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Bishwajit Mazumder
Nursing Instructor
Dhaka Nursing College, Dhaka
E. mail: mbishwa@rocketmail.com

SYSTEM THINKING

1. Introduction:
System thinking provides a way of looking problem situation and an
approach to problem solution. System thinking is not complicated. It is simplicity of
the system approach that provides much of its power .Systems thinking is a holistic
approach to understanding reality and our interactions within it. This approach
requires that we see beyond the bits and pieces of reality in order to understand
systems. This is a difficult approach for many people because early in our lives we are
taught to break apart problems to make them more manageable (Senge 2000).
Consequently, we fail to see the entire effect of our activities. Senge (2000) states, We
tend to focus on the snapshots of isolated parts of the system, and wonder why our
deepest problems never seem to be solved Systems thinking is a conceptual
framework, a body of knowledge and tools that has been developed over the past fifty
years, to make the full patterns clearer, and to help us see how to change them
effectively. (p. 7) In addition, (Checkland 1999) states, systems concepts are
concerned with wholes and their hierarchical arrangement rather than with the whole
(p. 14). It is an organized, step-by-step study of the detailed procedures for
collection, manipulation and evaluation of data (Checkland, 1999, p. 137). It seems
to be a predominantly linear cause and effect analysis approach.

2. What are the system and system thinking:

System:
A system is an entitythat maintains its existence and functions as awhole
through the interaction of its parts. The behavior of a system depends on the total
structure. The inter relationship among the parts of a system, therefore must be
continually sustained for the system to exists. Systems are purposeful, open,
counterintuitive, multidimensional and have emergent properties not found in any of
the parts by themselves. We may think that a system is always an institution of some
kind- government, church, a corporation. All institutions are system, but not all
systems are institution. At last, system is a set of people, regulation, machinery, and
other elements that work together to form a process.

system thinking:
It is difficult at all possibleto reduce the meaning of system thinking to a
brief definition(Ackoff2004)System thinking is both world view and a process ; it can
be used for both development and understanding of a system and for approached used
to solved the problem.
First, system thinking is the view that system and problem situation can not
be addressed through reducing the system together. It is not sum of the individual
components. System behavior comes about as a result of the interactions and
relationship amongst the parts. In addition, system thinking acknowledges the strong
interactions between the system components and the emergent behaviors and
unintended consequences that may result from these interaction.
Secondly, system thinking is a process; an ordered methodological approach
to understanding problem situations and identifying solutions to these problems. This
process including assessing the system with in its environment, taking the external
context in to consideration(Senge 2006).In system thinking one sees and assesses both
the forest and trees (Richmond1994) In the midst of the complexity and confusion of
the problem situations, system thinking advances an understanding that solution can
be obtained through a learning system(Checkland1993; Senge 2006)
System thinking focuses on
Help identify and manage risks stemming from relationship and dependencies.
Improve communication and reduces business Solis because of attentiveness
to interdependence.

Raise awareness of larger business object.

Lead products, service and results that are better design.
Allow faster response to rapid change.
Improve our leadership skills.

3. Characteristics of system and system thinking:

3.A. System:
i. A boundary
ii. Hierarchy parts which may themselves be systems
iii. Emergence
a. Systems (and subsystems) have properties which their
constituent parts do not possess
b. Examples of emergent properties?
iv. Communication parts can interact
v. Control processes to ensure continuity
These are some ideas which are fundamental to thinking about systems (wholes).
They are properties which systems possess.
3.A.i. A boundary:
It should be possible to tell what is part of the system and what is not. In an
organisation, the boundary may or may not correspond with the boundary of some
part of the organisations structure; for example, a system of activity such as a system
to recruit staff might span both the personnel department and the departments where
staff are required.
3.A.ii. Hierarchy :
This is the idea of layered structures which which you are familiar. Within a
system, we can identify lower-level elements which can be regarded as sub-systems.
In software engineering, we can identify systems, sub-systems, programs, modules
and statements. These form a hierarchy. A human being is composed of organs of
various types, each of which is made up of cells, which are composed of molecules.....

