Systems Thinking for Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results
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- Create Date：2021-05-24 11:55:21
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：David Peter Stroh
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Summary
Donors， leaders of nonprofits， and public policy makers usually have the best of intentions to serve society and improve social conditions。 But often their solutions fall far short of what they want to accomplish and what is truly needed。 Moreover， the answers they propose and fund often produce the opposite of what they want over time。 We end up with temporary shelters that increase homelessness， drug busts that increase drug-related crime， or food aid that increases starvation。
How do these unintended consequences come about and how can we avoid them？ By applying conventional thinking to complex social problems， we often perpetuate the very problems we try so hard to solve， but it is possible to think differently， and get different results。
Systems Thinking for Social Change enables readers to contribute more effectively to society by helping them understand what systems thinking is and why it is so important in their work。 It also gives concrete guidance on how to incorporate systems thinking in problem solving， decision making， and strategic planning without becoming a technical expert。
Systems thinking leader David Stroh walks readers through techniques he has used to help people improve their efforts to end homelessness， improve public health， strengthen education， design a system for early childhood development， protect child welfare， develop rural economies， facilitate the reentry of formerly incarcerated people into society， resolve identity-based conflicts， and more。
The result is a highly readable， effective guide to understanding systems and using that knowledge to get the results you want。
How do these unintended consequences come about and how can we avoid them？ By applying conventional thinking to complex social problems， we often perpetuate the very problems we try so hard to solve， but it is possible to think differently， and get different results。
Systems Thinking for Social Change enables readers to contribute more effectively to society by helping them understand what systems thinking is and why it is so important in their work。 It also gives concrete guidance on how to incorporate systems thinking in problem solving， decision making， and strategic planning without becoming a technical expert。
Systems thinking leader David Stroh walks readers through techniques he has used to help people improve their efforts to end homelessness， improve public health， strengthen education， design a system for early childhood development， protect child welfare， develop rural economies， facilitate the reentry of formerly incarcerated people into society， resolve identity-based conflicts， and more。
The result is a highly readable， effective guide to understanding systems and using that knowledge to get the results you want。
Reviews
cheryl
，
This was a really good introduction to systems thinking， but it does not do a good enough job explaining how to make and read the visual systems diagrams。 It also repeats ideas again and again。 I understand that's because many concepts are interrelated， but I feel like the structure could be changed to make the concepts easier to understand。 This was a really good introduction to systems thinking， but it does not do a good enough job explaining how to make and read the visual systems diagrams。 It also repeats ideas again and again。 I understand that's because many concepts are interrelated， but I feel like the structure could be changed to make the concepts easier to understand。 。。。more
Larkin Tackett
，
Why， despite our best efforts， have we been unable to solve complex social challenges？ This is an example of a focus question that Stroh calls on us to ask ourselves to begin systems change work。 The longer I'm been a professional working in the social sector， the more I want to spend my energy helping redesign systems that oppress people who have been marginalized。 From his explanation of system mapping to social system archetypes， this text will be an important guide for my work moving forward Why， despite our best efforts， have we been unable to solve complex social challenges？ This is an example of a focus question that Stroh calls on us to ask ourselves to begin systems change work。 The longer I'm been a professional working in the social sector， the more I want to spend my energy helping redesign systems that oppress people who have been marginalized。 From his explanation of system mapping to social system archetypes， this text will be an important guide for my work moving forward。 He writes， "Understanding why a system operates the way it does despite people's best efforts to improve it requires that they move from blame to responsibility， independence to interdependence， and short-term to long-term thing。" These are moves I'm committed to making。 。。。more
Evan Gravely
，
