《系统工程》课程教学资源（英文文献）Benefits of Systems Thinking for Leaders and Supervisors in Organizations

Benefits of Systems Thinking for Leaders and Supervisors inOrganizationsManagement sciences have learned a great deal lately about organizations and how they workMuch of this learning has come from adopting the perspective that organizations are systems, muchlike people, plants and animals. There are many benefits to leaders who adopt this systems view oftheir organizations.1.Moreeffectiveproblem solvingTo effectively solve problems in organizations, it is critical to be able to identify the real causes ofthe problems and how to address those causes. Without clear understanding of the "big picture" of anorganization, leaders tend to focus only on the behaviors and events associated with problems in theworkplace,ratherthanonthesystemsandstructuresthatcausedtheproblemstooccurinthefirstplace.2. More effective leadershipThe most important responsibilities of the role of a leader are to set direction and to influenceothers to follow that direction. It's difficult to establish direction for an organization and to keep thatorganization on its course if you don't understand how the organization works in the first place.Without clear understanding of the overall nature and needs of an organization, the leader can get lostin the day-to-day activities of the organization, never really giving attention to the more importantactivities, such as planning the organization's overall direction and organizing the organization'sresources. As a result, the leader "can't see the forest for the trees". The leader ends up working harder,rather than smarter.3.MoreeffectivecommunicationsYou'll soon learn in this guide that one of the most important ingredients for the success of anysystem, including organizations, is ongoing communications among all the parts of the organization.Some of the first symptoms of an organization in trouble are sporadic and insufficientcommunications. In these situations, members of the organization often struggle to see beyond theirown roles in the organization. Consequently, the organization is much less effective than it could beotherwise.Withoutaclearunderstandingofthepartsofanorganizationandhowtheyrelatetoeachother, it is difficult to know what to communicate and to whom4. More effective planning

Benefits of Systems Thinking for Leaders and Supervisors in Organizations Management sciences have learned a great deal lately about organizations and how they work. Much of this learning has come from adopting the perspective that organizations are systems, much like people, plants and animals. There are many benefits to leaders who adopt this systems view of their organizations. 1. More effective problem solving To effectively solve problems in organizations, it is critical to be able to identify the real causes of the problems and how to address those causes. Without clear understanding of the "big picture" of an organization, leaders tend to focus only on the behaviors and events associated with problems in the workplace, rather than on the systems and structures that caused the problems to occur in the first place. 2. More effective leadership The most important responsibilities of the role of a leader are to set direction and to influence others to follow that direction. It's difficult to establish direction for an organization and to keep that organization on its course if you don't understand how the organization works in the first place. Without clear understanding of the overall nature and needs of an organization, the leader can get lost in the day-to-day activities of the organization, never really giving attention to the more important activities, such as planning the organization's overall direction and organizing the organization's resources. As a result, the leader "can't see the forest for the trees". The leader ends up working harder, rather than smarter. 3. More effective communications You'll soon learn in this guide that one of the most important ingredients for the success of any system, including organizations, is ongoing communications among all the parts of the organization. Some of the first symptoms of an organization in trouble are sporadic and insufficient communications. In these situations, members of the organization often struggle to see beyond their own roles in the organization. Consequently, the organization is much less effective than it could be otherwise. Without a clear understanding of the parts of an organization and how they relate to each other, it is difficult to know what to communicate and to whom. 4. More effective planning

Theplanningprocessisbasicallyworkingone'swaybackwardsthroughthesystemofanorganization, including identifying desired results (goals and outcomes), what outputs (tangible results)will indicate that those results have been achieved, what processes will produce those outputs, andwhat inputs are required to conduct those processes in the system.5.More effective organizational developmentThe most effective form of organizational development results from the use of various strategies,including strategic planning, management and leadership development,team building, supervisorydevelopment, organizational and groupand employeeperformancemanagement,and principles oforganizational change. Any leader would be hard-pressed to employ these various strategies in aneffective fashion without a good understanding of the overall systems in their organizations, includingits major functions, departments, processes, teams and individual employees. Consequently, having asystems view is critical to accomplishing effective organizational development6.AvoidingFounder's SyndromeFounder's Syndrome occurs when an organization operates primarily according to the personalityof one of the members of the organization (usually the founder), rather than according to the mission(purpose) of the organization. When first starting their organizations, founders often have to dowhatever it takes to get the organizations off the ground, including making seat-of-the-pants decisionsin order to deal with frequent crises that suddenly arise in the workplace. As a result, founders oftenstruggle to see the larger picture and to be able to effectively plan in order to make more proactivedecisions. Consequently,the organization gets stuck in a highly reactive mode characterized by lack offunds and having to deal with one major crisis after another.The best"cure"for this syndrome isaccomplishing a broader understanding of the structures and processes of an organization, includinganappreciationfortheimportanceofplanningBasicIntroductionVery basically, systems thinking is a way of helping a person to view the world, including itsorganizations, from a broad perspective that includes structures,patterns and events, rather than justthe events themselves. This broad view helps one to identify the real causes of issues and know whereto work to address them. There are certain principles of systems thinking that guide one to see thisbroad view. There is also an increasing amount of information and tools in this regard. Systemsthinking is the basis for the approach to developing the learning organization. Peter Senge's book, TheFifth Discipline (Doubleday, 1990), and its companion, The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook (Doubleday

The planning process is basically working one's way backwards through the system of an organization, including identifying desired results (goals and outcomes), what outputs (tangible results) will indicate that those results have been achieved, what processes will produce those outputs, and what inputs are required to conduct those processes in the system. 5. More effective organizational development The most effective form of organizational development results from the use of various strategies, including strategic planning, management and leadership development, team building, supervisory development, organizational and group and employee performance management, and principles of organizational change. Any leader would be hard-pressed to employ these various strategies in an effective fashion without a good understanding of the overall systems in their organizations, including its major functions, departments, processes, teams and individual employees. Consequently, having a systems view is critical to accomplishing effective organizational development. 6. Avoiding Founder's Syndrome Founder's Syndrome occurs when an organization operates primarily according to the personality of one of the members of the organization (usually the founder), rather than according to the mission (purpose) of the organization. When first starting their organizations, founders often have to do whatever it takes to get the organizations off the ground, including making seat-of-the-pants decisions in order to deal with frequent crises that suddenly arise in the workplace. As a result, founders often struggle to see the larger picture and to be able to effectively plan in order to make more proactive decisions. Consequently, the organization gets stuck in a highly reactive mode characterized by lack of funds and having to deal with one major crisis after another. The best "cure" for this syndrome is accomplishing a broader understanding of the structures and processes of an organization, including an appreciation for the importance of planning. Basic Introduction Very basically, systems thinking is a way of helping a person to view the world, including its organizations, from a broad perspective that includes structures, patterns and events, rather than just the events themselves. This broad view helps one to identify the real causes of issues and know where to work to address them. There are certain principles of systems thinking that guide one to see this broad view. There is also an increasing amount of information and tools in this regard. Systems thinking is the basis for the approach to developing the learning organization. Peter Senge's book, The Fifth Discipline (Doubleday, 1990), and its companion, The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook (Doubleday

1994), are seminal works about systems thinking and its application to organizations. Senge identifiesfive "component technologies" that are the basis for building learning organizations (and systemsthinking in individuals). The following links are organized according to the five disciplines, e.g.,Personal Mastery, Mental Models, etc.Systems ThinkingThe reader should first read the following several links about systems thinking to get a basicunderstanding of the approach. This understanding may help the reader to integrate the information insubsequent categories, e.g., Personal Mastery, Mental Models, etc. Note that information at the linkspresented undereach category may not be complete and in accordance with what Senge woulddescribefor that component technology, e.g., as Personal Mastery, Mental Models, etc.However, hiscategories were quite broad and the links' information will certainly contribute to the reader's efforts inlearning each"component technology" if desired.Systems Thinking:ARequirement forallEmployeesIntroduction to Systems ThinkingOverview of Systems ThinkingBusiness Organizations as SystemsLearningOrganization (includes broad,useful overview of systems thinking)Tour of Organizational Learning and Systems Thinking ConceptsLanguage of Systems Thinking:"Links" and "Loops"Systems Thinking and Organizations -- An Initial Inquiry into the SubjectPersonal MasterySenge describes personal mastery as "continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, offocusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively" (The Fifth Discipline,Doubleday, 1990, p. 7).Overviewof Personal MasteryPersonal WellnessPersonal DevelopmentMental ModelsSenge explains"Mental models are deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures orimages that influence how we understand the world and how we take action" (p. 8)Inquiry andAdvocacyaretwoprimarytechniquesto identifyand reframementalmodels

