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Using Systems Thinking to improve organisations

Abstract

Systems Thinking has been described as an approach to solving problems where "problems" are viewed as symptoms of an underlying system. If the underlying cause of a system problem is not addressed, problems can repeat and grow and cause unexpected consequences. This blog introduces a System Thinking Maturity Model, an ST Maturity Model, to help consider the underlying cause of problems and select a Systems Thinking Approach to resolve them.

David Alman Version 2 February 2014

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Using Systems Thinking to improve organisations

The ability to lead and manage is sometimes compared to team sports like basketball and football. Often the abilities of sports captains, players, and teams are exampled as to what makes a great performance. Yet coaches understand that a team’s performance depends on a range of supporting systems: A system of playing on the field that optimises players and team capability and opponent weaknesses; a system of selecting, training, and developing players; a system that engages and commits players to do their best, and so on. While leaders and managers understand their organisations similarly perform, learn, and improve based on underpinning systems, a conscious approach to managing change and achieving high performance through systems – a Systems Thinking (ST) approach - seems less discussed. A system can be described as having a purpose and made up of various interrelated or interdependent factors, such as activities and interactions. The arrangement and performance of these system’s factors affect the performance of the overall system, as does its ability to receive and use feedback. Systems Thinking (ST) Approaches describe how organisational systems perform and ways to improve them. There are three approaches to organisational systems, some you may recognise immediately and others you may not:

1. Functional Systems Approach

project management; financial management systems; information management systems; employee performance management systems; and corporate performance management systems.

Functional systems have an end-to-be achieved, where the system is designed to achieve that objective. Functional systems are found everywhere in organisations, and provide the basis for developing standards of repeatable best practice and outcomes. They include “management systems” with policies, procedures, and plans such as within manufacturing systems production systems;

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Sometimes these are built into even bigger systems – frameworks- such as IT Enterprise Architectures involving Portfolio and Project Management (PPM), Information Technical Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and ISO Standards.

Functional systems provide consistency through standards of service delivery, and means of improving that service delivery. They are rational and events based systems. These systems are often process level focused though can also include issues at an organisational, role, and employee levels. In addition such systems can consider both social and technical relationship issues in hierarchical and network terms.

Methodologies to improve functional systems include:

System audits e.g. ISO Standards audited by second or third parties. Sample explanation at http://bit.ly/fFgCQ

Process activity “waste” reduction e.g. “Lean” and Six Sigma in services (e.g. 30% to 50% of the cost in service organisations relates to slow speed or rework). Sample explanation at http://bit.ly/u4PnhM

Customer relationship health & satisfaction e.g. Service Blueprinting. Sample explanation at http://bit.ly/u2RTak

Enterprise Health (organisation, process, and job level) e.g. Human Performance Systems of Rummler & Brach, IPSI. Sample explanation at http://slidesha.re/vrfI8Z

Integrated process improvement models e.g. Capability Maturity Models such as CMMI, P3M3. Sample explanation at http://bit.ly/uLckCn

Social Value Networks identifying patterns in employee and group value contribution (e.g. Value Network Analysis). Sample explanation at http://bit.ly/hJkntF

2. Structural Systems Approach

For example, repeating patterns where “quick fixes” continually back fire causing delay and distress, yet remain repeated by management; where the obvious (repeated) “fix” results in subsequent unintended severe consequences due to unforeseen circumstances; where there is entrenched deep conflict between individuals or their issues; where crucial and

Structural systems can be used to plan improvements in decision making within the organisation. Such systems look beneath and beyond the surface events that, for example, Functional Systems look at.

Such systems use analysis in a way that highlights underlying patterns in relationships. Structural system relationships show up as “links” and “loops” that, in a “non linear” way, result in predictable cause and effects.

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important advice in decision making is continually left out; and where organisations remain in continual crisis and don’t improve because key elements underpinning and affecting their viability remain overlooked and not understood.

