Welcome to the Systems Thinking. Defined. project. Here we collect definitions of systems thinking to aid in a better understanding of what systems thinking is as well as to illustrate the breadth of the field. Email additional systems thinking definitions to Robert Edson.
Project guidelines:
- The definition must be published (though at this point I will leave the mode of publication open.)
- We are essentially seeking specific qoutes.
- The definition must clearly be of the form “systems thinking is…” either implicitly or explicitly. In other words, it is not a valid definition if it has to be inferred from the context.
- The definition must be a maximum of two sentences long. Remember, we are searching for the perfect elevator speech – the one liner that would convince your family or boss.
Systems thinking is the art and science of making reliable inferences about behavior by developing an increasingly deep understanding of underlying structure. (Richmond, Barry, 1994. Systems thinking/system dynamics: let’s just get on with it. System Dynamics Review, 10:2, 135-157.)
Systems thinking is a discipline for seeing wholes. It is a framework for seeing interrelationships rather than things, for seeing patterns of change rather than static “snapshots.” (Senge, P.M., 1990. The Fifth Discipline, Doubleday, New York.)
Systems thinking is utilizing modal elements to consider the componential, relational, contextual, and dynamic elements of the system of interest. (Davidz, H.L., and D.J. Nightingale, 2008. Enabling systems thinking to accelerate the development of senior systems engineers. Systems Engineering, Vol. 11:1, 1-14.)