This document provides an introduction to systems thinking for school leaders. It defines a system as a set of interconnected parts that produce emergent behaviors not present in the individual parts. Systems thinking recognizes that the world consists of highly interconnected technical and social entities organized in hierarchies that produce complex and uncertain behaviors. The document discusses key concepts in systems thinking including layers, loops, and processes to understand how change happens within systems. It emphasizes integrating both hard, physical aspects and soft, human aspects of systems and considering purpose, stakeholders, and relationships between components that influence system performance.
Patient Counselling. Definition of patient counseling; steps involved in pati...
What are systems and how does this apply to school leadership
1. Introduction to Systems Thinking
for School Leaders
What are systems?
Ruth Deakin Crick
With thanks to Patrick Godfrey and David
Blockley and the Systems Centre
Chile January 2014
Learning together
3. What are Systems?
Exploration of
- what a system is
- what systems thinking is
In the context of the
need for social
sustainability and
resilience
- why systems thinking is needed
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4. What are systems
“A system is a set of parts
which, when combined, have
qualities that are not present
in any of the parts
themselves. Those qualities
are the emergent properties
of the system.
Source: ‘Creating systems that work’ Royal
Academy of Engineering 2007
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5. Introducing systems thinking
Systems Thinking is a way of
thinking used to address complex
and uncertain real world problems.
It recognises that the world is a set
of highly interconnected technical
and social entities which are
hierarchically organised producing
emergent behaviour.
INCOSE UK Z7 Guide
http://www.incoseonline.org.uk/Documents/
zGuides/Z7_Systems_Thinking_WEB.pdf
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6. What is a system?
Input
Output
Essentially it is any two or more elements that are
interconnected for a purpose.
Difference between Output and Input = Change
Emergence: A systems is said to have ‘Synergy’ when
the whole is more than the sum of its parts. We design
systems to get a synergistic outcome.
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7. A complex system
Output or
Outcome
Input
Many to many connections
Influencing or sending messages
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10. Your Systems
• Technically
– Brain
– Skeleton
– Nervous
– Skin
– Blood circulation
– Sensory
– Emotional
– Cognitive
Complicated!
• How does that relate to
– your environment
– your feelings
– You!
Complex!
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11. What are systems
“Engineers are increasingly concerned
with complex systems, in which the
parts interact with each other and with
the outside world in many ways – the
relationships between the parts
determine how the system behaves.
Intuition rarely predicts the behaviour of
novel complex systems.”
Source: ‘Creating systems that work’
Royal Academy of Engineering 2007
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12. Consortium on Chicago School
Research (CSSR) Bryk et al 2010
"schools are complex organisations consisting of
multiple interacting sub-systems. Each subsystem
involves a mix of human and social factors that shape
the activities that occur and the meaning that individuals
attribute to these events. These social interactions are
bounded by various rules, roles and prevailing practices
that, in combination with technical resources, constitute
schools as formal organisations. In a simple sense,
almost everything interacts with everything else".
Source: Organising Schools for Improvement: lessons from Chicago, Chicago
University Press, 2009:45.
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13. 6 Principles
1. Debate, define, revise and pursue
the purpose
2. Think holistically
3. Follow a systematic procedure
4. Be creative
5. Take account of the people
6. Manage the project and the
relationships.
Source: ‘Creating systems that work’
Royal Academy of Engineering 2007
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14. A Systems Thinker’s Goal is to fulfil Purpose
• Purpose is the result, outcome or effect that is
intended from the system. Purpose is the answer to
the question: Why are we doing this? It is the driver of
intended change and defines unintended
consequences.
• A requirement is an unambiguous statement of a
capability that the system must deliver. A requirement
is expressed in operational terms (what the system
will do) rather than solutions (how the system will do
it).
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15. 1st Emperor of China
Qin Shihuang
(259 - 210BC)
A great systems thinker
Purpose Unification of
China
• Constantly assailed by
warring neighbours
Qin decided to unify
China within its natural
boundaries.
• He did it in 10 years!
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16. Defined the Boundaries
• The sea, Himalayas, Great Wall.
• By Emperor Qin’s order, in nine
years, they connected all the
existing bits and pieces, restored
and extended them.
• Hence the shape of the Great
Wall was formed.
• It was roughly 5,000 km long and
ran from west to east, separating
China from Mongolia.
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17. Developing synergy
Whole > ∑ Parts
Strategy: make friends with distant states whilst making
war with the neighbours!
• He established prefectures and counties, ruled
directly by the emperor.
• Based on the original rules of the Qin State, the
emperor adopted some regulations of other rival
states to form a workable law of the Qin Dynasty.
• In economy, he claimed that both the agriculture and
commerce were very important. People should have
them developed together.
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21. Standardisation of weights and measures
Imperial edict of Qin reads:
“In Year 26, the Emperor has
defeated all dukes and annexed
the whole land. The whole land
under the sky is at peace and the
first Emperor has been entitled.
