Complexity
Systems thinking deals with complexity. Complexity is a concept that has many meanings in different contexts and theories. We will discuss complexity in the following contexts:
- when we encounter something new and unknown, it is inherently complex because we do not have ready-made methods to handle it;
- when a complexly structured system is created or exists, for example, one consisting of a large number of elements with many interconnections, and so on. This could be a system like an "Enterprise of 1,000 people" or an "Electric vehicle";
- when a system has a large number of stakeholders whom it affects, or who affect the system. Such a system is likely to be complexly structured, but we highlight this third type of complexity separately to draw attention to the numerous interests in the system that must be addressed in order to create a successful system.
Systems thinking helps you continually increase the level of complexity you can handle throughout your life. In addition to the ability to work with complexity, a system constructor also increases their speed of work. But first, it is necessary to develop fluency (speed) in applying systems thinking. To achieve this, you need to gradually increase the complexity of your systems analysis:
- start by examining simple systems such as "scissors," "chair," or "hammer";
- then move on to your own body and personal mastery;
- next, proceed to IT systems (cyber-physical systems), where the software is the personality, and "mastery" is one of the applications/application programs in this software[1];
- after that, move on to teams and enterprises;
- finally, you gain access to higher system levels—community, society, humanity...
We do not recommend immediately trying to apply systems thinking to your most complex project. Doing so will only confuse you further and waste your time. Try starting with the simplest project, and once you achieve fluency, move on to a more complex system.
In our course, we primarily focus on simple systems, while in the courses "Systems Thinking," "Methodology," and "Systems Engineering," you will reinforce this understanding and be able to see similarities with other systems. By the end of the "Personal Engineering" course, you will be able to understand personality, and after successfully completing the "Systems Management" course, you may become a Chief Transformation Officer of an enterprise. Courses on higher system levels are currently in development.
This step-by-step approach trains your ability to continually raise your threshold for complexity and speed. Of course, it is tempting to want everything at once, but that rarely happens in life. You need to train systematicity together with the use of a systems approach—this will be your competitive advantage, as well as a guarantee that life will not be boring. A systems thinker with agency[2] will always have the motivated desire and ability to do something impressive and valuable for people, raising complexity to the level of humanity. This is the essence of endless development and personal self-development.
If you are not an IT specialist, the analogy with personality will help you understand a lot about IT. The human body can be viewed as IT hardware, and a specific mastery (as part of the personality) is the software. ↩︎
Agency is the ability to set goals and act to improve one's current state. To do this, an agent actively influences both themselves and the surrounding world. Agency can be compared to "having a fire under one's butt." ↩︎