The Complete Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning

The Complete Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning

Released January 2000
Publisher(s): HRD Press
ISBN: 9780874255713

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Book description

The Complete Guide to Systems Thinking & Learning uses the The Systems Thinking Approach" to guide transformation change in our personal lives and organizations. Systems Thinking was first popularized in 1990 by Peter Senge with his best-selling book, The Fifth Discipline. The Complete Guide to Systems Thinking & Learning explains how to use simple concepts and specific tools to move you from theory to practice and from chaos and complexity to elegant simplicity. This book will enable you to make the shift from seeing elements, structures, and functions to seeing the process, interrelationships, and outcomes.

Table of contents

  1. The Complete Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning
    1. Copyright
    2. PREFACE
      1. From Theory to Practice
      2. From Chaos and Complexity to Elegant Simplicity
      3. Living Systems Applied—the Basic Unit of Life
    3. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    4. COMPREHENSIVE OUTLINE OF THE TOOLS
    5. PROLOGUE
      1. WELTANSCHAUUNG
    6. CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMS THINKINGSM AND LEARNING
      1. Overview Living Systems . . . the basic unit of life
      2. Systems Concept #1: Seven Levels of Living (Open) Systems
      3. Systems Concept #2: Twelve Laws of Natural Systems (Standard Systems Dynamics)
      4. Systems Concept #3: A-B-C-D Systems Model
      5. Systems Concept #4: Changing Systems (The Natural Cycles of Life and Change)
      6. Some Guiding Principles of the Systems Age
      7. What Is Learning? and The Learning Organization
    7. CHAPTER II: APPLICATION: STANDARD SYSTEMS DYNAMICS
      1. Tool #1 Systems Preconditions: Question—Which Entity?
      2. Tool #2 #1 Systems Question—Desired Outcomes
      3. Tool #3 #2 Systems Question—The Need for Feedback
      4. Tool #4 #3 Systems Question—Environmental Impact
      5. Tool #5 #4 Systems Question—Looking at Relationships
      6. Tool #6 #5 Systems Question— The What (Ends) or the How (Means)
      7. Tool #7 The “Iceberg” Theory of Change
      8. Tool #8 Buy-In and Stay-In
      9. Tool #9 Centralized vs. Decentralized
      10. Tool #10 Multiple Causes, Root Causes
      11. Tool #11 KISS: From Complexity to Simplicity
      12. Tool #12 The Ultimate Question: Superordinate Goals
      13. Tool #13 System Dynamics Overall
    8. CHAPTER III: APPLICATION: PHASE A—THE OUTCOME THINKING TOOLS
      1. Tool #14 Customer Wants and Needs
      2. Tool #15 Customer Focus
      3. Tool #16 Internal vs. External Customers
      4. Tool #17 Ideal Future Vision (Shared Vision, Mission, and Core Values)
      5. Tool #18 Whole Jobs
    9. CHAPTER IV: APPLICATION: PHASE B—FEEDBACK AND LEARNING TOOLS
      1. Tool #19 Feedback and Learning
      2. Tool #20 Reinforcement and The Learning Organization
      3. Tool #21 Environmental Scanning System
      4. Tool #22 Key Success Factor Measures—Continuous Improvement Matrix
      5. Tool #23 “People Support What They Help Create”
      6. Tool #24 Look in the Mirror—Self-Feedback
      7. Tool #25 Assessment and Debriefing Frameworks
    10. CHAPTER V: APPLICATION: THE A-B-C-D SYSTEMS THINKING APPROACHSM AND MODEL
      1. Tool #26 “Organization as a System” Model
      2. Tool #27 Reinventing Strategic Management (Planning and Change)
      3. Tool #28 Strategic Life Planning
      4. Tool #29 HR Strategic Planning
      5. Tool #30 Hiring and Promotions as a System
      6. Tool #31 The Team as a System
      7. Tool #32 Systemic Team Building
      8. Tool #33 Cross-Functional Teams
      9. Tool #34 Leadership Development as a System
      10. Tool #35 TQM as a System
      11. Tool #36 Systems Solution vs. Problem Solving (Through the A-B-C-D Systems Framework)
      12. Tool #37 Organization Design as a System
      13. Tool #38 Project Management—Simplicity
    11. CHAPTER VI: APPLICATION: SEVEN LEVELS OF LIVING SYSTEMS
      1. Tool #39 “Glue” and the Cascade of Planning
      2. Tool #40 Six Leadership Competencies
      3. Tool #41 Total Rewards Systems—All Levels
      4. Tool #42 Methods of Communication
      5. Tool #43 HR and Training Roles—In Strategic Management
    12. CHAPTER VII: APPLICATION: THE ROLLERCOASTER OF CHANGESM
      1. Tool #44 The Rollercoaster of Change
      2. Tool #45 The Rollercoaster of Self-Change
      3. Tool #46 The Rollercoaster of Interpersonal Change
      4. Tool #47 The Rollercoaster of Team Change
      5. Tool #48 The Rollercoaster of Organizational Change
      6. Tool #49 Cutting and Building Success Strategies
      7. Tool #50 Six Natural Phases of Change
      8. Tool #51 The Natural Life Cycle
      9. Tool #52 Performance Management System & Cycle
      10. Tool #53 People-Edge System and Cycle
      11. Tool #54 Annual Strategic Review Cycle
    13. CHAPTER VIII: SUMMARY APPLICATIONS
      1. Tool #55 Organizational Culture Change
      2. Tool #56 Strategic Management System
      3. Tool #57 Tailor to Your Needs
      4. Tool #58 Wheel of Detail
      5. Tool #59 Change Management Organizational Structures
      6. Tool #60 Change Management Fail-Safe Mechanisms
      7. Tool #61 Open Systems Planning
      8. Tool #62 Socio-Technical Systems
      9. Tool #63 Versatile Assessment Tool
      10. Tool #64 Five Key People Management Subsystems
    14. CHAPTER IX: SUMMARY OF SYSTEMS THINKING AND LEARNING
      1. Why Use a Systems Thinking Approach Model?
      2. Language, Communications, and Key Questions
      3. Research: Places Where Real Systems Thinking Is Happening Today
      4. Obstacles to Systems Thinking and Learning
      5. Benefits of Systems Thinking and Learning
      6. Summary and Bottom Line—Four Concepts Revisited
      7. Analytic vs. Systems Thinking
    15. BIBLIOGRAPHY
    16. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Product information

  • Title: The Complete Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: January 2000
  • Publisher(s): HRD Press
  • ISBN: 9780874255713