In some cases, it may not be obvious where we should define a new layer in the
hierarchy. The next characteristic of systems can help here.
3.Aiii. Emergence:
The structured wholes which we call systems have properties which their
constituent parts do not have. These are called emergent properties. Moving up a
hierarchy, you can describe emergent properties at each new layer of structure, and
their existence shows that there is a new layer. For example, an overhead projector
has an electrical sub-system capable of lighting a bulb, and an optical sub-system
capable of focusing an image. Neither on its own has the the property of projecting
slides, which only emerges at the level of the whole machine. My cat has a number of
component organs, which we could regard as sub-systems, but none of them has the
property of being able to catch mice. That property only emerges when we consider
the whole cat. The Post Office has a post-box-emptying system and a letterdistribution system, both of which are needed if it to have the property of conveying
letters from their writers to their recipients.
3.A.iv. Communication and control:
A system has processes ofCommunication&Controlwhich enable it to adapt to
its environment and so to survive. Control is the way in which a system ensures that
it continues to achieve its purpose or maintain its direction. We can identify or define
control systems which involve setting goals, monitoring, and taking control action.
The concept of feedback is often used in this context. Negative feedback
reacts against some deviation in order to oppose it. An easy example of negative
feedback is found in a central heating thermostat, which corrects any difference
between the actual temperature and the desired temperature by switching the heating
on if the temperature is below that required or off if the temperature is above that
required. An organisational example is found in many supermarkets: when checkout
queues are too long, more checkouts are opened to reduce the queues to the
acceptable length. Management control systems usually involve some variety of

negative feedback. (Positive feedback, in contrast, reacts to some phenomenon in a

way which enhances it; this gives us the idea of the vicious (or virtuous) circle.
Naturally, we want to apply positive feedback only when we want whatever we have
detected to continue happening.)Communication is needed to enable control, as well
as for other purposes.

3.B. System thinking:

3.B.a. Every system has a purpose within a larger system.
Example: The purpose of the R&D department in your organization is to
generate new product ideas and features for the organization.
3.B.b. All of a system's parts must be present for the system to carry out
its purpose optimally. Example: The R&D system in your organization
consists of people, equipment, and processes. If you removed any one of these
components, this system could no longer function.
3.B.c. A system's parts must be arranged in a specific way for the system
to carry out its purpose. Example: If you rearranged the reporting
relationships in your R&D department so that the head of new-product
development reported to the entry-level lab technician, the department would
likely have trouble carrying out its purpose.
3.B.d. Systems change in response to feedback. The word feedback plays a
central role in systems thinking. Feedback is information that returns to its
original transmitter such that it influences that transmitter's subsequent
actions. Example: Suppose you turn too sharply while driving your car around
a curve. Visual cues (you see a mailbox rushing toward you) would tell you
that you were turning too sharply. These cues constitute feedback that prompts
you to change what you're doing (jerk the steering wheel in the other direction
somewhat) so you can put your car back on course.
3.B.e. Systems maintain their stability by making adjustments based on
feedback. Example: Your body temperature generally hovers around 98.6
degrees Fahrenheit. If you get too hot, your body produces sweat, which cools
you back down.

4. Element of system thinking:

4.a. System organizing- Managing and leading a system; the types of rules that
govern the system and set direction through vision and leadership, set prohibitions
through regulations and boundary setting, and provide permissions through setting
incentives or providing resources.
4.b. System network: Understanding and managing system stakeholders; the web of
all
stakeholders and actors, individual and institutional, in the system, through
understanding, including, and managing the networks.
4.c. System dynamics: Conceptually modeling and understanding dynamic change;
attempting to conceptualize, model and understand dynamic change through
analyzing organizational structure and how that influences behavior of the system.
4.d. System knowledge : Managing content and infrastructure for explicit and tacit
knowledge; the critical role of information flows in driving the system towards
change, and using the feedback chains of data, information and evidence for guiding
decisions

5. Step of system thinking:

Ten steps to system thinking: applying a systems perspective in the design
and evaluation of interventions. As a guide to applying this perspective, less an exact
and rigid blueprint and more we propose Ten Steps to Systems Thinking, a
conceptualized process. They are flexible and use our case illustration to show how
and may be adapted to many different situations they might work in practice. These
steps are and possibilities.
T5.55.I. Intervention Design
5.I.a. Convene stakeholders: Identify and convene stakeholders representing each
building block, plus selected intervention designers and implementers, users of the
health system, and representatives of the research community
5.I.b. Collectively brainstorm: Collectively deliberate on possible system-wide

effects of the proposed intervention respecting systems characteristics (feedback, time

delays, policy resistance, etc.) and systems dynamics
5.I.c. Conceptualize effects: Develop a conceptual pathway mapping how the
intervention will affect health and the health system through its sub-systems
5.I.d. Adapt and redesign: Adapt and redesign the proposed intervention to optimize
synergies and other positive effects while avoiding or minimizing any potentially
major negative effects.
5.II: Evaluation Design
5.II.a. Determine indicators: Decide on indicators that are important to track in
the re-designed intervention (from process to issues to context) across the affected
sub-systems
5.II.b. Choose methods: Decide on evaluation methods to best track the indicators
5.II.c. Select design: Opt for the evaluation design that best manages the methods
and fits the nature of the intervention
5.II.d. Develop plan and timeline: Collectively develop an evaluation plan
and timeline by engaging the necessary disciplines
5.II.e. Set a budget: Determine the budget and scale by considering implications
for both the intervention and the evaluation partnership
5II.f. Source funding: Assemble funding to support the evaluation before
the intervention begins

6. Importance of system thinking:

Why is systems thinking valuable? Because it can help you design smart,
enduring solutions to problems. In its simplest sense, systems thinking gives you a
more accurate picture of reality, so that you can work with a system's natural forces in
order to achieve the results you desire. It also encourages you to think about problems
and solutions with an eye toward the long viewfor example, how might a particular
solution you're considering play out over the long run? And what unintended
consequences might it have? Finally, systems thinking is founded on some basic,

universal principles that you will begin to detect in all arenas of life once you learn to
recognize them.

7. Systems Thinking as a Set of Tools:

The field of systems thinking has generated a broad array of tools that let
you (1) graphically depict your understanding of a particular system's structure and
behavior, (2) communicate with others about your understandings, and (3) design
high-leverage interventions for problematic system behavior.
These tools include causal loops, behavior over time graphs, stock and flow
diagrams, and systems archetypesall of which let you depict your understanding of
a systemto computer simulation models and management "flight simulators," which
help you to test the potential impact of your interventions.
Whether you consider systems thinking mostly a new perspective, a special
language, or a set of tools, it has a power and a potential that, once you've been
introduced, are hard to resist. The more you learn about this intriguing field, the more
you'll want to know!

8. Skills of systems thinking:

Usual approach
Static thinking

System thinking approach

Dynamic thinking

Focusing on particular event

Framing a problem in terms of a pattern

of behavior over time

Systems-as-effect thinking

system-as-cause thinking

System-as-cause thinking

Placing responsibility for a behavior on

Viewing behaviour generated by a system as

internal actors who manage the policies

driven by external forces

and "plumbing" of the system

Tree-by-tree thinking
Believing that really knowing something
means focusing on the details

Forest thinking
Believing that to know something requires
understanding the context of relationships

Factors thinking

Operational thinking

Listing factors that influence or correlate

Concentrating on causality and

with some result

understanding
how a behavior is generated

Straight-line thinking Viewing causality as

Loop thinking

running in one

Viewing causality as an on-going process,

direction, ignoring (either deliberately or

to a one-time event, with effect feeding back

not) the interdependence and interaction

to influence the causes and the causes

between and among the causes

affecting each other

Modified from Richmond, 2000 (28).

9. System thinking vs Analytic thinking:

While complexity is a great tool for the systems thinker, it often paralyzes
the traditional, independentand analytic thinker. Analytic thinkinga piecemeal and
mechanistic approach to problem-solvingfalsely reduces problems to simplistic,
knee-jerk solutions, as if the elements of the world wereindependent of each other. Its
like three blindfolded people who touched the same elephantone touched the tail
and thought it was a broom, another touched the leg and thought it was a tree, and a
third touched the tusks and thought it was a stat.
Analytic Thinking

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(Analysis of Today) vs.

Systems Thinking
(Synthesis for the Future)

1. We/ they vs.

1. Customers/ stakeholders

2. Independent vs

3. Activities vs

2. Interdependent

3. Outcomes/ ends

4. Problem-solving vs.
5. Today is fine vs.

4. Solution-Seeking
5. Shared vision

6. Units/ departments vs

6. Total organization

7. Silo mentality vs.

7. Cross-functional teamwork

8. Closed environment vs.

8. Openness and feedback

9. Department goals vs.

9. Core Strategies

10. Strategic Planning Project vs.

10. Strategic Management

System
11. Hierarchy and controls vs.