This was a well-written guide for systems thinking in the social sector， but ultimately not what I was looking for。 The book seems geared towards consultants working on highly collaborative， multi-stakeholder issues at massive scales （like ending homelessness）。 In my context - working with small non-profit organizations with limited capacities and missions/mandates - I found it difficult to discern how to apply systems thinking where capacities are limited to working on a small part of a larger This was a well-written guide for systems thinking in the social sector， but ultimately not what I was looking for。 The book seems geared towards consultants working on highly collaborative， multi-stakeholder issues at massive scales （like ending homelessness）。 In my context - working with small non-profit organizations with limited capacities and missions/mandates - I found it difficult to discern how to apply systems thinking where capacities are limited to working on a small part of a larger system （ie， a single leverage point）。 As a “newbie” in the systems thinking technical realm， I wonder if there are approaches to “bounding” a system， or scoping a “piece of the whole” that your initiative contributes to without necessarily being accountable， as a sole entity， for solving the problem in its entirety。 Maybe I’m missing the point， or that this points to the need to develop collective impact capacity， but it also leaves me without a clear direction for how to apply this work。Also， many of the diagrams didn’t seem to make sense。 The book introduces a way to notate whether a change in one variable increases or decreases a corresponding variable but doesn’t seem to apply these in their system maps， making them incredibly hard to interpret。 Was this intentional？ I don’t seem to be the only one who struggled with the diagrams so I wonder if this was a publishing error or an oversight by the authors。 。。。more
Mario Galaviz
，
Introducción breve a sistemas y después descripción de cómo diagnosticar un problema al utilizar una narrativa de sistema y con eso alinear a todos los involucrados en el sistema。
Rebecca Epting
，
This is an excellent book that really made me think about the deeper issues that impact society’s systems， and the reasons why there are so many people doing great things， yet we often see little change in society’s problems。
Rhys Lindmark
，
Pretty meh。 Felt waaaayyyy too much like a consulting guide。 And weirdly， there were only ~5 case studies that they kept coming back to。I like the idea of expanding on systems traps， but this wasn't it。 Pretty meh。 Felt waaaayyyy too much like a consulting guide。 And weirdly， there were only ~5 case studies that they kept coming back to。I like the idea of expanding on systems traps， but this wasn't it。 。。。more
Geoffrey Hagberg
，
What is it: a book about how to understand complex systems （organizations， processes， communities， etc。） and how to positively change those systems。Why I really like it: I've read three books this year that were written to be introductions to systems thinking。 Maybe because I find systems thinking highly intuitive， and maybe because I've been looking for a formal structure for this kind of analysis and problem solving before I even knew it was formally structured as systems thinking， I was a lit What is it: a book about how to understand complex systems （organizations， processes， communities， etc。） and how to positively change those systems。Why I really like it: I've read three books this year that were written to be introductions to systems thinking。 Maybe because I find systems thinking highly intuitive， and maybe because I've been looking for a formal structure for this kind of analysis and problem solving before I even knew it was formally structured as systems thinking， I was a little disappointed by the first two I read this year as too shallow。 They spent a lot of time on definitions （a necessary step） but almost no time on how to leverage systems thinking， on its benefits， on its difference from other modes of examining the same situations or challenges （the persuasive step）。 Systems Thinking for Social Change stands out because it provides just enough of the fundamentals， the definitions and concepts， to empower the reader， but then takes a step further and present the real value of systems thinking。 Even more impressively， Systems Thinking for Social Change presents the value of systems thinking by also introducing the reader to a set of change-management concepts separate from systems thinking， into which systems thinking plugs in as a key component。 The end result is a book that explains and advocates for systems thinking， change management that incorporates systems thinking， and a handful of scenarios where those principles have been proven effective in driving social change （ranging from changing the culture of a business to changing the distribution of finances among a collection of cooperating non-profits）。You might also like: this book references two other texts a lot， so if you're interested in going further with this material， then I'd say follow the citations--for more detailed info on systems thinking， Thinking in Systems: A Primer， and for more detailed info on change management， The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization。 。。。more
