Discussion 1-What is a system? And what is system thinking?

What is System Thinking?

In the following resources, you will explore what systems thinking is and how this type of thinking (reasoning) allows for a holistic view of a situation under study. Before you begin, it is important to define a system. A  system, as defined by systems thinking pioneer Donella Meadows (2008, 11), is an “interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something.” From this simple definition you can begin to define systems thinking as the ability to see the whole—considering the interconnectivity and interactions of the elements that make up the whole system—as opposed to seeing only the individual parts. As you explore these resources, consider how this type of thinking both resonates with and differs from your current thinking.

· Goodman, M. (n.d.).  Systems thinking: What, why, when, where, and how? Links to an external site.  The Systems Thinker. https://thesystemsthinker.com/systems-thinking-what-why-when-where-and-how/

· Judge, W. Q. (2011).  OCC dimension 5: Systems thinking . In M. Carter (Ed.),  Building organizational capacity for change: The leader’s new mandate (pp. 65–75). Business Expert Press.

· Meadows, D. (2001).  Dancing with systemsLinks to an external site. .  Whole Earth,  106, 58–63.

· Senge, P. M. (2006). Give me a lever long enough . . . and single-handed I can move the world. In  The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization (pp. 3–16). Doubleday.

· Senge, P. M. (2006). The laws of the fifth discipline. In  The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization (pp. 57–67). Doubleday.

· Valerdi, R. (2017, November).  A systems thinking habit: Pareto improvementLinks to an external site. .  ISE: Industrial and Systems Engineering at Work,  49(11), 26.

· Wile, K. (2014, August 5).  Peter Senge introduction to systems thinking Links to an external site.  [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXdzKBWDraM