Meta-System Transition and Emergence
The multi-level nature of system breakdowns is fundamental. At the very top level of any such breakdown, you potentially have the universe; at the very bottom—superstrings[1]. However, the vast majority of people operate at the middle level, while scientists primarily work at the peripheral levels.
For our work, a small range of system levels is important—one that matches our life interests. Of course, some may work at the level of humanity or at the nano-level. But for most, only a few system levels will be relevant, similar to those associated with a passenger vehicle. For you, this might be an IT program, a bridge, or a particular mastery.
Shifting between system levels changes everything—including the names of systems, roles, etc. Some roles are concerned with using vehicles and discuss who will drive them and where. Others focus on the parts of the vehicle and think about how to improve the efficiency of different components. A third group of roles says nothing about the vehicle itself but simply manufactures standardized parts. A fourth group will talk about the materials from which the vehicle’s parts are made. And so on. This is an interesting systems thinking technique that helps you navigate any complex subject area.
All these roles use different methods and speak different languages: for some, the language is mainly about the vehicle’s environment and issues of its use; for others, it’s about the production aspects of creating and assembling the vehicle; and for yet others, it’s about issues like material strength, processing difficulty, and so on.
When working with a vehicle, terms like “movement” and “trip” are regularly used, but the materials from which the vehicle is made are not mentioned at all. If we shift our attention down one system level, we start talking about the efficiency of the engine. And what about a level below that? Completely different people are involved with the material: its strength, friction, and everything else.
All of this is reflected in the language of the project roles working at each system level. Moving from discussing one system level to another is known as a meta-system transition. For a systems thinker, a meta-system transition is literally audible in conversation and visible in text! One systems thinking technique is the ability to keep your attention focused on the system level being discussed. In professional communication, the discussion may touch on several system levels at once.
The main thing in communication among experienced specialists is not clever juggling of professional terms, but fluency in meta-system transitions. A professional has a good understanding of the emergent property at each system level. For someone using systems thinking, a discussion is not just a stream of terms—they literally hear or read concepts from different system levels and understand the connections between various system levels and areas of interest.
or other known physical objects at the smallest scale. ↩︎