Methodologies to improve management decision making and planning include:

“Archetypal” behaviour in decision patterns based on System Dynamics. Sample explanation at http://bit.ly/MryV0E

System Dynamics (SD) involve system diagrams based on feedback loops and circular causality. Sample explanation at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_dynamics

Viable System Model (VSM) based on the way an organisation needs to be designed to survive in a changing environment. Sample explanation at http://bit.ly/s4efwx

3. Interpretive Systems Approach

In doing so they can include characteristics of, for example, Functional systems but also, equally, include characteristics from the organisation’s social systems, like prevailing management and employee attitudes & behaviour.

In the process of developing such preferred Interpretive systems, the (subjective) views of the stakeholders and their issues in relationships with others and the “objective” organisational issues (such as problems with work systems) draw in full stakeholder involvement, and develop outcomes that resolve differences affecting performance.

This is an “emergent” process addressing system contradictions and participant expectations.

Methodologies to handle complex or "messy" problems include:

Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) for improved resolution of planning and policy issues. Sample explanation at http://bit.ly/SZiv3g

Interactive Planning Methodology (Ackoff). Sample explanation at http://bit.ly/sZeFHi

Interpretive Systems model "reality" is built from differing views (pluristic perspectives) of the system's stakeholders, as opposed to objective, tangible, and observable characteristics of a system taken from a single view (unitary perspective), such as that of management, as is found in Functional and Structural system approaches. Interpretive systems can handle complex, or “messy”, problems or situations and look at both human designed systems (such as systems of work) and social systems (such as workplace relationships).

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Social Systems Design (Churchman). Sample explanation at http://bit.ly/vYmSIS Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) of Peter Checkland. Sample explanation at

http://bit.ly/umInEq Human Activity Systems (HAS). Human Activity System (HAS) modelling can be

applied to a wide range of organisational performance issues. Sample explanation at http://slidesha.re/1g5HReB

4. A Systems Thinking Maturity Model

The three Systems Thinking Approaches described above may also be compared in other ways, refer to Figure 1 below.

In Figure 1 the vertical axis reflects different ways cause and effect (causal relationships) can be viewed:

Simple refers to observable direct cause and effect relationships. Complicated refers to predictable but indirect cause and effect relationships; and Complex refers to unpredictable cause and effects, where causal relationships can

only be seen retrospectively. Chaotic refers to where no system operates, resulting in crisis management and ad

hoc decisions.

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The vertical axis reflects a hierarchy where characteristics of a lower level system's approach can be found in a higher system approach. Where the different system approaches fold in within each other. For example, Functional system approach characteristics can be contained within Structural system approach characteristics, and these in turn can both be contained within Interactive system approach characteristics. The horizontal axis reflects the underlying Unitary or Pluristic perspectives applied within the three Systems Thinking approaches. Both Functional and Structural system approaches take a single common - unitary- perspective to problems (e.g. a management view). Interpretive systems consider and address the differing and sometimes conflicting multiple- pluristic views of stakeholders.

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References:

This blog draws mainly on an article by Professor Mike Jackson Fifty years of systems thinking for management found at http://bit.ly/rrLDBp In terms of the vertical axis in the Systems Thinking Maturity Model the terms Simple, Complicated, and Complex (and Chaotic) are drawn from Dave Snowden’s Cynefin Domains Framework found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynefin , and these terms are viewed as approximate in causal relationships with those in the Systems Thinking Approaches. In addition, in terms of the vertical axis however, the Fifty years of systems thinking for management article refers to Boulding’s “hierarchy of complexity” where characteristics of lower level hierarchical systems can be also be found in higher level systems. An earlier and more detailed relevant supporting book published by Professor Mike Jackson is Systems Approaches to Management found at http://amzn.to/w5hpez Labels: Boulding's hierarchy of complexity, Human Activity Systems, Professor Mike Jackson, ST Maturity Model, Systems Thinking, Systems Thinking Approaches, Systems Thinking Maturity Model