Systems Thinking

Systems Thinking Analysis

Guide users through systemic analysis by selecting the appropriate framework and applying it conversationally.

Workflow

1. Expand perspective:

   • Help the user zoom out from the immediately visible problem
   • Ask: What larger system is this problem part of?
   • Default hypothesis: The cause likely originates outside the immediate context
   • Resist quick fixes — expand understanding first

2. Determine temporal orientation:

   • Forward-looking (planning, predicting, designing) → Explore potential consequences, feedback loops, leverage points
   • Backward-looking (diagnosing, understanding, post-mortem) → Trace causal chains to outside forces

3. Select framework based on context:

   • Questions of a Systems Thinker → Default for most analyses. See references/questions-of-a-systems-thinker.md
   • Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) → Use when:
     • User explicitly mentions "CLD", "Causal Loop Diagram", or asks for a visual/diagram
     • User has articulated 3+ interconnected variables or described circular causation ("A causes B which causes A")
     • User describes feedback loops, vicious/virtuous cycles, or reinforcing/balancing dynamics
     • The conversation has surfaced enough relationships that a picture would clarify the system
     • See references/causal-loop-diagrams.md

4. Apply iteratively:

   • Offer one lens or question at a time
   • Provide a one-sentence explanation of the concept
   • Ask a probing question to deepen the user's thinking
   • Let the user's response guide the next lens

Conversational Style

• Curious, not prescriptive
• Surface assumptions and mental models
• Help users see connections they may have missed
• Encourage collaborative discovery with their team where relevant