How do you learn and improve from your system modeling experience?

1 What is a system?

A system is a set of elements that interact with each other to produce certain outcomes or behaviors. Systems can be natural, such as ecosystems, or human-made, such as organizations, markets, or technologies. Systems can also be nested, meaning that a system can be part of a larger system, or contain smaller systems within it. For example, a company is a system that is part of the economic system, and also contains subsystems such as departments, teams, or processes.

2 Why map and model systems?

Mapping and modeling systems can help you identify and analyze the key components, connections, and patterns of a system, and how they affect its performance and behavior. This approach offers a holistic and systemic perspective of a problem or situation, rather than focusing on isolated parts or symptoms. Additionally, it allows you to visualize and communicate the structure and dynamics of a system, and how they relate to your goals or objectives. Furthermore, it can help you identify the leverage points, or the places where a small change can have a big impact on the system, and the feedback loops, or the circular causality that reinforces or balances the system. Lastly, it can be used to test and compare different scenarios, assumptions, and interventions, and evaluate their potential outcomes and consequences.

3 How to map and model systems?

When mapping and modeling systems, there are various methods and tools to choose from, depending on the purpose, scope, and complexity of the system. Causal loop diagrams, for example, illustrate the causal relationships and feedback loops among the variables of a system, using arrows and signs to indicate the direction and polarity of the effects. Stock and flow diagrams, on the other hand, show the accumulation and depletion of the resources or quantities of a system, using boxes and pipes to indicate the stocks and flows, and valves to indicate the rates of change. System dynamics models use mathematical equations and computer simulations to quantify and analyze the behavior and evolution of a system over time, and to test different policies or interventions. Additionally, systems thinking tools, such as the iceberg model, the ladder of inference, or the systems archetypes, can help you frame and understand the system from different levels and perspectives, and to recognize common patterns and structures that occur in different systems.

5 How to apply system mapping and modeling to problem solving?

System mapping and modeling can help you solve problems in a more effective and systemic way. To do this, you must first define the problem and the system boundary, and identify the key elements, variables, and relationships of the system. Then, you must choose and use the appropriate method and tool for mapping and modeling the system, and analyze and interpret the map or model. After that, you can design and test different solutions or interventions, and evaluate their feasibility, desirability, and sustainability. Finally, you can implement and monitor the chosen solution or intervention, and measure and communicate its results and impacts.