Systems Thinking Q&A with Dr Isabel Sebastian

Complex sustainability challenges require unique solutions. Systems Thinking gives you the tools to start asking better questions before jumping to conclusions when facing personal, professional, or global sustainability challenges. 

In this Q&A, course organiser and facilitator Dr Isabel Sebastian takes us through what Systems Thinking is practical for.  

More importantly, how it can be used across both work and life to go beyond conventional problem solving. 

What is the value of Systems Thinking – What can I use it for?

Systems Thinking is much more than just tools, methods, or predictive models. It offers a way for us to transcend the thinking that has created the global and local challenges we are facing today. Remember Albert Einstein’s quote: "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." Systems Thinking is a gateway to different thinking that can help transform our actions in response to complex uncertain challenges.

What are the different types of Systems Thinking?

Contemporary systems and complexity thinking developed through four waves since the 1940s. Each wave took a different view of what systems are. The first one sees systems as real and controllable, like a computer system. The second considers them not real but a construct, meaning each person views a system differently. The third wave again saw systems not as real but as a construct in which power dynamics play a role that can be oppressive. The fourth sees systems as self-creating, learning and unpredictable (or emergent). There are also ancient types of Systems Thinking based on relational worldviews and the concept of mutual causality, for example in Buddhism and many Indigenous societies. The school of thought we adopt will determine how we use Systems Thinking to improve complex situations.

How can I use Systems Thinking in my work and life in general?

You can use it firstly to explore the situation you are in, who and what is involved, the relationships, the information flows, the values, and priorities of those involved, the feedback loops, and potential leverage points for change. Systems Thinking can then help you to design a process and use tools that ultimately create deliberative dialogues with those who have an interest in improving a challenging situation. It’s useful for diverse situations, from local work or family challenges to the big global challenges of our time such as climate change, inequity, and pandemics.

Want to learn more? Join us for our next online course, Systems Thinking and Practice for Sustainable Futures, which runs from 29 August until 23 September 2022.