The Prime Minister is sent to
check the weights and measures
and this measure is authorised.”
Integrating
Soft (people) and
hard (physical)
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Imperial Edict on:
Copper plate 99 X 62 X 2 mm
Probably attached to a wooden
measure
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26. Processes….
Leaders
Learning
Developing a shared, rich and multifaceted language and values for
learning across the whole community
Leading for Effective Teaching
Leading, modelling and planning for
complexity
Evaluating wider outcomes and using
data holistically for improvement
Harnessing collective intelligence
27. Teacher
Learning
Designing teacher authentic enquiry
aimed at student deep learning and
engagement
Research Informed practice
Teaching for Effective Learning
Collaborative learning across schools
Using technology to enhance
collaborative learning
Professional learning (accredited and
non accredited) as a pathway to impact
for research
28. Taking responsibility for my own learning
processes and performance
Student
learning
Understanding myself as a learner
Knowing how to construct new knowledge
through authentic enquiry
Authentic assessment and performance
Service learning and citizenship as an
outcome of authentic enquiry
Using EnquiryBlogger to enhance my
learning
30. Framework for Systems Thinking
Integrating models
Starting here
Parts, wholes
and layers
Connections
and loops
Processes
How change happens
Context
Belief systems
Perceptions
Viewpoints
Boundary (open or closed)
Holon/Hierarchy
Emergence
Synergy
Relationships
Communications
Feedback / Foresight
Learning loops / Life cycles
Purpose
Requirements
Progress/Evidence
Opportunity and risk
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31. Boundaries outside - inside
Meta = µετά =
"after", "beyond"
Outcomes or outputs
Outside = Meta-system
Inside
Systems boundary
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32. Holon - anything both a part and a whole
A bigger
holon
Another holon
Another holon
Another holon
Holon
Another holon
Another holon
Another holon
Another holon
Another holon
Layers of holons
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33. Inside outside layers - nested models
• Systems within systems
• Each provides the context
for the ones inside
• Particularly helpful when
describing human
behaviour
The first Russian nesting doll!
- Matryoshka 1890
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34. Boundaries on Bio-fuel?
• Why - the purpose of the System?
• How?
Supplying Energy
Supplying
Renewable
bio-fuels
Supplying
Non - Renewable
using heat
pumps
wind
hydro
tidal
solar
coal
oil &
gas
nuclear
tar
sands
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35. Boundaries on Bio-fuel?
We need to understand
relationships between components
– system architectures
Supplying Energy
Supplying Food
food miles
renewable
bio-fuels
fertilisers
non-renewable
It helps to have a framework orientated to purpose
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44. Systems Orientation Chart
Soft, people
Engagement
in learning
simple
small
short term
many
tactical
tame
closed
Leadership
decisioning
examinations
timetables
Accounts
complex
large
long term
unique
strategic
wicked & messy
open
Health and safety
Hard, physical
After Oxenham D. (2008)
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45. Group Work : fill in the chart for your
school system
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46. Loops
Integrating models
Parts, wholes
and layers
Now here
Connections
and loops
Processes
How change happens
Context
Belief systems
Perceptions
Viewpoints
Boundary (open or closed)
Holon/Hierarchy
Emergence
Synergy
Relationships
Communications
Feedback / Foresight
Learning loops / Life cycles
Purpose
Requirements
Progress/Evidence
Opportunity and risk
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47. Connections and loops
• The relationships between the holons and their
ability to communicate determines the emergent
behaviours and the possibility of unintended
consequences.
• It is generally useful to think in terms of feedback
and feed-forward loops to create learning and
foresight and so to manage the processes involved.
• Systems Dynamics is one way of simulating
processes
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48. Connections and loops
Action and reaction
Doing Process B
Doing Process A
Influence or message
Doing Process A
Feedback Loop
Doing Process B
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49. Feedback loops
Setting desired
water level:
(the success target)
Acting by
turning the
tap
Thinking
about the
gap
Flowing water
Perceiving
the water
level
Blockley and Godfrey ‘Doing it Differently’ 2000
Jay W. Forrester MIT 1996
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50. Systems Dynamics
• Systems Archetypes
• Negative and Positive Feedback
• Key References:
– Senge, P. M. (1990) The Fifth Discipline: The Art
and Practice of the Learning Organization,
London, Random House.