1994), are seminal works about systems thinking and its application to organizations. Senge identifies five "component technologies" that are the basis for building learning organizations (and systems thinking in individuals). The following links are organized according to the five disciplines, e.g., Personal Mastery, Mental Models, etc. Systems Thinking The reader should first read the following several links about systems thinking to get a basic understanding of the approach. This understanding may help the reader to integrate the information in subsequent categories, e.g., Personal Mastery, Mental Models, etc. Note that information at the links presented under each category may not be complete and in accordance with what Senge would describe for that component technology, e.g., as Personal Mastery, Mental Models, etc. However, his categories were quite broad and the links' information will certainly contribute to the reader's efforts in learning each "component technology" if desired. Systems Thinking: A Requirement for all Employees Introduction to Systems Thinking Overview of Systems Thinking Business Organizations as Systems Learning Organization (includes broad, useful overview of systems thinking) Tour of Organizational Learning and Systems Thinking Concepts Language of Systems Thinking: "Links" and "Loops" Systems Thinking and Organizations - An Initial Inquiry into the Subject Personal Mastery Senge describes personal mastery as "continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively" (The Fifth Discipline, Doubleday, 1990, p. 7). Overview of Personal Mastery Personal Wellness Personal Development Mental Models Senge explains "Mental models are deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures or images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action" (p. 8). Inquiry and Advocacy are two primary techniques to identify and reframe mental models

Mental ModelsMental Model MusingsOverviewofMentalModelsValuing DiversityBuilding Shared VisionSenge notes "If any one idea about leadership has inspired organizations for thousands of years, it'sthe capacity to hold a shared picture of the future we seek to create" (p.9)Overview of Shared VisionDeveloping a VisionOverview of a Shared VisionAlso seeAppreciative InquiryDialoguingFeedbackInterviews (exit interviews, by media, for a job, selecting job candidate and research method)ListeningPlanning (planning that is carried out well goes a long way toward shared vision)PresentingNon-Verbal CommunicationsQuestioningTeam LearningSenge asks "How can a team of committed managers with individual IQs above 120 have a collectiveIQ of 63?" (p. 9.).He adds "Team learning is vital because teams, not individuals, are the fundamentallearning unit in modern organizations" (p. 10)Overviewof Teamsfrom SystemsPerspectiveDialoguingTeam BuildingGroupPerformanceManagementSomeApplications of Systems TheoryManagementandLeadership:ASystemicPerspectiveVictimsoftheSystemorSystemsof theVictim

Mental Models Mental Model Musings Overview of Mental Models Valuing Diversity Building Shared Vision Senge notes "If any one idea about leadership has inspired organizations for thousands of years, it's the capacity to hold a shared picture of the future we seek to create" (p. 9). Overview of Shared Vision Developing a Vision Overview of a Shared Vision Also see Appreciative Inquiry Dialoguing Feedback Interviews (exit interviews, by media, for a job, selecting job candidate and research method) Listening Planning (planning that is carried out well goes a long way toward shared vision) Presenting Non-Verbal Communications Questioning Team Learning Senge asks "How can a team of committed managers with individual IQs above 120 have a collective IQ of 63?" (p. 9.).He adds "Team learning is vital because teams, not individuals, are the fundamental learning unit in modern organizations" (p. 10). Overview of Teams from Systems Perspective Dialoguing Team Building Group Performance Management Some Applications of Systems Theory Management and Leadership: A Systemic Perspective Victims of the System or Systems of the Victim

Links to On-LineResourcesSystems Thinking Practice (extensive map with links to systems thinking resources)LinktoNumerousArticlesRelated Library LinksBasicResearchMethodsChaos TheoryContinuous LearningCritical ThinkingCreativityand InnovationInquiry and AdvocacyOrganizational Learning

Links to On-Line Resources Systems Thinking Practice (extensive map with links to systems thinking resources) Link to Numerous Articles Related Library Links Basic Research Methods Chaos Theory Continuous Learning Critical Thinking Creativity and Innovation Inquiry and Advocacy Organizational Learning