An Te
，
A helpful primer to get readers to think outside the box。 Well， if you've ever worked and thought you could easily get to the nub of a problem or even evaluate your work in a meaningful sense and found yourself coming up with the short straw and looking a bit silly， then this is the book for you。 Thinking in systems is an art。 Why？ As you draw on so many disciplines， you soon begin intuiting， almost by feel， which factors do （or not） feature in an answer to a delimited question。 The philosophy i A helpful primer to get readers to think outside the box。 Well， if you've ever worked and thought you could easily get to the nub of a problem or even evaluate your work in a meaningful sense and found yourself coming up with the short straw and looking a bit silly， then this is the book for you。 Thinking in systems is an art。 Why？ As you draw on so many disciplines， you soon begin intuiting， almost by feel， which factors do （or not） feature in an answer to a delimited question。 The philosophy is simple enough。 Reality does not operate on a uni-lateral disciplinary mode but at many levels， simultaneously。 This may appear overwhelming， however， David helpfully breaks down the essentials of thinking in this new way。He outlines the vision， values and mission of those trying to tackle the problem and to well-describe reality。 Next comes the representations （in the form of interdependency maps， which can be derived through all manner of resources from interviews， articles， books， newspapers）。 These maps identify potential success factors， which you want to press and leverage。 If time and resource is short， as it ever is， you will identify high-leverage factors to focus on。 You then streamline， if needs be， for the wider team and public dissemination。 Then comes the evaluation to which you must use simple and clear metrics of assessment。 I have yet to touch on precisely how you go about this， but it's all about being inclusive and understanding。 No view is omitted。 But the final plan of action may not include it as you have a set question in mind。 As a brainstorming tool， this book will be indispensable to any policy maker or individual concerned with trying to impact real-world changes。 （It's not a way to think all the time， as it can get rather tiring but the team perspective sounds most exciting to me！） 。。。more
Roman Leventov
，
Little novelty apart from the description of the system archetypes （described in many places， including https://en。wikipedia。org/wiki/System_。。。） and quite a lot of self-repetition。 Little novelty apart from the description of the system archetypes （described in many places， including https://en。wikipedia。org/wiki/System_。。。） and quite a lot of self-repetition。 。。。more
Alexey
，
Systems Thinking – достаточно короткая книга （6-7 часов）， описывающая применение системного анализа （П。Синге， Д。Мэдоуз и др。） к социальным интервенциям。 Книга сделала для меня открытие – открыла всю небольшую вселенную книг про системный анализ， знание которого доносилось до меня в разных ипостасях， но никогда не было структурированным。 Самый старый пример – это системный анализ из лекций на геофаке， откуда у меня осталось заблуждение， что "Д。Мэдоуз" расшифровывается как "Дэнис Мэдоуз"， а не "До Systems Thinking – достаточно короткая книга （6-7 часов）， описывающая применение системного анализа （П。Синге， Д。Мэдоуз и др。） к социальным интервенциям。 Книга сделала для меня открытие – открыла всю небольшую вселенную книг про системный анализ， знание которого доносилось до меня в разных ипостасях， но никогда не было структурированным。 Самый старый пример – это системный анализ из лекций на геофаке， откуда у меня осталось заблуждение， что "Д。Мэдоуз" расшифровывается как "Дэнис Мэдоуз"， а не "Донелла Мэдоуз"。 Ну и разумеется， каждому географу промыли мозги про "пределы роста"。 Методологический аппарат системного анализа – на мой взгляд， очень полезен при исследовании и планировании интервенций в социальных системах。 Несмотря на важное персональное открытие， книга – весьма плохо написана。 Во-первых， написана она так， как будто ее писал SEO-шник: количество постоянно повторяемых ключевых слов （системное мышление， архетипы， обратная связь и т。д。） просто зашкаливает。 Для русскоязычного читателя малоинтересными окажутся и примеры социальных интервенций – они охватывают， в основном， оч。специфический вопрос бездомности в американском контексте – сама ситуация отличается как от российской， так и от европейской。 Я могу точно рекомендовать изучить системное мышление， но начинать， думаю， нужно не с этой книги。 。。。more
S。
，