11. Serve the customer

12. Not my job vs.

12. Communications,

collaboration
13. Isolated change vs.

13. Systematic change

14. Linear/ begin-end vs.

14. Circular/ repeat cycles

10. Guideline for practicing system thinking:

10.a. Understand your history:
There is no ideal, perfect, or correct plan or template for rolling out ST in an
organization.
10.b. Every situation:
is unique and can best be understood as the aggregate of all the history and conditions
that came before.
What has the response to change programs typically been?
What has the attitude to learning been in the company?
Has ST made an appearance before? What was the reaction
10.c. Respect and appreciate the current state of the people in the organization:

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People love change, but they hate to be changed. Base your strategy on what
the likely response will be to each part of the program, and dont try to overcome
resistance. Appreciate the resistance and give people a chance to do more of what they
find satisfying and nonthreatening.
What is the pervasive mood of the organization?
What events have taken place that might have built resistance to the introduction of
an ST initiative?
Have you spent sufficient time understanding the existing mental models of the
potential participants?
What small successes have occurred that you could leverage to bring ST practices
into play?
10.d. Create the conditions for self-reflection inside a safe practice field
Building a safe and collegial environment multiplies the chances of people
examining and shifting their own mental models a hundredfold, which will increase
the impact of the work on both the individuals and the organization immeasurably.
Can you make and accept provisional findings without fear of the failure label?
What does it mean to truly practice, allow yourself to think about new ideas out
loud, and invite others
to share and build them with you?
10.e. Take the deep structures into account
The larger, older, and more traditional the organization, the more you will
discover deep structures that produce patterns of behavior that explain the resistance
to change you will encounter. Dont fight deep structures unless they are in your circle
of control. Understand them, however, and you will know how to create microchanges that over time can and will reach a critical mass that will impact and shift the
structures.
From an ST perspective, what are the deep structures, which will inevitably
reproduce the same patterns of behavior within the organization?
Can you intervene in those structures, or should you take them as givens, providing
a set of strategic guideposts for designing your interventions?

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10.f. Look for similar or parallel successes in the organization, and seek to
leverage them
Spend more time studying successes than failures. Failures are enlightening
in telling you which paths are likely to be blocked. Successes indicate which paths
may be open to you.
Can you think of a time in your organization when people embraced a new idea,
method, or tool?
What characterized that time?
What are the ways that you can get a pilot program going in your company with the
fewest bureaucratic
hurdles or layers of approval?
10.g. Concentrate on building capacity rather than achieving results or
completing projects
In one of our projects, the participants didnt draw a CLD until practically
the last day, but this group has produced some of the most committed systems
thinkers to come from any group. To be overly focused on the product and not the
process will inevitably produce bad results and fail to teach the core lessons of ST.
Have you clearly communicated the purpose of your project to the sponsors and the
organization?
Have you identified people within the organization who are likely to become
practitioners, and concentrated
your early efforts on them?
10.h. Create a pull program by concentrating on small groups of early
adopters.
Large cascaded programs are an invitation to the immune system to go into
overdrive. Start quietly, withpeople who are interested and willing to commit, and
dont be in a hurry. Remember that immune system!
Who will sponsor an initial pilot, whether it is under the radar or on the screen?
Is there a group of alternative thinkers, survivors of an unstained major change
initiative, or a group

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that already meets to discuss ways to improve the work environment that you can
connect with?

11. Systems Thinking: Why Do It?

We suffer from Spatial Blindness.
We see our part of the system but not the whole;
We see what is happening with us but not what is happening elsewhere;
We dont see what others worlds are like, the issues they are dealing with, the stresses
they are experiencing;
We dont see how our world impacts theirs and how theirs impacts ours;
We dont see how all the parts influence one another. -- Seeing Systems, p. xii
From witnessing how networks can communicate around the world with information
they deem essential, Ive come to believe that preaching to the choir is exactly the
right thing to do. If I can help those who already share certain beliefs and dreams, sing
their song a little clearer, a little more confidently, I know they will take that song
back to their networks. I dont have to touch everybody; I just have to support those
first courageous voices and encourage them to put it out on their own airwaves. Soon
large populations in diverse places will have heard the song because some meeting the
choir. We gain courage from learning were part of a choir. We sing better when we
know were not alone. -- Leadership and the New Science, pp. 151-15

12. System thinking: Creative thinking and critical thinking

Creative thinking and critical thinking are two expression that show
difference between them when it comes to their inner meanings. Creative thinking is
generative purposes. On the other hand , critical thinking is analytical purposes. This
is one of the main difference between creative thinking and critical thinking.
Creative thinking is non-judgmental and expensive too. There is no end of creative
thinking . In fact, it can be said that sky is the limit of creative thinking . On the other
hand , critical thinking is not so expensive like creative thinking In fact, it can e said
that critical thinking is judgmental innature.

