Systems Thinking by Mirza Yawar Baig

1. Systems Thinking
Mental Models & Loops

2. Principles - Systems Thinking
1. “You can have your cake and eat it too – But not all at once.”
Senge
2. “The easiest way out will lead back in.” Senge
3. “Behavior will grow worse before it grows better.” Senge
4. “We cannot solve our problems at the same mental level at
which we created them.” Einstein
5. “Move from the tyranny of the OR to the synergy of the
AND….” Collins & Porras
2
Mental Models and Loops

3. Mental Models
1. “Although people do not always behave congruently
with their espoused theories (what they say) they do
behave congruently with their theories-in-use (mental
models).”
~ Chris Argyris, Harvard
3
Credibility is directly proportional
to demonstrated compliance with values

4. Remember about Mental Models
1. We all have various mental models and for most of us they are
unquestioned and unexamined objectively. We have a lot of
emotional baggage associated with them and strong links to our
egos and so feel very vulnerable when invited to question them.
2. Mental models we are aware of and question are beneficial to
us. Mental models we are not aware of, enslave us.
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Our mental models incline us towards
or away from people, ideas or things

5. 4 – Steps to change Mental Models
 Intervention:
1. Identify and articulate existing mental models
2. Map them with desirable mental models
3. Define behaviors which reflect the new mental models
4. Put metrics on them to monitor performance
5
You can only guarantee what you can control
You can only control what you can measure

6. Formation of Stereotypes
 Something happens to me involving another
individual
1. I like or dislike what happened
2. I form an opinion about that individual
3. I then apply that opinion to all individuals of that group
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Selective perception feeds the negative cycle

7. Formation of Stereotypes
 I don’t ask myself the critical questions:
1. How representative of the group was that individual?
2. Is it fair to that group to take an experience in isolation
and form an opinion about the whole group, the majority
of whom I have never met or interacted with?
3. What does this do to my own ability to influence, build
teams, understand and lead others?
Serious implications on career development

8. Formation of Stereotypes
1. The problem with this is that our behavior with others is
based on our mental models about them
2. We then get responses from them which by means of
selective perception, we use to ‘confirm’ our original
opinion of them
3. We never get to meet real people – only mental models
This is a vicious cycle

9. AI – Algorithmic perception
1. The Newsfeed algorithm is a super-optimized gratification
machine, observing what types of content you enjoy, and
then curating that content for maximum user engagement,
regardless of whether that content is true or false.
2. This algorithm distorts the conversation in an invisible,
insidious way. News stories are shown to those who are
likely to like or re-share them. Users are shielded from
stories the algorithm determines they won't enjoy.

10. Questions
1. How does this affect our interactions in society?
2. How does it affect the way we see others?
3. How does it affect our ability to influence change, our
leadership styles and success, ability to work with others,
building teams, career progress, social interactions, security
and safety, discrimination, openness, transparency, trust
and friendship?
This is not an exhaustive list

11. Theory of Loops
Any organizational process automatically initiates a
compensating process which will neutralize its effect
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Source: Peter Senge:
The Fifth Discipline
Condition
Growing
Action
Slowing
Action
Causal Loop & Compensating Loop

12. Example
1. Causal Loop: No women, promote diversity, hire women
2. Compensating Loop:
 “There are too many women. They are taking over this place.
This is becoming a kitchen cabinet.” …and so on.
3. Gradually creates hostility for women and they leave.
4. Extreme cases: discrimination against women
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Ironic: hired because they were considered valuable

13. 13
Visioning Exercise
Causal Loop & Compensating Loop
People
talking and
working
towards the
vision
Enthusiasm towards
new vision
Clarity of shared vision
Diversity of
views
Conflicting Visions
Polarization
Problems in Alignment
Conflict Resolution skills
Ability to see commonalities
Source: Peter Senge: The Fifth Discipline

14. Outpatient Clinic
started to serve
community
More people
start coming
Patient referrals going
up
Waiting time on the
increase
Patient attendance going
down
“If you don’t adjust your service satisfaction to the level
expected by your customers, the system will do it for you!”
Peter Senge
Source: Peter Senge: The Fifth Discipline

15. Exercise
1. Identify the Causal & Compensating Loops in your life
2. What must you do to neutralize the Compensating
Loops?
3. What do you need in order to succeed?
Good intentions are not sufficient to achieve results
Results depend on informed intelligent action

16. Bibliography
1. Peter Senge Fifth Discipline http://amzn.to/2eibWNE
2. Fifth Discipline Fieldbook http://amzn.to/2fASAiQ