Systems Thinking Toolkit - Habits of a System Thinker

Habits

Systems thinking encompasses a number of mental habits—cognitive practices that we can learn and incorporate into the way we understand the world and the consequences of our actions in it. The Water’s Center for Systems Thinking, a non-profit in the United States devoted to fostering learning about dynamic systems, has identified 15 “ habits of a systems thinker”. These habits elaborate the scope of a systems mindset. We will review four of these habits here. To learn the full 15 habits, click on the link provided.

Let’s take a look at four key habits of a systems thinker now:

Seek different perspectives.

Why? Because different perspectives deepen understanding.

Observe how things change over time and how those changes generate patterns and trends.

Systems thinkers know that a problem is the product of a complex history of patterns and changes over time.

Seek to understand the big picture and recognize there is more than what meets the eye.

Systems Thinkers understand that what they might notice about a problem initially is just the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to understanding the full scope of a challenge.

Use an understanding of a system’s behaviour to influence change.

This means that systems thinkers will understand that delivering a solution that does not embrace interconnectedness and complexity could lead to more problems.