Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
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.
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.
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
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
universal principles that you will begin to detect in all arenas of life once you learn to
recognize them.
Usual approach
Static thinking
Systems-as-effect thinking
system-as-cause thinking
System-as-cause thinking
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
understanding
how a behavior is generated
Loop thinking
running in one
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Systems Thinking
(Synthesis for the Future)
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. Cross-functional teamwork
9. Core Strategies
System
11. Hierarchy and controls vs.
12. Communications,
collaboration
13. Isolated change vs.
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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?
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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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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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25. Reference:
1. Edson R. (2008), System thinking applied a primer, a invitation to
2.
3.
4.
5.
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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