Thinking in System for Agile Problem Solving

 

‘Thinking in System’ is a book by Donella H. Meadows and Diana Wright, in which they explained the different way of thinking. They stated by system thinking will help in understanding the working of the system, indicate the root cause of the problems, discover new opportunities, make more reliable and better decisions, and can easily adapt to changing situations.

Agile is always about adapting to change so when we think of system thinking and agile we get a hunch that maybe system thinking can be related to agile for the betterment of the organization.  System thinking is one of the hottest topics for agile and lean in today’s time. As system thinking provides extraordinary results on the already successful agile practices.

We can define a system as a group with a specific purpose that is interrelated, interdependent, and interacting parts forming a unified whole. Some of the specific characteristics of a system have been mentioned below;

·       It includes the purpose

·       All parts present are compulsory for completing the optimum purpose

·       Performance is affected by the change in the order of the parts

·       With feedback, stability can be maintained

·       The whole output is always more than the sum of the parts

·       With changing perspective system is subject to redefinition

·       Whole and part are a comparative abstraction

What is System Thinking?

To understand the system thinking let's see with an example, Consider there are four men on a boat, that has a hole at the right end making the boat sink. Two of the men are working out to solve the issue whereas, the other two are seating at the other end thinking that it is not their thing to worry about as they are on the other side of the boat. When we are working in a system it is necessary to work considering all as one system. In short when there is a problem the solution to it is a system instead of analytical thinking.

System thinking helps in understanding what is good for an organization based on a complete system and not as per part. It also helps in better decision-making as the decision is based on overall system consideration.

In agile transformation, system thinking helps in mapping the organization as a system by utilizing reinforcing and balancing loops for finding out the right leverage loops and acting on them.

For problem-solving in agile, the very first step is always about finding out the problem, it is easy in system thinking as this is done with system thinking itself. With a complete system view approach observing the issues becomes easy as it is detected from the root and understanding the wider connected situation.

These types are problems are generally complex types that require a well-considered solution and easy ones are rare to obtain. The main three steps in system thinking for problem-solving involve analysis, synthesis, and decision-making. We will see how system thinking works for agile problem-solving with the above steps.

At first, that is synthesis, system thinking as we have mentioned above understanding the hierarchy of the system and how it works. In this phase, we come to know the functioning of the system and know the processes.

In the second step which is analysis, system thinking looks at each part of the system considering it apart to understand the behavior and activity of every component separately. Through this activity, we come to know the function and importance of each part in the system so that we know what issues will create if anyone is detached from the system.

By using the knowledge of synthesis and analysis and combining them it is easy to understand a system as a whole as well as knowing the importance and function of each part makes us aware of the interrelation of the system. With this combination of two steps, the third step becomes easy and better. When only the first two steps elements have combined the support for better decision-making is obtained.

The main aspect of system thinking that makes it different from traditional thinking is the first step where we see the entire system as a whole and also understand it from base to top giving a whole understanding of an issue that further helps in narrowing the solution for better decision making.

When the solution is applied with system thinking we are well aware of the impact that issues are making on a particular part as well as on the whole system. This system thinking helps much better for decision-making in agile problem-solving.

About Advance Agility

We, at Advance Agility, are the new-age Agile Coaching, Consulting and IT services company. We enable end-to-end Digital Transformation. Agile execution is integral to our being. We are doing SAFe implementation with small, medium and large organization across the globe. Our vision is to be the leading Agile execution player globally. To keep adding value at every process stage. We are on a mission to empower our clients, move from concept to cash in the shortest sustainable lead time by adopting human centric approach to business agility. Embracing the change is in our DNA. Things that keep us apart are Quicker and Seamless execution with End-to-end gamut of services. Our Global presence and Stellar Track Record give us an edge over our competitor.

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