Alright， so I learnt a few new things related to what can System Thinking be about， the issues it can tackle and probably of few hints at how homelessness might be better cornered。 However， I cannot confidently say that I understood the diagrams。This is more a guide book to a "System Thinker"， not someone's first book to read about system thinking and that's my mistake ！Not sure if I'll dig more about this topic 。。。 Alright， so I learnt a few new things related to what can System Thinking be about， the issues it can tackle and probably of few hints at how homelessness might be better cornered。 However， I cannot confidently say that I understood the diagrams。This is more a guide book to a "System Thinker"， not someone's first book to read about system thinking and that's my mistake ！Not sure if I'll dig more about this topic 。。。 。。。more
Tore
，
This is a good book， very practical。 I liked the tools for classifying situations based on what kind of feedbacks （reinforcing or balancing） can be seen found the system， such as "fixes that backfire"， "shifting the burden"， "Accidental Adversaries"， the bathtub and more。 I also enjoyed the emphasid of seeing one's own role en i more objective way。 Making aware both the positive and possible harms one brings to the system， and building a realistic way to take respondibility for the outcome。 It s This is a good book， very practical。 I liked the tools for classifying situations based on what kind of feedbacks （reinforcing or balancing） can be seen found the system， such as "fixes that backfire"， "shifting the burden"， "Accidental Adversaries"， the bathtub and more。 I also enjoyed the emphasid of seeing one's own role en i more objective way。 Making aware both the positive and possible harms one brings to the system， and building a realistic way to take respondibility for the outcome。 It seems a bit repetative since it keeps coming back to the same data and the same ideas over and over again， from sloghtly different perspectives though， but that is probably because it is more of a manual than a popular science book。 。。。more
Andrew Moore
，
If you have ever looked around at the world and said to yourself， "I feel like we can be doing better than THIS，" then you should read this book。 If you have ever looked around at the world and said to yourself， "I feel like we can be doing better than THIS，" then you should read this book。 。。。more
Jhon
，
Love itA better way of thinking for big changes。 Everything is broken down into interconnected pieces to Witch each is important to improve so the bigger picture can be changed。
Jennifer
，
This was a book for class and is a readable， practical application of systems theory。 It gives helpful tactics for addressing wicked problems。 Plus， lots of charts。
Bryan Sebesta
，
I give this book five stars。 That is not because there weren't dry parts‚Äìin fact， given that I have little training or background for social change writ large， that was almost inevitable。 But that is due to my own lack of training。 I could sense， reading this book， that I was learning something momentous。 Consider: Building more homeless shelters is a short-term fix that diminishes the problem's visibility and makes participants feel good， but doesn't ultimately solve anything。 The real I give this book five stars。 That is not because there weren't dry parts‚Äìin fact， given that I have little training or background for social change writ large， that was almost inevitable。 But that is due to my own lack of training。 I could sense， reading this book， that I was learning something momentous。 Consider: Building more homeless shelters is a short-term fix that diminishes the problem's visibility and makes participants feel good， but doesn't ultimately solve anything。 The real problem is lack of permanent housing for the homeless。 （"Fixes That Backfire。"） Government welfare programs can create unhealthy dependencies and incentives for the poor to stay poor。 （"Shifting the Burden。"） When confronted with increasing crime， political leaders often encourage harsher penalties for criminals。 But often those penalized are parents， and so their children grow up without one or both of their parents。 This creates a really bad situation for children， increasing the likelihood that they will grow up without strong emotional support or educational success‚Äìand become criminals later。 Thus a new crime wave emerges 10-15 years down the road， and often， a new round of harsher penalties is suggested‚Äìexacerbating the problem。 （A combination of "Shifting the Burden" and "Fixes That Backfire。"） These are just a few of many， many examples of systems problems （and， in the parentheses， the common "archetypes" found in systems‚Äìshifting the burden， limits to growth， etc）。 And the trick is knowing what a system is and how it behaves and the language‚Äìyes， the language！‚Äìyou must use to describe this。 Systems thinking is， in fact， another language， with its own jargon: feedback， growth， stability， diversity and resilience， time delays， unintended consequences， leverage， etc。 On the one hand， its easy。 On the other hand， its not。 Systems describe chronic problems， what some call "wicked" problems‚Äìproblems in the world and relationships that were never intended， but stick with us despite our best efforts to solve them （poverty， homelessness， climate change， accidental adversaries in love and families， etc）。An additional thing I learned。 