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It is interesting to note that critical thinking is selective too. On the other

hand , creative thinking is not selective. It is quite free by nature. The mind is free to
think any think creative in case of creative thinking. On the contrary, the mind is
limited to thinking case of critical thinking. It is important to know that when you are
thinking critically you are bound to make some choice are not made in case of
creative thinking. In fact, creative thinking aims at generative newand thought
provoking ideas .
Creative thinking is employed in areas such as poetry, novel writing, short
story writing and fiction writing On the other hand , critical thinking is employeein
organization, business areasand the like. Critical thinking is aimed at improving the
quality ofproducts produced by a company, customer care service and like that. It
analyses the factors governing the process of running company. On the other hand,
creative thinking is all about imagination and imaginary. Hence , it is best suited to
creative arts like poetry and painting .
In physiologically, critical thinking happens on the left lobe of the brain and creative
thinking on the right lobe of the brain.
13. System thinking: Hard and soft system
Hard system: Hard system is about a system being treated as a thing that
can be engineered to achieve objectives (Checkland 2009). Eg. Hard system tools the
pugh matrix, quality function, development, diagram house quality, system modeling
language.
Soft system: Soft system is thinking of system as the process of engaging
with the world in order to learn more about a given situation in order to gain systemic
insight. Eg. System methodology and traditional arrangement analysis tools such
responsibility, accountability, counseling, informed matrix and swim lane chart.

14. Systems Thinking as a Perspective: Events, Patterns, or System?

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Systems thinking is a perspective because it helps us see the events and

patterns in our lives in a new lightand respond to them in higher leverage ways. For
example, suppose a fire breaks out in your town. This is an event. If you respond to it
simply by putting the fire out, you're reacting. (That is, you have done nothing to
prevent new fires.) If you respond by putting out the fire and studying where fires
tend to break out in your town, you'd be paying attention to patterns. For example,
you might notice that certain neighborhoods seem to suffer more fires than others. If
you locate more fire stations in those areas, you're adapting. (You still haven't done
anything to prevent new fires.) Now suppose you look for the systemssuch as
smoke-detector distribution and building materials usedthat influence the patterns
of neighborhood-fire outbreaks. If you build new fire-alarm systems and establish fire
and safety codes, you're creating change. Finally, you're doing something to prevent
new fires!
This is why looking at the world through a systems thinking "lens" is so powerful: It
lets you actually make the world a better place.

15. Systems Thinking as a Special Language:

As a language, systems thinking has unique qualities that help you
communicate with others about the many systems around and within us:
It emphasizes wholes rather than parts, and stresses the role of interconnections
including the role we each play in the systems at work in our lives.
It emphasizes circular feedback (for example, A leads to B, which leads to C, which
leads back to A) rather than linear cause and effect (A leads to B, which leads to C,
which leads to D, . . . and so on).
It contains special terminology that describes system behavior, such as reinforcing
process (a feedback flow that generates exponential growth or collapse) and balancing
process (a feedback flow that controls change and helps a system maintain stability).

16. The essence of system thinking :

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Martha E. Rogers, a nurse scholar, advanced systems thinking in nursing at a

major conference in 1978 with her presentation Science of Unitary Human Beings.
It was based on an open-systems model with a focus on holistic and individualistic
care.1 The concept of systems thinking was popularized by Peter Senge in his
influential work The Fifth Discipline, which demonstrates how organizations may
apply systems thinking for problem resolution.The basic difference is that systems
thinking encourages you to see the whole picture, the interaction between the parts
rather than just its isolated parts. It recognizes the importance of understanding how
the different segments of a system are interconnected.
Organizations that work systemically begin by looking for the connections
between the various parts of the system to ensure better coordination of organizational
functions. Systems thinking attempts to integrate the various parts of a system in a
way that optimizes, rather than maximizes, the performance of each of its parts in
order to achieve organizational effectiveness. This big picture approach recognizes
that relationships and the context in which they function are just as important as the
details. The ability to see the whole picture is fundamental to systems thinking.

