Published inSystems Thinking Made Simple·PinnedMember-onlySystems thinking in the real world: examples from healthcareIf you are reading this, you are probably intrigued by the possibility of looking at problems in new ways. You might be wondering what systems thinking is all about, and whether it is worth exploring. Look around you… You will see many examples of complex problems that persist despite efforts to solve them…Systems Thinking4 min readSystems Thinking4 min read
Published inSystems Thinking Made Simple·PinnedMember-onlyMy journey into systems thinking, and how you can begin yoursSince quite a few new followers have joined me on this page (thank you!), I thought now would be a good time for a quick introduction. I am Houda, owner of Vuja Dé Health, a budding consultancy dedicated to the application of systems thinking. I have always worked in healthcare…Systems Thinking7 min readSystems Thinking7 min read
Published inSystems Thinking Made Simple·PinnedMember-onlyA linear thinker, a design thinker and a systems thinker walk into a bar…They talk about the house of the future. The linear thinker draws a floor plan. He details the bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, lounge, etc. He makes sure that each room has adequate light, heating, the correct number of plugs, etc. The design thinker…Systems Thinking4 min readSystems Thinking4 min read
Published inVujà Dé Magazine·PinnedFinding the Meraki in Healthcare“We try to remember that medicine is for the patient. We try never to forget that medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits. The profits follow, and if we have remembered that, they have never failed to appear.” You may have already come across this quote…Healthcare7 min readHealthcare7 min read
Published inAbout Me Stories·PinnedAbout Me — Houda BoulahbelScience geek. Creativity advocate. Curious about the world. I often got in trouble when I was a little girl for wandering off and disappearing for hours. My mother was convinced that I was easily distracted and unable to focus on the simple act of walking home from school. In fact…About Me3 min readAbout Me3 min read
Sep 10Member-onlyEmbracing the complexity of cancer: a virtual collaboration eventI’ve been reading about complexity lately. I resisted for a while, put off by certain heated, theatrical debates on LinkedIn. But then one of my wonderful readers challenged me to give complexity theory a chance, and sent me some resources. At roughly the same time, I was talking to amazing…Cancer3 min readCancer3 min read
Jul 27Member-onlyLooking for the missing pieces in the cancer puzzleThis article was inspired by some exceptional people I met while exploring multiple perspectives on this question: Why is cancer still such a challenging disease despite tremendous international efforts to treat it? I previously wrote about the topic, and invited readers to contribute their perspectives. I gratefully received close to…Cancer9 min readCancer9 min read
Published inSystems Thinking Made Simple·Jul 8Member-onlyHow I teach systems thinking to a five-year oldThis picture fills me with sadness, yet at the same time, it fills me with hope. It’s a picture of my then two-year-old, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. …Systems Thinking13 min readSystems Thinking13 min read
Published inSystems Thinking Made Simple·Jun 23Member-onlyStories of systemsHave you seen this map before? It often crops up in talks and presentations about systems mapping. It was created to inform a new American military strategy in Afghanistan in 2009, and was unleashed on the world sometime later as a PowerPoint slide. …Systems Thinking7 min readSystems Thinking7 min read
Published inSystems Thinking Made Simple·Jun 9Member-onlyThe simplest way to start with systems thinking? Watch your language.I have been curious about systems thinking for years, but initially, I found it very daunting. I associated it with complex mathematical models and with maps that look like this: As a beginner, I also felt overwhelmed by the multitude of systems thinking theories, models and tools. Even when I…Systems Thinking5 min readSystems Thinking5 min read
