This document outlines an executive systems thinking training seminar presented by Robert Steele of Systainability Asia. The seminar introduces systems thinking as an effective problem analysis and solution approach and shares practical systems thinking tools. It aims to help participants understand how systems shape societal behavior and develop long-term solutions to social issues. The seminar covers the basic concepts of systems thinking, including defining a system, common systems thinking tools and language, and uses the "system iceberg" model to help unravel complexity and discover root causes of behavior.

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EXECUTIVE SYSTEMS
THINKING TRAINING
SEMINAR
3 March 2015
Robert
Steele
Systainability
Asia
/
AtKisson
Group

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Premise of this Seminar

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1.
A
systems
perspec>ve
helps
us
to
understand
what
shapes
the
way
society
thinks
and
acts.

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2.
By
using
a
systems
approach,
we
can
beFer
understand
what
lies
underneath
various
social
issues
in
order
to
develop
long-­‐term
solu>ons.

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Seminar Objectives
1. Introduce
systems
thinking
as
an
effec>ve
problem
analysis
and
solu>on
approach.
2. Share
some
prac>cal
systems
thinking
tools,
methods,
and
techniques.

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Current
And
Past
Clients
Include:
Levi
Strauss
&
Co.
•
Ernst
&
Young
•
Nike
•
Bal>c
21
(the
11
na>ons
of
Northern
Europe)
•
European
Sustainable
Development
Network
•
Brother,
Inc.
(Japan)
•
Earth
Charter
Interna>onal
•
Swedish
SIDA’s
Advanced
Interna>onal
Training
Programs
•
United
Na>ons
Division
for
Sustainable
Development
Egyp>an
Na>onal
Compe>>veness
Council
•
Government
of
Singapore
•
Greater
New
Orleans,
Inc.
•
SEIYU
(Japan)
•
SERDP
-­‐
Strategic
Environmental
Research
&
Development
Program
(US
Government)
•
Seliger
Forum
2010
(Russia)
•
Sustainable
Fashion
Academy
•
States
of
Queensland,
Victoria,
NSW,
and
South
Australia
•
Stockholm
County
•
Sustainable
SeaFle
•
Heinz
Endowments
•
Toyota
•
UNEP
•
UNDP
•
Nile
Basin
Ini>a>ve
•
Bank
of
Indonesia
•
Volvo
Cars
Robert
Steel
–
Systainability
Asia
-­‐
Part
of
A
global
network
dedicated
to
sustainability
strategy
learning,
and
inspira?on
Global
Affiliate
and
Associate
Network

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A little Thumb wrestling

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Part 1 - What is Systems
Thinking?
SYSTEMS
THINKING

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Important idea: “Good
people
can
make
bad
or
harmful
decisions
if
the
systems
within
which
they
are
making
those
decisions
are
poorly
designed.

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A
system
is
a
set
of
elements
whose
interconnec>ons
determine
their
behavior.
What Is A System?
Systems
are
bound
together
by
the
laws
of
cause
and
effect,
and
governed
by
flows
of
informa>on,
energy
and
materials.
Note:
People
give
defini-on
to
systems
based
on
an
idea
of
what
should
happen
at
a
given
point
in
-me.
Thus,
systems
have
a
purpose.

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Not a System A System
v

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Bigger more Complex Systems

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CEO’s individual
concern about
climate change
Shareholder
desire for
profitability
Likelihood a CEO
decides to open a
coal fired power
plant
Cost to meet
other
standards
Expected
profitability
of coal
Costs of other
energy sources
Price per ton
CO2
An example of system dynamics…
Source:
Climate
Interac>ve
–
Climate
Leader
Series;
hFp://theclimateleader.org

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Would a new decision maker
placed in the same system
make a different decision?

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Some Insights

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A Systems Perspective

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A little background on System Thinking

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Systems Thinking helps us to . . .
.
.
.
move
the
focus
away
from
events
and
pa5erns
of
behavior
(which
are
symptoms
of
problems)
and
toward
systemic
structure
and
the
underlying
mental
models
Adapted
from:
Senge,
Peter,
The
Fieh
Discipline,
1996.
Car
Ownership
Transporta>on
Op>ons

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Systems Thinking has a Special Language
• Source
• Stock
• Flows
• Sinks
• Feedback
• Reinforcing
• Balancing
• Leverage
Point

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Systems Thinking includes a Set of Tools
Stock
&
Flow
Diagrams
System
Iceberg
Behavior
Over
Time
Graphs
Causal
Loop
Diagrams
Compass
Ladder
of
Inference

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A System Story
A System Story by BEE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDxOyJxgJeA

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C
O
F
F
E
E
B
R
E
A
K

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Part 2 - The System Iceberg
The
“iceberg”
model
of
systemic
rela>onships
is
a
simple
tool
to
begin
to
unravel
complexity
and
discover
root
cause
of
behavior.

