Thinking beyond the System: can imagination power systems intelligence?

When we think of systems thinking, we tend to focus on the ‘system’ part, on the tools and methodologies to map a system, to understand its dynamics, and to identify leverage points for intervention.

But an equally important, and less talked about part, is the thinking in systems thinking. What are the thinking skills needed to make the most of systems thinking tools and practices?

Seven thinking skills

Renown systems thinker Barry Richmond reflected deeply on this question. Through his extensive work as a systems thinking teacher and practitioner, he identified seven thinking skills that are required to master systems thinking as a discipline. These are: big-picture thinking, system-as-a-cause thinking, dynamic thinking, closed-loop thinking, operational thinking, quantitative thinking, and scientific (experimental) thinking.

After much testing and refinement, he came to the conclusion that:

…systems thinking’s steep learning curve is related to the fact that the discipline requires mastering a whole package of thinking skills.