Systems Thinking is the foundation of Systems Engineering. Being a good systems engineer is predicated on the ability to “systems think”. Most humans, however, are not natural systems thinkers. Our brains are wired to make us object-oriented, an evolutionary necessity. Consequently, we categorize and organize things according to what they are rather than what they do.
In contrast, Systems Thinking is a world of purpose, context, interconnectivity and behavior. It asks, “what is to be done?” rather than “how it is done?”. We must work hard to use Systems Thinking, but the benefits can be outstanding – it’s a different way of viewing the world. This does not mean we cannot do “Systems Thinking”, but it is a skill we must acquire through understanding and practice. This session aims to give a brief glimpse of what we have to do to become systems thinkers.