EBM: Systems Thinking
Systems thinking is the understanding of how things influence one another within a whole. In nature, systems examples include ecosystems in which various elements and creatures work together to survive or perish. In organizations, systems consist of people, structures and processes that work together to make an organization healthy or unhealthy.
Systems thinking is one way to approach to problem solving. Rather than reacting to a specific problem or event, systems thinkers view the problem as part of a larger, overall whole. Systems thinking is not one thing, but a set of habits or practices within a framework based on the belief that the component parts of a system are best understood by their relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation. Systems thinking shuns linear cause and effect relationships, viewing these systems as cyclical. Systems thinking concerns an understanding of a system by examining the linkages and interactions between the elements that compose the entirety of the system.
Acknowledging that an improvement in one area of a system can adversely affect another area of the system, it promotes organizational communication at all levels in order to avoid the silo effect. Systems thinking techniques may be used to study any kind of system — natural, scientific, engineered, human, or conceptual. The major proponent of systems thinking in organizations is Peter Senge, who views systems thinking as a vital component of a learning organization.
Tags: evidence-based management, senge
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