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The
Iceberg
brings
two
things
of
benefit
to
decision
makers….
First
–
It
helps
focus
our
aFen>on
on
areas
of
high
leverage.
Second
–the
idea
that
the
structure
of
a
system
actually
determines
the
long-­‐term
behaviour
of
the
system.

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The Iceberg
Events
• Headlines
in
the
Newspapers
• Urgent
Emails
• Fires
to
Put
Out
• Proposals
• Disasters
to
deal
with!

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The Iceberg
Events
React & Respond

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The Iceberg
Events
Pa5erns
of
Behavior
Past
Now
Indicator
Trends

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The Iceberg
Events
Pa5erns
of
Behavior
Adapt & Anticipate

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Time
Past Today Future
Something
important

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The Iceberg
Events
Pa5erns
of
Behavior
Systemic
Structures
Mindsets
&
Mental
Models
Create & Re-Design

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Feedback – The Process Driving the
System Behavior
Confidence in
Government Policy
Positive Results

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The Iceberg
Events
Pa5erns
of
Behavior
Systemic
Structures
Mindsets
&
Mental
Models
Transform

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The Compass … A Sustainability
Thinking Frame
➤ N
=
Nature
=
Environmental
impact,
resource
use,
waste,
ecosystems
and
habitat,
water,
energy,
climate
change
➤ E
=
Economy
=
Produc>on,
consump>on,
employment
and
work,
money,
investment,
debt,
business,
innova>on
➤ S
=
Society
=
Governance,
equity,
transparency,
security,
culture,
ins>tu>onal
management,
levels
of
trust
➤ W
=
Wellbeing
=
Health,
educa>on,
self-­‐expression,
happiness,
rela>onships,
family,
crea>vity,
quality
of
life
It helps us think about issues from many different perspectives
©
AtKisson,
Inc.,
2014
www.atkisson.com

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The Compass as a Tool for Systems Thinking
Environmental
Impacts
Resource
Use
&
Waste
Ecosystem
Integrity
Efficiency
&
ProducOvity
Financial
Aspects
Work,
Jobs,
IncenOves
Rights,
Laws
&
JusOce
Culture
&
InsOtuOons
Social
Trust
&
Public
Safety
Personal
Health
&
Happiness
Self-­‐Development
OpportuniOes
Families
&
RelaOonships
It helps us think about issues from many different perspectives

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Example – Traffic Problem in Bangkok
Events
Pa5erns
of
Behavior
Systemic
Structures
Mindsets
&
Mental
Models

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Iceberg Exercise Part 1
For
Problem
Analysis

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Exercise Instructions
1. Form
groups
of
4
–
5
2. Select
a
Topic
that
is
prominent
in
the
newspapers
or
on
TV
news
right
now.
3. Use
the
Iceberg
template
(handout)
to
analyze
the
Topic
from
a
systems
perspec>ve.
a. What
are
the
significant
events
in
the
past
and
now
that
we
see,
hear
about,
etc.
linked
to
this
topic?
b. What
are
the
paFerns
of
behavior
and
trends
we
can
iden>fy
that
link
to
this
event.
c. What
are
some
systemic
structures
that
exist
that
generate
these
behaviors
d. What
are
the
dominant
mental
models,
beliefs,
values,
assump>ons?
4.
Also,
as
you
brainstorm
the
elements
at
the
various
levels,
use
the
Compass
to
help
you
be
more
holis>c
(i.e.
think
about
all
four
points
of
the
Compass)

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Some example Events to use

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Sharing Icebergs

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Iceberg Exercise Part 2
Leverage
Points
and
solu>ons

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Small Actions can yield large results
A
“leverage
point” is
a
place
in
a
system
where
a
large
change
towards
desired
behavior
or
results
can
be
accomplished
by
applying
rela>vely
few
resources.
Artist: Gary Larson
Picture
source:
hFp://thwink.org/sustain/glossary/LeveragePoint.gif

