In This Issue

Feature
Integrating Systems Thinking and Design Thinking
by John Pourdehnad, Erica R. Wexler, and Dennis V. Wilson

Design thinking is a hot topic of discussion in management circles today. But how can organizations increase their chances of creating the right designs? Systems thinking can help designers better understand the world around them and avoid unintended consequences. Yet the most valuable principle that systems thinking can add to design thinking may be the need to bring the whole system to the discussion from the beginning.
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Pegasus Classics
Predicting Behavior Using Systems Archetypes
by Daniel H. Kim

The better we understand the structure of a system, the better we can predict its future behavior. Systems archetypes can help us see the structures within a complex system, while behavior over time diagrams offer a glimpse into the expected behavior of that structure over time. By identifying and working on the underlying structures that produce behaviors, we can help to create the future instead of just trying to forecast it.
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Toolbox
It’s Impossible Not to Make Connections
by Michael Michalko

Our genius as humans is our ability to invent patterns and make new connections in our imaginations. One example is that of blending concepts. For example, if you look at the phrase “They are digging their financial grave,” you know immediately what it means, even though there is no connection between digging a grave and investing money. We can intentionally apply this practice of blending to generate creative new approaches and ideas.
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Viewpoint
System Problem or People Problem?
by Lee Jenkins

Leaders of organizations must deal with people problems. However, they often attempt to solve a system problem as if it were a people problem. When teachers spend a third of their time in review of prior grades, when data is used to rank and demoralize rather than to energize teams, and when students have their intrinsic motivation removed, system problems are dominating.
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