17. Laws of Systems Thinking:

1. Todays problems come from yesterdays 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 resultsbut the areas of highest leverage are often
the least obivious.
9. Dividing an elephant in half does not produce two small elephants.
10. There is no blame.

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18. How to become a better systems thinker?

The best nurse leaders are able to see the whole picture and make
connections between events and processes that may even seem counterintuitive. We
can all become better systems thinkers by being curious, reading broadly beyond our
own discipline and asking alot of questions about the relationship between events.
Here are some examples of systems thinking in action

19. Systems thinking: How systems work?

We can never direct a living system. We can only disturb it. As external
agents we provide only small impulses of information. We can nudge, titillate, or
provoke one another into some new ways of seeing. But we can never give anyone an
instruction and expect him or her to follow it precisely. We can never assume that
anyone else sees the world as we do. -- A Simpler Way, p. 49This kind of work must
involve the whole group. The whole must go in pursuit of itself; there is no other way
to learn who they are. But as people engage together to learn more about their collective identity, it affects them as individuals in a surprising way. They are able to see
how their personal patterns and behaviors contribute to the whole. The surprise is that
they then take responsibility for changing themselves. -- Leadership and the New
Science, p. 144
More often than not, as a systems effort makes underlying structures
clearer, members of the group may have moments of despair. Jan Forrester has called
systems dynamics the new dismal science, because it points out the vulnerabilities,
limited understandings, and fallibilities of the past, and the assurance that todays
thinking will be the source of tomorrows problems. But actually, things are finally
getting better. People see formerly undiscussable problems rising to the surface.
They realize how their old, beloved ways of thinking have produced their current
problems. Their new awareness reinforces their sense of hope about leading an
effective change. -- The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, pp. 93-94

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20. Systems thinking implementation tips:

Educate boards, executive management, and senior leadership to the full
complexity ofstaffing and the relationships between staffing, costs, and quality.
.
Help people in the boardroom and in other departments to see how their decisions
canultimately influence effective staffing.
Invest in systems thinking education.
Spend time understanding the problem.
Draw upon resources in the organization that can contribute to problem resolution.
Form interdisciplinary work groups to use systems thinking modeling to develop the
understanding and insights needed to form a staffing effectiveness program.
Be willing to look at practices and policies that may not be serving the organization.
Help everyone to learn to think about the positive and negative unintended
consequencesof every action.
Ensure that plans include achieving measurable or observable business goals.
Apply findings to the development of your staffing effectiveness program.
Put in place and use monitoring that supports analysis.
Design mechanisms to respond to new situations or apply new learning as it
surfaces.

21. Outcomes of system thinking:

Systems thinking is being able to step back as the nurse leaders above did,
and attempt to see the whole picture rather than focusing on just the parts (a lower rate
of deliveries, longer lengths of stay in oncology). When you are able to do this, you
begin to see the interdependency among different parts of the system and patterns
begin to emerge. Nurse leaders today work in environments where there is
bewildering uncertainity and staggering complexity. Problems are rarely simple and
clear-cut. We often see leaders attempt to cope by demanding simplicity and certainity
but this type of thinking can lead to incorrect assumptions. Success in these
environments requires a different way of thinking. Peter Senge, an international
thought leader on systems thinking, suggests that leaders need to shift their mindset to

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systems thinking to deal with the complexities of dynamic social systems. It is

through systems thinking, that nurse leaders can identify new possibilities and insights
to deal with our most difficult problems.

22. Why Systems thinking matters in nursing leadership:

Systems thinking can help us to view events and patterns in our lives
through a different lens, because the emphasis is on the relationship between a
systems parts, rather than the parts themselves. Too often, we attempt quick fixes to
problems without thinking through the longer-term implications. A way to think
about this is the iceberg analogy. With an iceberg ,as is true with many phenomena,
only a small part (less than 10% with an iceberg) is visible to us if we have a surface
perspective. Much of what is going on in our world is hidden from our view until we
dive for a deeper level of understanding.
You are probably already familiar with one process in our healthcare system
- root cause analysis that focuses on errors through the lens of systems thinking.
It is rare that a medical error is the responsibility of one person. Medical errors
usually occur when there is a breakdown or failure to have adequate safeguards in a
system as a whole. Mind or concept mapping is a good way to view all of the
component parts in a system when you are looking to make a change.