Whenever I read the news， I am often reading about events‚Äìthings that happened。 I learned a long time ago to be wary of reading too much into events separated from contextual analysis‚Äìthat is， trends。 Trends have much more explanatory power than events。 There are 2。5 million people incarcerated in the United States today， but that means nothing divorced from time data。 Is that good or bad？ It's not until I learn that there were 200，000 people incarcerated in the 1970s。 Now I can be dismayed， and see the urgency of the problem。 But trends are not the end of it either。 Trends to not explain the causal factors: the economic policies， the psychological truths， the structural racism， the politics， the various acts of different actors， none of whom mean for the prisons to fill with 650，000 new inmates each year。 （One tenet of systems analysis is that people are almost always well intended， but do not often see the ways they contribute to the larger problems。） So beneath events and trends lie systems。 Though not from this book， this quote seems pertinent:If a factory is torn down but the rationality which produced it is left standing， then that rationality will simply produce another factory。 If a revolution destroys a government， but the systematic patterns of thought that produced that government are left intact， then those patterns will repeat themselves。 。 。 。 There‚Äôs so much talk about the system。 And so little understanding。 ‚ÄìROBERT PIRSIG， Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance This is a momentous book。 It teaches a language I wish I had learned a long time ago。 So many of the problems I face， I realize， are illuminated by systems thinking。 Systems are everywhere。 I don't usually get excited about language or frameworks， but this one has me positively elated。 It's like I can see the world fresh again， or at least know that beneath the world I see lie hundreds of thousands of systems。 And this book gives one the vocabulary to describe them: accidental adversaries， the bathtub analogy， limits to growth， success to the successful， amplifying and balancing loops， etc。 It's a marvelous， marvelous thing。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
Good introduction to one method of systems thinking， extremely repetitive though。
Otto Lehto
，
Not what I was looking for。 This is partially on me， since the "practical" part should have given it away。 But the practical value of the book seems limited。 Although it is grounded in solid theory and some interesting empirical examples， I did not enjoy the book on any level。 It is full of jargon heavy consult speak and its intended audience is public and private management workshops。 The main point of those workshops with their brainstorming sessions seems to me to be to support the coffee cat Not what I was looking for。 This is partially on me， since the "practical" part should have given it away。 But the practical value of the book seems limited。 Although it is grounded in solid theory and some interesting empirical examples， I did not enjoy the book on any level。 It is full of jargon heavy consult speak and its intended audience is public and private management workshops。 The main point of those workshops with their brainstorming sessions seems to me to be to support the coffee catering industry - and， of course， a whole ecosystem of BS artists and consultants。 The promised high stake strategic interaction between key stakeholders never seems to materialize。 While I do not doubt the author's intentions or expertise， I doubt the value and efficacy of the lessons contained in the book。 。。。more
David
，
While the book is plainly written and mostly accessible， that serves more to highlight its weaknesses than its strengths。 It's a very repetitive text， perhaps presuming that people won't read cover to cover？ It was a slog in doing so。That said， the ideas are fairly compelling and I'm definitely interested to learn more about systems thinking in other books。 I just hope that the other books don't rely so much on visual maps that are extremely difficult to understand。 Maybe there's something about While the book is plainly written and mostly accessible， that serves more to highlight its weaknesses than its strengths。 It's a very repetitive text， perhaps presuming that people won't read cover to cover？ It was a slog in doing so。That said， the ideas are fairly compelling and I'm definitely interested to learn more about systems thinking in other books。 I just hope that the other books don't rely so much on visual maps that are extremely difficult to understand。 Maybe there's something about helping to create them that makes them more intuitive， but I found them to be total spaghetti monstrosities。One of my favorite parts was a handful of paragraphs at the end where he talks about defining good metrics to benchmark progress。 He gives three examples that I thought were so good I almost wished the book had been written about designing good success metrics instead。All in all， not a bad read， but I would try to find it at the library if you can。 And don't be afraid to skim。 。。。more
