Systems Thinker's Toolbox

Tools for Managing Complexity

Joseph Eli Kasser

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781138606760
• eBook ISBN: 9780429882661
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Project Management
• Index: Business

Systems Thinker's Toolbox: Tools for Managing Complexity provides more than 100 tools based on systems thinking and beyond. Each tool is described, and when necessary, examples are provided of how each of them can be used. Some of the simplest tools can be combined into more complex tools. The tools may be things such as lists, causal loops, and templates, as well as processes and methodologies.

Key Features

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• Provides an explanation of the two views of systems thinking; systemic and systematic thinking, and then shows how to perform each of them in a complimentary manner
• Presents a set of thinking tools that can be used to apply systems thinking to solving problems in project management, engineering, systems engineering, new product development, and business
• Describes the tools from simple such as lists, and goes on to more complex such as Categorized Requirements in Process (CRIP) charts, and then onto the processes
• Introduces new tools that have been tested with positive feedback
• Discusses a set of communication tools that can improve project reviews and communicating innovative ideas

1Introduction

The best way of solving simple and complex problems is to use the systems approach based on systems thinking. However both the systems approach and systems thinking are not taught very well. In fact, there are many things that are not taught very well in the 20th-century problem-solving paradigm. While there are indeed many tools that are taught for problem-solving, project management, and systems engineering, they are all taught as separate tools. They are not taught as interdependent tools. For example, in project management, risk management is taught as a separate process from general management or project management. Similarly, in systems engineering, risk management is taught as a separate process from mainstream systems engineering. In the real systems approach, everything is related as part of a system. While these words are often used, they not really implemented.

The literature focuses on the “what” of the systems approach, namely what it is and the benefits it bestows. This book focuses on the “how”: how to use the systems approach and how to apply systems thinking by providing a set of tools. The tools in this book consist of products such as Lists (Section 9.4), processes such as the Process for Tackling a Problem (Section 11.5), and templates such as the Problem Formulation Template (Section 14.3). Because the tools are grouped in the different chapters, Section 1.6 provides an alphabetical list to facilitate locating a specific tool quickly. This book:

• Contains more than 100 different conceptual tools for solving problems.
• Is different. Not only does it teach the tools for solving problems, it relates them together; you will notice many cross references in this book.
• Provides examples of how to use many of the tools.
• Provides a number of original tools that were developed as part of the research into systems engineering and systems thinking that led to a practical approach to teaching and applying systems thinking to solve problems. I could probably write a whole book on each of those tools, but I hope I’ve given enough...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Author
• Chapter 1 Introduction
• Chapter 2 Charts
• Chapter 3 Critical Thinking
• Chapter 4 Decisions and Decision-Making
• Chapter 5 Frameworks
• Chapter 6 Graphics
• Chapter 7 Idea Generation Tools
• Chapter 8 Management Tools
• Chapter 9 Miscellaneous Tools
• Chapter 10 The Perspectives Perimeter
• Chapter 11 Process Tools
• Chapter 12 Risks and Risk Management
• Chapter 13 Systems Engineering Tools
• Chapter 14 Templates
• Author Index
• Subject Index