1. SYSTEMS THINKING
FOR THE REST OF US
@TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
tobias.fors@citerus.se
With inspiration from Ackoff,
Weinberg, Checkland

2. time
energy
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Energy,
enthusiasm,
training and
peptalks
’It kind of
petered out’

3. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
The problem
of …
Let’s Doodle

4. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
‣ Other people: involved, affecting and/or affected by the situation
‣ Tools, platforms and other resources that are involved
‣ Visualize relations, interactions, flow of information
‣ Visualize problems and pains
‣ Visualize strengths and joys
‣ Add what’s missing to complete the picture
‣ (It may be the thing you always forget to include when you think about this situation)
Let’s call this ”Org doodling’Let’s Doodle

5. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Discuss with your partner (5 mins]
To what degree do the people in your
picture agree on what the problem is?
What can you say about what’s
causing the problem, and what’s
causing it to stick?

6. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE

7. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE

8. Unseen
structures
Strange
behavior
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
I promised to
create a testing
dashboard, but it’s
gonna have to
wait
tid
energi

9. Visible
structures
Understood
behavior
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Prio number
one now, is to
work on the
backlog.
Tight deadline
= no slack

10. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
A conscious way
of thinking
about the
structures
affecting us
Systems
thinking
Visible
structures
Thinking about
structures
Understood
behavior

11. Thinking
Systems
Behavior
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
The way we
think …
… causes us to
create certain
structures …
… that has a
certain kind of
influence on us

12. 1300 1600 1900
Age of machines
Age of
systems
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Middle Ages Renaissance

13. Environment
System
Part
Part
Part
Part
Part
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE

14. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SESYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
The performance of a system is
not the sum of its parts, it is
the product of their interactions.
The essential
parts

15. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SESYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Improving the parts individually does
often not lead to an improvement of
the whole

16. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SESYSTEMTÄNKANDE FÖR OSS ANDRA @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
We need to focus on the
interactions (not just the actions)
of the parts of the system.

17. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
Discuss with your partner (5 mins]
Which interactions might hold the key
to ”unsticking” your problem?
What new questions or insights about
your ”mess” do you have now?

18. Try to see more
of the system
Build your
understanding
of the system
Tweak the
system, not just
the parts
SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
It should be easier
to do what’s right
Start simple, but involve more
people: Draw, doodle, think
together
Why are we getting the
results we’re getting?

19. SYSTEMS THINKING FOR THE REST OF US @TOFO | CITERUS.SE | TOBIASFORS.SE
”It’s not so much about systems, but
how to use yourself in the system”
– Edie Seashore
@TOFO
CITERUS.SE
TOBIASFORS.SE
Want to learn more? Read something by Russell Ackoff or Gerald M. (Jerry) Weinberg