Melchor Moro-Oliveros
，
I will not lie。 This book is hard to read at some points and not adequate for beginners in the subject of Systems Thinking。 If you are a beginner， read first “Thinking in Systems”， by Donella H。 Meadows。 Having said that: this book is an excellent complement to “Thinking in Systems”。 It includes a lot of good thoughts， suggestions and advices as well as a set of patterns on how systems usually respond to stimuli。 And all this on the base of not technological problems， usually easier to be quanti I will not lie。 This book is hard to read at some points and not adequate for beginners in the subject of Systems Thinking。 If you are a beginner， read first “Thinking in Systems”， by Donella H。 Meadows。 Having said that: this book is an excellent complement to “Thinking in Systems”。 It includes a lot of good thoughts， suggestions and advices as well as a set of patterns on how systems usually respond to stimuli。 And all this on the base of not technological problems， usually easier to be quantified， but to social problems which can’t be measured by metrics。The principle of all the reasoning in this book is not mentioned in it but in my opinion is the “butterfly effect” by Edward Lorenz （theory of Caos）: “the flattering of a Butterfly in Singapure can cause heavy rains in Nevada”。 Author’s approach to systems thinking is perfectly aligned with Donella H。 Meadows， in the sense that people wrongly believe that complex problems can be solved by dividing it in parts （often being those parts bound to an univoque discipline and optimize those parts， often by letting experts in that discipline work on it）。 However， societal problems are not only cause-effect events， but also interactions and contributing relationships。 Most people do not appreciate how their own intentions， beliefs， and behavior affect the performance of others as well as their own。 I have also liked the iceberg analogy in this book: On the top of the iceberg are the “events”， below are the trends， i。e， the patterns that lead to a behavior that causes the events to occur。 Under the water is 90% of the iceberg， which is the structure， the reason why that behavior which ends up in events happens to be。Finally， the three more relevant contributions of this book to the topic are to me， One: the fact that systems thinking increases people’s continuous communication， increases the responsibility of each one actions as they affect the overall problem result， helps how to understand short-term results in a long-term context and emphasizes the need for continuous learning。 Two: the presentation of the patterns of bahavior: Fix that Backfire， Shifting the Burden， Limits to Growth， Success for the Successful， Accidental adversaries， Tragedy of the Commons， and Three: the bathtub analogy with the concept of Stocks， Flows， Reinforce and Balance feedbaks and the Delays。 。。。more
Cath Ennis
，
I struggled a bit with this book - I just couldn't quite engage with the text as deeply as I wanted， and kept finding myself skimming over things and having to go back and re-read them。 However， I can't really pinpoint why， as there's nothing overtly wrong with the book and parts of it were very interesting and useful。 I did find the diagrams to be a bit too confusing， and perhaps there were too many details of specific projects rather than more general syntheses， but overall it probably just wa I struggled a bit with this book - I just couldn't quite engage with the text as deeply as I wanted， and kept finding myself skimming over things and having to go back and re-read them。 However， I can't really pinpoint why， as there's nothing overtly wrong with the book and parts of it were very interesting and useful。 I did find the diagrams to be a bit too confusing， and perhaps there were too many details of specific projects rather than more general syntheses， but overall it probably just wasn't the best match for me。 I preferred Thinking in Systems: A Primer and will likely keep referring back to that book as my go-to reference。 。。。more
Peter O'Brien
，
“Becoming a deeply skilled systems thinker takes time， but it is definitely possible。 We’ve learned that， on one level， systems thinking is child’s play: We are born with the capacity to see connections and understand （though not necessarily tolerate） time delay。 We’re also learned that the very work of applying systems thinking tools and practices not only hones that capacity but also shapes who we are and how we see the world。 This orientation in turn increases our effectiveness in applying th “Becoming a deeply skilled systems thinker takes time， but it is definitely possible。 We’ve learned that， on one level， systems thinking is child’s play: We are born with the capacity to see connections and understand （though not necessarily tolerate） time delay。 We’re also learned that the very work of applying systems thinking tools and practices not only hones that capacity but also shapes who we are and how we see the world。 