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The Iceberg
Events
React and Respond
Pa5erns
of
Behavior
Systemic
Structures
Mindsets
&
Mental
Models
Adapt, Anticipate, Plan
Creative & Design
Transform

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Exercise Instructions
1. Use
the
Iceberg
template
(handout)
to
find
the
best
leverage
points
for
whole
system
change
at
each
level.
• How
would
you
respond
&
react
to
events
(short
term
solu>on)?
• What
will
you
do
to
be
proac>ve
on
the
paFerns
and
trends
you
see
by
an>cipa>ng,
planning
and
adap>ng?
• What
will
you
do
to
create
and
design
different
system
structures
and
interac>ons
(dynamics)?
• How
to
transform
people’s
mental
models
and
mindsets
that
lie
at
the
very
root
cause
of
these
issues
(by
designing
or
keeping
in
place
these
systemic
structure
that
generate
the
behavior
paFerns
and
trends
that
we
see)?
2. Finally,
circle
the
top
three
ideas
in
the
lower
sec>on
that
has
the
highest
leverage
in
terms
of
changing
the
system
and
avoiding
the
paFerns
of
behavior
that
you
don’t
want
to
see.
Increasing
Leverage

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Example – Our Traffic Issue in Bangkok
Events
Pa5erns
of
Behavior
Systemic
Structures
Mindsets
&
Mental
Models
React and Respond
Adapt, Anticipate, Plan
Creative & Design
Transform

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Part 3 – Causal Diagrams

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Causal Diagrams help in 3 ways…
1. Test
and
clarify
your
thinking
2. Enroll
people
in
ac>on
towards
a
goal
3. Discover
new
allies

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Efforts
spent
on
gepng
press
coverage
Visibility
of
Projects
Number
of
people
interested
in
the
NGO’s
projects
Number
of
people
/
organiza>ons,
etc.
suppor>ng
the
NGO’s
projects
Quality
of
people
wan>ng
to
work
for
the
NGO
Cumula>ve
Experience
of
the
NGO
Funds
available
for
Projects
Capacity
of
NGO
to
implement
effec>ve
projects
Posi>ve
results
of
the
projects
Causal Diagram Example of NGO Success

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Causal Diagram Education Improvement Example
Overall
PISA
Test
Scores
&
Country
Ranking
Percep>on
of
Thailand’s
Educa>on
System
by
Public
Ability
of
students
to
successfully
take
the
Test
Students’
comprehension
and
mastery
of
subject
maFer
Opportuni>es
for
students
to
apply
theore>cal
learning
in
relevant
life
situa>ons
Effec>veness
of
Government’s
Educa>on
Policy
&
Implementa>on
Capacity
of
Teachers
for
transforma>ve
teaching
&
learning
Curriculum
Extent
of
Transforma>onal
Teaching
Pedagogy
applied
in
schools
Thailand’s
Compe>>veness

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A
Causal
Diagram
Story
Example
Biking
in
Bangkok
Number
of
people
biking
to
work
Number
of
bikers
visible
on
the
streets
Number
of
people
interested
in
biking
Number
of
bikers
organized
to
improve
biking
in
the
city
Number
of
bike
lanes
Driver
awareness
of
bikers

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Some youth examples
(Singapore Youth Environmental Envoys Program)

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Corporate example - Bang Negara Indonesia
(BNI) Sustainability Team

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Summary
&
Closing

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Remember…. The structure of the
systems determines its behavior!

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A Systems approach provides us . . .
Ø Deeper
Insight:
“Understand
components
and
their
links
in
the
system,
you
will
understand
its
behavior.”
Ø More
effec>ve
and
long-­‐term
Leverage:
“Change
a
component
or
link
in
the
system,
and
you
will
change
the
system
behavior.”
Ø BeFer
Solu>ons:
“Solving
problems
almost
always
involves
changing
systems
(iden-fy
and
change
the
limi-ng
factor.”

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13 Habits of a Systems Thinker

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Comments, Questions?

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Systainability
Asia
/
AtKisson
Group
ATKISSON
SUSTAINABILITY
SYSTEMS
ACCELERATOR
Tools,
Methods
and
Processes
to
Support
Sustainable
Development
and
Transforma-onal
Change.

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SYSTAINABILITY ASIA / ATKISSON GROUP
www.systainabilityasia.com
robert@atkisson.com
Thank you for your Attention &
Participation!