When to Use Systems Thinking in Business

 After folks start to learn the ins and outs of systems thinking, one of the next questions asked is "when can I use systems thinking in my business?"

Before I get into the answer, let's do a quick recap of what systems thinking is and what a system is.

Systems Thinking is using a "systems" lens to look at the things that you or your business does.

In this context, a system is simply a collection of process steps, technology and/or people that are used to get something done.

All systems have key attributes.

Process steps that take you from the beginning of the system to the end.

Inputs that are used by the various process steps.

Outputs that are created by the various process steps.

One or more system products that live beyond the system (these often go to another system as inputs).

Metrics that allow you to measure the performance of the system.

Outcomes and Desired Outcomes that result from the system operating. (Desired outcomes are what you wanted. Outcomes are what you get… not always the same).

Systems thinking in your business is about applying mental models and tools to better understand and improve your business.

The Quick Answer

The quick answer to the question "when should I use systems thinking" is ALWAYS.

The key here is the second word, thinking. Systems thinking is a way for you to think differently about what it is your business does. It's a way for you to frame what it is you do.

As long as you're doing something… anything… you can do it through a lens of systems thinking.

As you get more and more familiar with the different concepts of systems thinking and how to apply it to your business, it will more and more become the way you think about everything in your business.

While that's the quick answer, I realize for someone relatively new to systems thinking, that's not a very helpful answer, so let me go into some more specific use cases on when and how to apply systems thinking to your business.

Listen in as I talk through specific examples of how systems thinking can help you in your business.