When thinking about the term "systems thinking" I think of a highly complicated roadway system. From a driver's point of view, they see stop lights and get caught in the irritating traffic jams. From a construction point of view, the crew might have to set up a large detour system. This might force vehicles to maneuver through a less-traveled path to reach their destination. While observing from a helicopter or airplane, this could be viewed as so confusing and busy that it is overwhelming. This roadway is a type of system. When involved in systems thinking, one (or a group of individuals) would view the big picture. How does this process function, and where is our metaphorically speaking "traffic jam"?
To achieve the answers to those questions, they would have to zoom in to this jam, and then back out repeatedly. Evaluating the system, makes it possible to know where the bottlenecks are. While working through the system, everyone is impacted. The driver of that beat-up Honda will be able to get down this imagined road with no jams. As long as the construction workers can devise a plan that will help better the flow of traffic, and the theoretical aircraft can indicate where the system can be better utilized through observation. This zooming in and out, like a father recording their son's baseball game, can be repeated over and over until the process is a superior functioning model compared to before.
As previously mentioned, this systems thinking can be related to the school system. The school system, for the most part, is pretty outdated. The way students are held back due to age limitations are unnerving. I am convinced that the students should have the ability to advance wherever they can, and not have an age bridle keeping from pushing forward. However, what the system has done, is they have found what works and what doesn't over many, many years. The school is a system, from it's principal, to each student in the classroom. This is a process, and if more people were on board, this could be means for student and academic growth.
Lastly, the world in which we live can be related to a system. On a day-to-day basis, unless you are a geologist, one might not think much of the world's processes. The world functions in a system. I would suppose that is why humans call it a solar system. This complex system is enormous in size. Looking at the big picture, we see the whole universe. But when zoomed in, we see even the tiniest of molecular molecules not visible to the naked eye.
Making the change to business models, seemingly laborious, can be done with the focused effort of leaders within an organization. Being able to see the "big picture" of where the organization is now, and compare that to where you would like to watch it progress to, can give leaders the edge and motivation to make those vital changes.
