design for health, interaction design and design for behaviour change. I developed and taught design programmes at Wrexham Glyndwr University, Northumbria University and The American University in Cairo. Additionally, I'm a published book author and founder of Designorate.com. I am a fellow for the Higher Education Academy (HEA), the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), and an Adobe Education Leader. I write Adobe certification exams with Pearson Certiport. My design experience involves 20 years working with clients such as the UN, World Bank, Adobe, and Schneider. I worked with the Adobe team in developing many Adobe applications for more than 12 years.

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