We all live in systems, but we don’t normally think about the systems in which we operate. If we want to pursue our calling and increase our impact in the world, it is important that we operate from a mindset of systems thinking.
In it’s simplest form, a system is a circle of causality. A very simple example of a system is the system we use when we fill up a glass of water. We don’t normally think about filling up a glass of water this way, but when we examine it closer, we see that we determine the level of the water in some fashion and when the water level gets high enough, we turn off the water.
The feedback loop goes like this:
water level too low -> turn/keep water on -> increased level of water -> back to ‘water level too low’
water level high enough -> turn/keep water off -> water level constant
Difficult Systems
The hardest type of system to control is when there is a long delay between the action we take and the change from that action. For example, how hard is it to get the right water temperature in the shower when it takes 10 seconds between us adjusting the knobs and the water temperature changing? With this type of shower system, we usually hear, “Hot! hot! Woah! hot! Ooooh! Cold! Cold! Cold! Ouch! Hot! Hot! …”
Systems can become very complex with many factors involved in the system. The more complex the system, the more likely it is for there to be a longer delay between an action to the system and the new result within the system.
Reinforcing and Balancing Feedback
In systems, there are reinforcing feedback loops and balancing feedback loops. Reinforcing feedback loops are runaway systems where the feedback produces more of the original action. Balancing feedback loops are stable systems where the feedback produces less or more of the original action, pushing the system to some intermediate state.
An example of a reinforcing feedback loop is the arms race during the cold war. Here is what we had:
USSR arms -> threat to Americans -> need to increase US arms
US arms -> threat to Soviets -> need to increase USSR arms
In this system, we end up with a runaway system building up ever increasing arms.
An example of a balancing feedback loop is in the thermostat in our house. Here is what this looks like:
temperature too low -> turn/keep heater on -> change in temperature
temperature too high -> turn/keep heater off -> change in temperature
With the thermostat in our house, the temperature is kept at a comfortable level.
Why This is Important
At it’s core, our calling involves some form of change. We are changing individual’s lives. It is important to understand that we operate in systems all the time. There are systems that operate within individual people as well as in organizations. Systems are woven into our society as a whole and even globally.
Too often though, we don’t recognize the systems in which we live. This makes us a lot less powerful to change things. To instill change, an effective approach is to change the system, and we can’t do this very well if we are blind to the system.
To be more effective we need to have systems thinking. If you want to learn more, I recommend the book: The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge
