Systemic thinking: what it is, characteristics, and how it works

One of the most common procedures when analyzing a problem is to limit yourself to evaluating the parts or elements that compose it, believing that if the pieces of it are deeply analyzed, it will be possible to magically understand the everything.

However, the truth is that this type of thinking is ineffective. The whole is always more than the sum of the parts, with properties that emerge from the interaction of these elements, something that can hardly be observed if one is limited to seeing the parts or elements of the system evaluated by separated.

Systemic thinking evaluates the problem as a whole, evaluating each part of the system but trying to go further, seeing their interactions and how they influence each other. Let's take a closer look at what it consists of.

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What is systems thinking?

systems thinking is the ability to solve problems within a complex system, taking a whole-system perspective and analyzing the interaction of its parts. It is based on the multidisciplinary study of systems, understood as entities made up of parts interrelated and interdependent, that together create something different than the simple sum of its parts.

This type of thinking differs from more traditional thinking because it does not try to isolate each variable of a situation or phenomenon and study it separately. Instead of doing this, he tries to understand what he wants to study as a whole, whose parts influence each other, and therefore tries to understand it as a whole.

Introducing systems thinking in our lives can be very beneficial in both our personal and work lives, helping us to improve the productivity of work groups, companies and projects. Today it is used both in science and in other applied fields, especially in personal development and business management.

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What aspects does systems thinking analyze?

Systems thinking takes into account different elements or characteristic aspects of systems, which are mainly the following.

1. interconnections

A key aspect in systems thinking is the ability to establish interconnections between the parts of the problem or phenomenon to be analyzed. This type of thinking requires a change of perspective and moving from linear to circular thinking, where it is assumed that each element is interconnected with the others.

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2. Change

Thinking systemically requires the ability to detect change because, after all, systems are dynamic, not static. There is always a flow of movement between its elements.

3. feedback

Since all the parts of a system are interconnected, systems thinking requires looking at the balancing or reinforcing effects that each of them generates. It implies being aware of the feedback that occurs within the system, knowing how to identify the flows and reactions within it.

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Main characteristics of systems thinking

Next we will see the main characteristics of systems thinking.

1. Based on systems theory

Systems theory is the interdisciplinary study of entities made up of different interconnected parts.. Each of these entities is called a "system" and is described in terms of its limits, purpose or way of functioning. In turn, these systems are made up of more basic elements that interact with each other.

According to systems theory, each of these entities is greater than the simple sum of its parts, based on ideas such as synergy or emergent behavior. Thus, this current of thought maintains that it is impossible to understand how a system works without understanding what and how its components are, and especially how they are related to each other.

The general purpose of systems thinking is discover what are the limits, dynamics, conditions, purpose and relationships that exist within each of these systems.

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2. Goes from the specific to the general

In systemic thinking, what is first done is to examine the objective data that is available at all times, such as the observable results or the starting situation. The next step is to try to find the underlying causes of them and extrapolate them to other areas. It goes from the most specific to go, progressively, to the most general.

This way of thinking is, as a general rule, very different from what we habitually resort to. What we usually do when we are faced with a specific problem is that we look for the causes in the recent past and in the closest situations. In trying to solve it, we focus on solutions that have good results in the short term, without worrying about what might happen in the distant future.

This is not the case with systems thinking. With the it is about finding all the causes of a situation and all the elements that could have influenced it, no matter how far away they are in time and space. When proposing solutions to a problem, its effectiveness is considered both in the short and long term, anticipating possible risks and unwanted effects that may occur in the distant future.

3. It allows a better understanding of the causes of the situation studied

The main advantage of systems thinking is considered to be that, when applied, allows a complete understanding of the causes that have led to a given situation. In addition, it helps us to understand all the elements that are causing this situation to continue.

When you fully understand the causes of a situation and its components, it is easier to develop a solution that is effective in both the short and long term. In this way, despite being difficult to apply, systems thinking offers us great benefits in the areas in which it is applied.

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Principles of systems thinking

The four fundamental principles when applying systemic thinking are the ones that we will see below.

1. Acquisition of a global vision

The first step to apply systems thinking to a given situation is to take perspective with respect to it. It is necessary to acquire a global vision of the problem, something that is often difficult because the most immediate consequences of the situation prevent us from seeing the whole.

Before starting with the analysis of the situation, we must ask ourselves what we might be missing at first sight. In this way, it is possible to acquire a new vision of the problem, which will allow us to analyze it more effectively.

2. Identification of systems and their relationships

Once we have managed to get rid of the most immediate consequences of the situation addressed, the following is find all the systems that are part of the problem to be analyzed. Here we must include everything, including both human systems (p. g., work groups, family relationships) as inanimate or structural elements (p. g., tools, environment, geographic organization…) or even intangibles (p. g., belief system).

For example, in a labor problem, one of the systems involved is the company and the groups of workers who work for it. However, we must not neglect other aspects such as the beliefs of these people, the computer system used in the organization or the economic situation of the company.

3. Recognition of the elements that form them

The next step can be understood as the same as the previous one, only this time we are going to try to detect what are the elements that make up the systems. Here it is about identifying the elements that make up each of the systems and how these same elements influence each other.

4. Approach of possible solutions

Finally, when the systems and elements that make up the problem to be analyzed have already been identified, it is time to propose possible solutions to it. Thanks to the previous steps, it is easier to find a satisfactory solution for all parties.

It is worth mentioning that, at this stage, we should not adopt the first idea that appears after the analysis. Before applying a solution, it is necessary to identify the possible short-term and long-term effects of each of the proposed alternatives. In this way, you can choose the one that most benefits everyone.