Observe How Things Change Over Time
Another habit of a systems thinker is knowing the importance of observing how things change over time. Systems thinkers understand that in order to grasp a phenomenon we need to understand it in the context of its history and potential future. Examining changes in a situation over time reveals larger patterns. These patterns ebb and flow or go up or down in different “rhythms”. Without understanding the patterns, we may misunderstand where we are in the timing / “rhythm” of that pattern.
Dimitrios Karamitros and Tony Skerl / Shutterstock
Take the example of the melting Arctic sea ice. If we were only to capture measurements in 1980 and 1996, we might be tempted to think there was only a slight reduction in ice overall.
In fact, as the following video shows, the deterioration of sea ice is happening at an alarmingly fast rate.
Annual Arctic Sea Ice Minimum 1979-2021 with Area Graph
This is the importance of understanding how whatever problem we are looking at changes over time, and how those changes generate trends and patterns.