This orientation in turn increases our effectiveness in applying the tools and practices。” Systems thinking is a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way that a system's constituent parts interrelate and how systems work over time and within the context of larger systems。Systems Thinking for Social Change is nothing less than a compressive guide to the systems thinking process and how to implement it to solve complex and chronic problems。 The book goes to great lengths to detail how to identify， illustrate and then problem solve wickedly complex and chronic social problems。 While the book is more focused towards solving social problems， the processes and practices can just as easily be reapplied to any manner of problems， whether they are socially focused or not。 Added value is drawn from the books many references to real-world case studies and how systems thinking was used to overcome the detailed complex problems。 Overall， a highly knowledgeable， but very tedious read that works much better as a reference guide。 。。。more
Tumi
，
The recommendation to read an introductory systems thinking books before tackling this one really isn't necessary。 This book does a great job of explaining our unintended consequences as we try to make social change happen within their complicated ecosystems。 A must-read for people working in the social impact space。 The recommendation to read an introductory systems thinking books before tackling this one really isn't necessary。 This book does a great job of explaining our unintended consequences as we try to make social change happen within their complicated ecosystems。 A must-read for people working in the social impact space。 。。。more
Six
，
bathtub thinking aside， it really isn't tenable for a reader of this book to build these charts。 bathtub thinking aside， it really isn't tenable for a reader of this book to build these charts。 。。。more
Pip
，
Not the most engaging read， but as a educational resource it was clear， concise and illuminating。 Would be interesting for （at least） anyone working on large scale issues， anyone in social policy or programming or NGO's and the humanitarian and development sector at large。 Not the most engaging read， but as a educational resource it was clear， concise and illuminating。 Would be interesting for （at least） anyone working on large scale issues， anyone in social policy or programming or NGO's and the humanitarian and development sector at large。 。。。more
Teo 2050
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2018。04。29–2018。05。17，2020。04。09–2020。04。13ContentsStroh DP （2015） （06:17） Systems Thinking for Social Change - A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems， Avoiding Unintended Consequences， and Achieving Lasting ResultsIntroduction• What You Will Learn• • Use systems thinking instead of more conventional linear thinking to address chronic， complex social problems。 • • Apply systems thinking as both a set of principles and a particular group of analytic tools。 • • Integrate systems thinking in 2018。04。29–2018。05。17，2020。04。09–2020。04。13ContentsStroh DP （2015） （06:17） Systems Thinking for Social Change - A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems， Avoiding Unintended Consequences， and Achieving Lasting ResultsIntroduction• What You Will Learn• • Use systems thinking instead of more conventional linear thinking to address chronic， complex social problems。 • • Apply systems thinking as both a set of principles and a particular group of analytic tools。 • • Integrate systems thinking into a proven four-stage change management process。 • • Catalyze an explicit choice between the purpose people say they want to accomplish and the benefits they are achieving right now。 • • Apply systems thinking prospectively as well as retrospectively。• • Cultivate systems thinking as a way of being—not just as a way of thinking。 • Structure of the BookPart I: Systems Thinking for Social Change01。 Why Good Intentions Are Not Enough• Distinguishing Conventional from Systems Thinking• Refining the Definition of Systems Thinking• Closing the Loop02。 Systems Thinking Inside: A Catalyst for Social Change• How Systems Thinking Meets Four Challenges of Change• When to Use Systems Thinking• Systems Thinking for Collective Impact• Closing the Loop03。 Telling Systems Stories• Storytelling for Social Change• Shaping a Systems Story• • Seeing the Big Picture• • Increasing Self-Awareness and Personal Responsibility• • Understanding the Deeper System Structure• The Elements of Systems Structure• • Basic Language of Systems Thinking• • • Nouns• • • Verbs• • • Time Delay• Closing the Loop04。 Deciphering the Plots of Systems Stories• Basic Plot Lines• • Reinforcing Feedback: The Story of Amplification• • Balancing Feedback: The Story of Correction• The Plots Thicken• • Fixes That Backfire• • Shifting the Burden• • Limits to Growth• • Success to the Successful• • Accidental Adversaries• • Other Systems Stories• The Stories Behind the Story• Closing the LoopPart II: The Four-Stage Change Process05。 An Overview of the Four-Stage Change Process• Convening and Thinking Systemically• The Four-Stage Change Process• Closing the Loop06。 