READ: Systems Thinking Foundational Concepts

The course readings for the next two weeks present critical foundational concepts that will provide the context for the rest of the semester.   This mindset of systems thinking has less to do about computational precision or physics based engineering, and more to do with thinking, reasoning as a means to understand the complexity of the world around us.

Building on the conceptual framework presented by Boardman & Sauser in chapter 1, chapter 2 presents useful concepts for organizing thoughts and actions regarding a system of interest.  Be sure to read and re-read the eight concepts carefully.  There will be assignments that are intended to help you think about and integrate the concepts into your own engineering mindset.

Senge takes a slightly different approach toward understanding the systems thinking mindset.  On the surface, Senge's book does not seem to be systems engineering oriented - he focuses on the Learning Organization.  But really, it is about having an organization that learns and responds faster and more effectively than its competition by applying system thinking principles to understand their own organizational system.  Senge chapter 2 talks about the 7 Learning Disabilities that can be found within an organization and the shortcomings that result.  Senge highlights concepts that deceive us and thereby limit our effectiveness as systems engineers.  Later, in chapter 3, Senge provides an example that shows how complex systems can go wrong in the context of his Chapter 2 learning disabilities and provides some potential approaches that can be used to guide a systems engineer or organizational manager to address the situation.

By exploring the concept of systems thinking from different perspectives, you will eventually form your own sense for what systems thinking is all about and how it relates to developing the systems at hand, whether engineered, social, or naturally occurring.