You investigate complex issues from a systems thinking perspective, visually map the system and challenge the status quo.

2.1 You investigate complex issues with empathy, wonder and curiosity, using systems thinking theory.

2.2 You visually map stakeholders, values, relationships and interests and draw conclusions on current norms and values of the system.

2.3 Based on your system analysis, you challenge the status quo as a foundation for a radically new approach

 

Introduction

When you work on complex challenges, it’s often unclear what the real problem is, or where to begin. Systems thinking helps you to slow down and look deeper, beyond the obvious. You’ll learn to explore the bigger picture, uncover patterns, and understand how different parts of a system influence each other. This means investigating with curiosity and empathy, mapping out relationships and questioning assumptions. 

As you dive deeper, you’ll discover that your research (and the system itself) is constantly shifting. New insights will reshape your understanding, and your direction may change. You’ll need to stay open, flexible, and willing to revise your approach. Systems thinking is not about finding quick fixes, it’s about learning to see complexity, work with it, and identify meaningful opportunities for change. Your ability to navigate this uncertainty and think critically will be essential in shaping thoughtful, impactful solutions. 

This approach helps you move beyond surface-level solutions and start asking the right questions. It’s about seeing the system as it is—and imagining how it could be different. 

Have look at the introduction of this learning outcome in this powerpoint: 2526-COL-LO2-Systems thinking.pdf

 

Body of knowledge and skills per success indicator 

 

2.1 You investigate complex issues with empathy, wonder and curiosity, using systems thinking theory.

A good way to understand more about companies, sectors and the economy as a whole is systems thinking. It is becoming increasingly popular in government and business, because it is a simple but powerful way to gain insight into how the organization and the context work. Moreover, it is a useful tool to arrive at successful design and strategy. But how exactly does it work? How can you do research on systems and how does it differ from research usually done? 

 

Models and theory 

Systems thinking 

What is a system? The most commonly used definition is that of Donella Meadows, from her book Thinking in Systems (2008):  

 

“…an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something [in the world]…”.  

 

A good example is a coffee machine. That is a system, with components such as a heating element, water reservoir and filter, that work together to make coffee. The system has components, that have relationships with each other and together generate outcomes (coffee).  

However, most systems have more parts than a coffee machine, and these parts do not always work together in a clear way. A coffee machine is a simple system (in terms of the Cynefin framework), but many systems, including all living organisms and ecosystems, are complex. That is to say: a system with emergent properties, which cannot be derived from the properties of each of the constituent parts separately.  

In other words: if you understand how a heating element, a filter, and a water reservoir works, then you can roughly predict what happens in a coffee machine. For complex systems, this is not so simple. We understand how a cloud works, but we can still only predict the weather pattern a few days in advance. Examples of complex systems are: ant colonies, the nervous system, the climate.  

When we look at (economic) organizations, we must go one step further. People are learning beings. This means that the organizations we form can also learn. In contrast to clouds, we look at our environment and consciously adjust our actions: we are adaptive. People, and human organizations, are therefore complex adaptive systems (CAS). 

 

Further reading on systems thinking 

To get a better understanding of the basics of systems thinking and how it relates to the ecomomic domain we strongly advise to read and watch the material below: 

  • The webpage ‘systeemdenken’ gives a good introduction and covers most of the concepts of systems thinking that are important in this learning outcome in various indicators (use the button at the top left to change language). You can apply this theory right away in your crossover labs project.  

 

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist

– Pablo Picasso

 

  • Asley Dodgson made an excellent video series on the book ‘Thinking in systems’ by Donella Meadows (the mother of systems thinking). Watch the video below for basics and check the whole series here to get more detailed insights.

 

 

  • This webpage gives a good understanding of six fundamental concepts of systems thinking: Interconnectedness, Synthesis, Emergence, Feedback loops. Causality, Systems mapping

 

Complex Challenges 

Complex challenges, like the ones in the crossover labs, require a specific way of working. The Cynefin Framework (Kurtz & Snowden, 2003) is a sense-making model that helps decision makers and process managers understand the nature of the challenges they face. The framework outlines five domains: Clear, Complicated, Complex, Chaotic, and Confused, each requiring a different approach to decision-making.  

 Cynefin-Framework-1024x693-1.webp

In this Complex domain cause and effect are only clear in hindsight. Here, solutions emerge through experimentation, learning, and adaptation (probe-sense-respond). Complex challenges demand a different mindset from researchers and designers, one rooted in systems thinking and iterative exploration which have a big impact on (team) planning and dealing with uncertainty. 