Building a Foundation for Change• Engage Key Stakeholders• Establish Common Ground• Build Collaborative Capacity• Closing the Loop07。 Facing Current Reality: Building Understanding Through Systems Mapping• Establish Systems Interviews• Organize Information• Develop a Preliminary Systems Analysis• • Fixes That Backfire• • Shifting the Burden• • Limits to Growth• • Success to the Successful• • Accidental Adversaries• • The Bathtub Analogy• How to Balance Simplicity and Complexity• Closing the Loop08。 Facing Current Reality: Building Support by Bringing the System to Life• Engage People in Developing Their Own Analysis• Surface Mental Models• Create Catalytic Conversations• • Deepening Awareness• • Cultivating Acceptance• • Developing New Alternatives• Closing the Loop09。 Making an Explicit Choice• Understand Payoffs to the Existing System• Compare the Case for Change with the Case for the Status Quo• Create Both/and Solutions—or Make a Trade-Off• Make an Explicit Choice• What Can You Do When People Are Still Not Aligned？• Closing the Loop10。 Bridging the Gap• Identify High-Leverage Interventions• • Increase Awareness• • Rewire Cause–Effect Relationships• • Shift Mental Models• • Reinforce The Purpose• Establish a Process for Continuous Learning and Outreach• How to Integrate Multiple Interventions• Closing the LoopPart III: Shaping the Future11。 Systems Thinking for Strategic Planning• Two Systemic Theories of Change• Organizing Leverage Points• • Amplifying Strengths in the Collaboration for Iowa’s Kids• • Achieving the Goal of a Healthy Community• Integrating Success Factors• • Building on Strong Relationships to Improve Regional Food and Fitness• • Creating a Community Where All Children Are Loved and Successful• Streamlining Choices• How to Refine Your Systemic Theory of Change• Closing the Loop12。 Systems Thinking for Evaluation• General Systemic Guidelines• • Set Realistic Goals• • Define Clear Indicators and Metrics• • Think Differently about the Short and Long Term• • Look for Consequences along Multiple Dimensions• • Commit to Continuous Learning• Tracking Success Amplification• Tracking Goal Achievement• Closing the Loop13。 Becoming a Systems Thinker• Develop a Systems Orientation• • Mental• • Emotional• • Physical• • Spiritual• • • See Connections• • • Make Good Choices• • • Cultivate Character Strengths• Learn by Doing• Ask Systemic Questions• Closing the LoopAcknowledgmentsAppendix A。 Vicious Cycles of Climate ChangeAppendix B。 Sample Interview Questions for Specific Projects• B。1。 Questions for the After Prison Initiative• B。2。 Questions for Developing Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness• B。3。 Questions for Improving Rural Housing• B。4。 Questions for Collaborating for Iowa’s KidsAppendix C。 Multiple-Archetype DiagramsAppendix D。 Additional Resources• Books• WebsitesNotesAbout The Author 。。。more
Doni
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I don't feel like I learned much of anything in this book that wasn't covered better by Donella Meadow's book。 I don't feel like I learned much of anything in this book that wasn't covered better by Donella Meadow's book。 。。。more
Scott Ford
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Excellent introduction to system's mapping for better organizational design。 Focused on such community concerns as education， health care and homelessness， this book guides facilitators through system mapping by providing specific techniques and demonstrating their application through real-world example。 Excellent introduction to system's mapping for better organizational design。 Focused on such community concerns as education， health care and homelessness， this book guides facilitators through system mapping by providing specific techniques and demonstrating their application through real-world example。 。。。more
HalKid2
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First， full disclosure。 I picked this up because it was recommended to me to help guide my work with a non-profit。 I read some， skimmed some， skipped some of the book。On the plus side it has some very useful information about how to think about "big picture" solutions to to pervasive problems。 And I think a full understanding of the material would help people facilitate change in an organization's thinking。 However， it was pretty dry， even dull to read。 So， if you're interested in helping an org First， full disclosure。 I picked this up because it was recommended to me to help guide my work with a non-profit。 I read some， skimmed some， skipped some of the book。On the plus side it has some very useful information about how to think about "big picture" solutions to to pervasive problems。 And I think a full understanding of the material would help people facilitate change in an organization's thinking。 However， it was pretty dry， even dull to read。 So， if you're interested in helping an organization shift to a more strategic kind of problem-solving， I'd recommend this book。 Just be prepared for it to feel like reading a textbook。 。。。more
Nargiz
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