Part 3: Systems Thinking
Strand 2: Conceptualising a Whole Systems Approach
Video
Learning Objectives
After watching this section, you should be able to:
- Define systems thinking and explain what it means to “zoom out”
- Describe how systems mapping is used to visualise and engage with a complex system
- Explain how systems thinking shaped the development of the six-phase WSA guide
Key Points
- Systems thinking is a way of understanding the world by seeing the interconnected and embedded nature of complex systems
- “Zooming out” means understanding how decisions in one part of the system determine outcomes in another — seeing the wood for the trees
- Systems structure generates behaviour: stop treating problems as isolated events or assuming linear cause and effect
- Systems maps are a practical tool for representing a complex system and engaging stakeholders with its dynamics
- The six-phase WSA guide was developed to translate systems thinking concepts into a practical process usable by local authorities
Further Reading
- Human Learning Systems — applies systems thinking to public services, with practical resources on moving from a ‘what works’ logic to a learning and adapting approach suited to complex, dynamic systems
- The Frameworks Institute — strategic communications research grounded in cognitive and social science; their framing resources show how systems thinking concepts can be made accessible to non-specialist audiences including communities and decision-makers
Knowledge Check
Complete the questions below before moving on.
In the context of systems thinking, what does “zooming out” refer to?
The correct answer is Understanding how decisions in one part of the system can determine outcomes in another. The video describes “zooming out” as a key aspect of systems thinking: seeing the holistic picture so that you can understand how decisions made in one part of the system produce outcomes elsewhere. This “seeing the wood for the trees” perspective helps prevent siloed thinking and linear assumptions about cause and effect.
- True
- False — breaking problems into isolated components describes reductionist thinking, which systems thinking moves away from.
- False — systems thinking directs attention beyond visible events to the underlying structures, goals, and beliefs that drive them.
- False — delegation of responsibility is an organisational practice, not what “zooming out” means in systems thinking.