23. Skimming Thought of Seminar discussion:

According to our curricula, individually we have to organized seminar. So I

organized seminar dated on 03/01/2013. This date is predetermined and at 9am. I
prepared lecture according to ajarns advice and before seminar I discussed my
respected ajarn Dr. PranomOrthgonat .She gave me advice how to conducted seminar,
how to prepared lecture, APA format, etc. According to my ajarnsadvice , I have
arranged seminar equipment such as lecture, seminar schedule, outline of seminar,
etc. Before seminar, I distributed my lecture in my participants. We are two members (

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I&Akram) have conducted the seminar and we divided two session of our lecture. I
have conducted first session and Mr.Akramhas conducted second session.
All participants and respected ajarn presented in seminar timely. According
to seminar schedule, I started seminar at 9 am and my discussing area is system
thinking. At first introductory discuss such as addressed respected ajarn, other
participants, introduction myself, and meaning of system, system thinking .Then
gradually I discussed my main point such as difference between system and system
thinking, distinct feature of creative thinking and critical thinking, characteristics of
system, system thinking as a low, importance of system thinking for nursing leader.
Our seminar has particular view, discussed some problem (system thinking) with
participants in front of respected ajarn . All of participants actively discussed about
various aspect of system thinking and shared their knowledge, value and idea to
enhance effective discussion and try to understand whom, which, what, when, why,
and how to utilize system thinking in health care sector and particularly in nursing.
We discussed every point and we understand that system is a process or law system
thinking is implementing process or law of thinking, system thinking works on law
but not in law, creative thinking is synthesis or generating process and critical
thinking is analyzing process. Ajarn took part every discussion and help to
understand the essence of system and system thinking.
At last Ajarn discussed over all of the seminar such as where lack, gap,
which things needed to effective and enhance quality of seminar, which omitted,
advantage-disadvantage of seminar, system and system thinking and she appreciated
and initiated us for the conducted of seminar and actively participated. At the end of
the seminar, we decided that system thinking is a rule, if we abide by the rule in
every situation such as family, society, and office we performed our work effectively,
efficiently. As a nurse manager, system thinking is very essential, effective because
nurses have to do public related job. System thinking has tools, I think system
thinking is the managerial tool, by the use of tools and rules nurse manager will help
to reached organizational mission, vision and goal.

24. Conclusion:

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.Systems thinking is no panacea. There is no checklist to work through that will

guarantee someone is thinking in a way that will capture the big picture or identify
root causes of difficult problems. There are some concepts and approaches embedded
in the systems thinking literature, however, that can be very helpful when considering
why a situation seems to be immune to intervention, or why a problem thought to be
solved has returned with a vengeance. It focus on the purpose for which a system was
created over the processes and procedures of the system. Simple cause-and-effect
relationships are insufficient to understand or explain a complex social system.
Patterns over time and feedback loops are a better way to think about the dynamics of
complex systems. Think in terms of synthesis over analysis; the whole over the parts.
Busyness and excessive focus on short term gains interferes with our ability to use a
systems approach. Thinking about systems and their dynamics suggests alternative
approaches and attunes leaders to important aspects of organizational behavior. From
this perspective, it may be possible to identify practice spaces and new organizing
forms that will allow us to reconnect practice and learning, agency and change.

25. Reference:
1. Edson R. (2008), System thinking applied a primer, a invitation to
2.
3.
4.
5.

systemthinking: An opportunity to act for systemic change.

Haines S.(2011), System thinking: The new frontier
Douglus S.&Kerfool K., Applying system thinking model for effective staffing
George C. & Reed E.(2006), Leadership and system thinking
Seligman J. Applied system thinking: Use the power structure to create lasting

change.
6. www.pegasuscom.com/system-thinkin.html
7. Ryan V. R. (1993), Critical Thinking: Supplement
8. Simonsen J. (1994), Soft system methodology: An introduction
9. Checkland(2000), soft system methodology: A thirty years retrospective
10. Paul R. & Elder L.(2008), Critical and creative thinking
11. Fisher A. (2001), Critical thinking : An introduction

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