Systems thinking is the process of understanding how those things regarded as ‘systems’ influence one another within a complete entity or larger system.
In nature, systems thinking examples include ecosystems in which various elements such as air, water, movement, plants and animals work together to survive or perish. In organisations, systems thinking consists of people, structures and processes that work together to make an organisation “healthy” or “unhealthy”.
You should be continually challenging yourselves to consider the whole system – not excellence in parts. Using the 4-zones helps support total systems thinking – use it when:
- Identifying strategic themes
- Gathering inputs for strategic planning
- Setting strategic goals
- Determining leadership accountability
Useful videos to help demonstrate systems thinking:
- Russ Ackoff talking about Systems Thinking - 12 minutes
- TedX talk on Systems Thinking is not Optional (uses Covid as an example) - 13 minutes
4-zone framework
More detail on the 4 zone framework can be found here.
Fundamentals of strategic planning