 

Action research tools 

When doing systems thinking, you will start by exploring the system from the inside out. This means stepping into the shoes of others, asking questions, and observing with an open mind. An important tool of systems thinking in complex adaptive systems is field research. By talking and observing people and systems new and unexpected insights might emerge. You’ll learn to navigate uncertainty and complexity, not by trying to control it, but by engaging with it. You can use action research methods to uncover what’s really going on, and you’ll begin to see how different perspectives and experiences shape the system. 

The U-school offers methods and tools feature a unique blend among state-of-the-art systems thinking, action learning, social arts, awareness practices, and tools for multi-sector systems transformation.  

Examples of useful action research tools: 

    • Shadowing 
    • Stakeholder interviews 
    • Empathy walk 
    • Learning journeys 
    • 3D modelling 
    • Social Presencing tools like 4D mapping 

More information and manuals of these tools: https://www.u-school.org/resources 

 

Possible exercises and tools to start with 

  • Understanding systems thinking compared to your usual research practice 
  • Investigating the system with action research tools like stakeholder interviews, shadowing, learning journeys. Collect your insights in a system map (see indicator 2.2) 
  • Desk research to be informed about trends, stats and developments. 

 

 

2.2 You visually map stakeholders, values, relationships and interests and draw conclusions on current norms and values of the system.

Systems thinking is an analytical approach to understanding complex situations by studying the interrelationships between components rather than considering individual elements in isolation. It involves seeing the whole as greater than the sum of its parts, with an emphasis on the dynamics and patterns within the system. 

You’ll learn to make the invisible visible. By mapping out the system—its actors, connections, and flows—you’ll start to see how things are organized and why they function the way they do. You’ll identify patterns, tensions, and feedback loops. This visual thinking helps you understand the deeper structures and values that hold the system in place, and it gives you a foundation for imagining change. 

 

Models and theory 

Understanding a system 

To understand and to visualise systems, you need to know some key elements: 

    • Boundaries 
    • Parts 
    • Connections 
    • Feedback loops

Study on the webpage webpage ‘systeemdenken’ the grey section ‘How can we learn to understand a system?’ to get a first understanding of these key elements.  

System mapping.jpg

 

Systems thinking in economics 

An inspiring example of systems thinking is the project ‘The waterworks of money’ in which artists and researchers explore the financial system. The project gives a good insight in the financial system (very useful for students in the econnmic field) and it gives a good understanding how complex systems work.  

More information:  https://www.ftm.nl/tekst-video-inrichting-geldstelsel-waterwerk 

 

System mapping tools  

Systems mapping is a visual method used to explore and understand the relationships, patterns, and dynamics within a complex system. It helps you see how different elements interact, where feedback loops exist, and where interventions might have the most impact. By mapping a system, you can better navigate complexity and identify leverage points for change. 

6 types of system mapping.png

Some guides to make a start: 

  • Use the NPC Systems Practice Toolkit to think, act and work systematically. This toolkit provides creative methods in four categories: Understand, Design, Act, and Learn. Highly recommended. At the very least save this PDF for your own future benefit to your computer. 

  

Possible exercises and tools to start with 

  • Start with mapping the system as you know it (make assumptions, you can check them later). Define the boundary and purpose, draw parts, connections and feedback loops. Use this map to define your research focus and divide work. 
  • Investigate the system with action research tools and desk research.  
  • Draw and update your system maps (Use system mapping as a design and research tool).  

 

2.3 Based on your system analysis, you challenge the status quo as a foundation for a radically new approach

Once you understand the system, you’ll begin to challenge it. You’ll look beyond symptoms and ask what’s really driving the current situation. You’ll explore the underlying beliefs, habits, and structures that keep things the way they are. This is where you start to shift from analysis to transformation—by asking bold questions and imagining what could be different. What if things were different? What if we valued other things? You’ll explore alternative norms and values that could guide a more just, sustainable, or inclusive future. This is your chance to think radically and reframe the challenge in a way that opens up new possibilities for the future. 

 

Models and theory 

Iceberg model

Distilling the norms and values from the behaviour and culture of an existing system  

The Iceberg Model is a visual metaphor used in systems thinking (Sweeney & Meadows, 2010) to help you look beyond surface-level events and uncover the deeper structures that shape them. Like an iceberg, only a small part of a system is visible (events), while the majority lies beneath the surface: 

    • Events: What just happened? 
    • Patterns: What trends or recurring behaviors are visible? 
    • Structures: What systems, rules, or relationships are influencing these patterns? 
    • Mental Models: What beliefs, values, and assumptions are driving the system? 

 

Iceberg.jpg

By using this model, you learn to shift from reacting to symptoms to addressing root causes. It deepens the insights gained in Indicator 2.1 (investigating with empathy) and 2.2 (mapping systems), helping you critically reflect on what sustains the current system. 

 

Status Quo 

The status quo refers to the current state of a system—the way things are. In systems thinking, it’s not just about what exists, but why it persists. The status quo is often maintained by: 

    • Established norms and values 
    • Power structures 
    • Habits and routines 
    • Fear of change or uncertainty 

In this indicator, you’re asked to critically question the status quo. This means identifying the underlying beliefs and structures (revealed through the Iceberg Model) and asking: What if things were different? This builds directly on your earlier system analysis and invites you to challenge assumptions and imagine new possibilities. 

 

Leverage points and interventions 

If you want to change a system, you have to work smart. With the same amount of effort, you can sometimes achieve a lot and sometimes nothing at all. The figure below, taken from Donella Meadows’ book Thinking in Systems offers help to distinguish whether an action will really have an effect on the system, or whether it is rowing against the wind. 

 

Leverage points.png

 

You could see Meadows’ list of intervention points as a cascade effect. In other words, a system first changes in the paradigm (how we talk about it), then in the explicitly stated goals (e.g. the Paris Agreement), then in the rules (laws), then in the information flows (integrated reporting directive), then in feedback loops (policy), then in the material form, and finally in the material world. Incidentally, the attempts usually go both ways: only after simpler interventions have proven ineffective do we start to question the system as a whole. This usually meets with great resistance, so it requires a lot of pressure.  

 

 

More information on interventions and leverage points 

 

Radical thinking

To create meaningful change in a complex system, you often need more than improvement. You need a radically new approach. Radical thinking invites you to step outside the current system and imagine what could be possible if its underlying assumptions, values, or goals were different. It’s about challenging the status quo (the old story) and daring to ask: What if…? 

This kind of thinking builds directly on your system analysis. When mapping the status quo (System mapping, Iceberg Model), you’ve already explored the deeper structures and mental models that sustain current behaviors. Now, you’re invited to flip those assumptions and imagine a new narrative. Radical thinking is about being imaginative, grounded in insight, and willing to explore what lies beyond the visible tip of the iceberg. 

Useful models and theories: 

 

Possible exercises and tools to start with 

  • Get an overview of the behavior, values and mental models of the current system (with the ice berg model). Use your system investigation (field and desk research) to define the current narrative of the system. Have a special look at (reinforcing) feedback loops. 
  • Use your previous research to ask critical questions (to experts and people working in this system). 
  • Specify which values and/or norms to redefine 
  • Use the leverage point in the system ladder to define a new narrative 
  • Use one or some of the methods for radical thinking to consider new directions for change. 

 

 

Key skills for systems thinking

Developing key skills is essential for turning theory into practice and growing as a professional. By actively engaging with models and theory, applying what you learn in practice and reflecting on your learning, you build the competence needed to succeed in real-world challenges. In this learning outcome you will develop in and reflect on the following key skills:

 

  • Curiosity

    The drive to explore, ask questions to seek deeper understanding. Being open and keen for new insights and unexpected outcomes.  

 

  • Analytic thinking

    The ability to break down information into parts, identify patterns, understand relationships and draw conclusions.  

 

  • Radical Thinking

     Challenging assumptions and questioning existing norms to reveal deeper causes and opportunities for change. 

 

 

Used sources for this learning outcome 

 

  • Kurtz, C. F., & Snowden, D. J. (2003). The new dynamics of strategy: Sense-making in a complex and complicated world. IBM Systems Journal, 42(3), 462–483.  
  • Meadows, D. H. (2009). Thinking in systems: A Primer. Earthscan Publications. 
  • Presencing Institute. (z.d.). Resources  | u-school for Transformation by Presencing Institute. U-school For Transformation By Presencing Institute. https://www.u-school.org/resources 
  • Sweeney, L. B., & Meadows, D. (2010). The Systems Thinking Playbook: Exercises to Stretch and Build Learning and Systems Thinking Capabilities. Chelsea Green Publishing.