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51. Example – Fixes That Fail
•
http://futuresavvy.net/category/systems-dynamics/
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52. Example – Shifting the Burden
•
http://lindaboothsweeney.net/blog/?cat=17
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54. Learning Circle Activity
• As a group, refer back to your Rich Picture
from the Soft Systems exercise and note the
key systems archetypes you see
• Individually, draw at least one simple systems
archetype from the Rich Picture
• Add ‘+’ for any positive (reinforcing) feedback
and ‘-’ for any negative (diminishing)
feedback
• Share your thoughts with your group
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55. Problem solving loop
Define problem
Evaluate feedback
Take action
Make a
decision
Set up theoretical
model
Deduce results
Interpret
meaning
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57. Relationship with Educational Leadership
• Systems Thinking is an essential
capability for Educators which is shared
with many disciplines e.g. Engineering
• Design Educational Engineering and
Development is an approach to school self
evaluation which uses systems thinking to
integrate school effectiveness with school
improvement
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59. The relationship between components
influences performance
Outcomes or outputs
Inside
Part
Part
Part
• Wholes and parts
• Synergy
Whole >∑ of the parts
• Leading to emergent behaviours and
unintended consequence
Systems boundary
Part
Part
Part
From the debate identify examples of emergent
behaviours and unintended consequences
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60. Loops
Integrating models
Parts, wholes
and layers
Connections
and loops
Now here
Processes
How change happens
Context
Belief systems
Perceptions
Viewpoints
Boundary (open or closed)
Holon/Hierarchy
Emergence
Synergy
Relationships
Communications
Feedback / Foresight
Learning loops / Life cycles
Purpose
Requirements
Progress/Evidence
Opportunity and risk
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61. New Process - How change happens
• A holistic view of process
– people and physical processes
– consistency helps integrate hard and soft
– helps to align stakeholders to purpose
• Process define ‘How change happens’.
– includes natural, hard (physical) and soft (people).
Why = How (who, what, where and when)
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64. Integrating soft and hard
People provide an essential dimension of the
success of every system and all its processes.
1. All hard (physical) systems need to be seen as
being embedded in soft (people) systems
2. All systems (hard and soft) are highly
interconnected and interdependent processes that
have to be managed to success.
3. Complexity is reduced if we use “New process”
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65. Integrating models
Finally here
Integrating models
Parts, wholes
and layers
Connections
and loops
Processes
How change happens
Context
Belief systems
Perceptions
Viewpoints
Boundary (open or closed)
Holon/Hierarchy
Emergence
Synergy
Relationships
Communications
Feedback / Foresight
Learning loops / Life cycles
Purpose
Requirements
Progress/Evidence
Opportunity and risk
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66. Capturing complexity in a
real world
From
research
Perceived
real world
problem
situation
Action to
Improve
Soft Systems Methodology
(after Checkland, 1990)
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All models are
wrong!!! But some can
be fit for purpose
Models of
relevant
purposeful
activity systems
Comparison of
models with
perceived real
world situation
Finds
Learning points
which enable
A structured
debate about
desirable and
feasible
changes
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67. Points of view
SEE
DO
GET
Our belief
system
filters what
we see
(perceive)
It’s the way we see things
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68. After Joseph McNair (Rev. 2004)
A view of a belief system
stories
myths
legends
heroes/
heroines
role
models
jokes
beliefs
A Person
norms
values
mores
standards of excellence
ethical codes
attitudes
aesthetics
behaviour
artefacts
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69. Twin focused approach to integration
Past
Evidence
Hindsight
Prediction
Statistics
Literature
reviews
Case studies
Models
Provide
Integrated
systems
design
Process
Soft
People Purpose
Hard
Products Function
Performance
Innovate Future
Evidence
Foresight
Vision
Values
Opportunity
and Risk
Scenario
Models
Source after ‘Doing it differently (2000) Blockley and Godfrey www.thomastelford.com/books/bookshop_main.asp?ISBN=0727727486
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74. Examples of interdependent loops
Loop of issues affecting tourists and operators
Limitations to
growth
Establish an econometric
systems dynamics model to
quantify the outcomes
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75. In Conclusion
Purpose of this unit
Learning outcomes
Other stakeholder
needs
Inside
Sustainable Systems Unit
Systems boundary
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
• “Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the key challenges
inherent in changing complex systems to become more
sustainable
• “Select and establish a measurement regime for a specified
complex sustainability problem which is new to you
• “Select, develop and apply an appropriate systems architectural
framework for the specified complex problem
• “Establish an implementation process that will recognise
unintended consequences and provide opportunities for
significant improvement in systems performance through
synergy
• “Demonstrate creative and innovative thinking in your approach
to systems design”
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76. Recommended Reading
• Blockley, D & Godfrey, P. S. (2000) Doing it Differently :
Systems for rethinking construction, London, Thomas Telford.
• Hoverstadt, P. (2008) The Fractal Organisation: Creating
sustainable organisations with the Viable System Model,
London, Wiley
• Jackson, M. C. (2000) A Systems Approach to Management,
New York, Kluwer.
• Senge, . M. (1990) The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of
the Learning Organization, London, Random House.
• Sterman, J. D. (2000) Business Dynamics : Systems thinking
and modeling for a complex world, Boston, Mass., Irwin
McGraw-Hill.
• Wheatley, M. (2006) Leadership and the New Science 3rd ed.
San Francisco, Ca., Berrett-Koehler
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