Key Concepts of Systems Thinking
People who move to a new country and immerse themselves in a different language are often asked, “What language do you think in now?” Thinking in a particular language means using that language as a tool for organizing your thoughts, planning, reasoning, and conducting your inner dialogue.[1]
Language is a tool that can shape and structure thought processes. This concept is known as linguistic relativity, or the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.[2] It suggests that the language we speak influences our perception of the world and our way of thinking.
Usually, when people talk about “language,” most immediately think of foreign languages, and few consider professional languages. For example, the language of a physicist or mathematician, a swimmer or a driver, an engineer or a manager. In reality, over the course of a lifetime, a person learns not just English or another spoken language, but also professional languages. In essence, learning professional languages is not much different from learning an everyday conversational language.
But beyond professional languages, there is also a meta-language, or systems language. The systems language uses its own words to denote specific concepts. These concepts may be named differently in various foreign languages. For example, the core concept of systems thinking can be expressed as “система” (in Russian) or “system.” Apart from the concept of system, there are other systems thinking concepts such as system of interest, supersystem, function, architecture, role, method (practice), and so on.
Therefore, one of the shortest answers to the question “What does systems thinking mean?” is: “It’s when you think in the systems language.” From there, you can go on to say that systems thinking helps create successful products and services that take into account a wide range of interests.
Learning systems thinking is necessary, just like learning any foreign language. That is, you need to study the concepts (words) and apply them in your projects and in life. You need to truly immerse yourself in the environment, which is why it’s so important to be part of a community of like-minded people.[3] Of course, you first need to take this learning seriously and recognize the importance of mastering the systems language. After all, it will take years to become fluent.
However, just as with a foreign language, new opportunities arise as you progress. These opportunities are even more significant, because the systems language opens doors to any professional language and to creating successful systems in both your work and personal life. Moreover, you’ll be able to master these professions more quickly in any foreign language.
So, study systems methodology and think in the systems language—not just in everyday English!
One of the most important skills for a modern person is the ability to learn quickly. People do this much faster than any other animal on earth. But some people learn faster than others, make fewer mistakes, and live better as a result. To learn quickly, it’s important to understand that learning is, first and foremost, the study of theories. And, of course, theories must be connected to practical activities. The best theories help humanity advance civilization.
Any theory, in turn, consists of certain concepts that are used to describe the world. These are what you should focus on when studying theories. Write them down and connect them to each other as you go through courses, and look for their manifestations in the physical world.
In physics, concepts such as physical body, velocity, force, and so on are introduced. These concepts are needed to describe natural phenomena, the structure, and the evolution of the material world. In the discipline of accounting, concepts like asset, liability, double-entry bookkeeping, and others are introduced to describe the activities of an enterprise (the balance sheet) for tax accounting. In the systems thinking course, you’ll find concepts necessary for creating a successful system and organizing a large team of specialists from different professions.
Is it possible to create systems without systems thinking concepts? Of course, it is. But it’s just like ignoring the laws of physics or trying to learn to swim only through practice, without understanding the theory of the front crawl. You’ll still manage to do something. We offer an intellectual language for explaining and changing the world, and in this, we compete with other schools of thought.
With systems thinking concepts, you can not only work faster and increase the complexity of the systems you create, but you can also apply these concepts to the creation of entirely different systems: IT systems, an airplane, or a house, a nuclear power plant, or preparing a child for adult life.
Try to independently assess your level of mastery of systems thinking concepts. Talk through each point to yourself, or better yet, write drafts for each item using systems thinking concepts. Here you’ll find most of the concepts studied in AISYSTANT courses. They are grouped so that you not only discuss each concept, but also explain how it differs from other related concepts.
- The use of a systems approach or systems thinking and systematicity
- Synergy and emergence
- The physical world and mental space
- Nestedness and hierarchy
- Implementation, Description, and Documentation of the System
- Alpha and work artifact
- Work and methods (practices)
- Functional analysis and modular synthesis
- Processes, projects, and tasks
- Physical object (executor/performer), functional object (role), and function (behavior)
- Word, object, and system
- Function and structure/design
- Intention, subject of interest, and preference
- Role, subject of interest, role interest (preference), and method of description
- Discipline and tools
- Function and service
- Improvement and development
- Strategy and strategizing
- Work management and method (practice) management
- Black box and glass box
- Architecture and non-architecture
- Systems of systems and people in systems
- Systems-oriented and traditional leadership
- Stages and phases of a project
- Transdiscipline and discipline, method and theory
- Role, executor/performer, title, and position
- Role, method (practice), and work artifact
- Dissatisfaction and subject of interest
- Entrepreneur, engineer, and manager
- System levels, creation chains, and areas of interest
- Work management: project management, process management, and case management
- Organizational roles and organizational units
- System architecture and enterprise architecture
- Models, metamodels, multimodels, megamodels
- Modeling and meta-modeling
- Meta-system transition and emergence
- System of interest, supersystem, creation system, surrounding systems, our system, subsystem
- Successful system and ethics
- Subject of interest (concern), method of description (viewpoint), description (view)
This exercise is useful to complete both during and after each AISYSTANT course. By studying each concept, you’ll not only be able to find common ground with entrepreneurs, engineers, and managers, but you’ll also learn new professional knowledge more quickly, making yourself a sought-after specialist.