Thinking Systemically

My Understanding

To me, Thinking Systemically means many things. It means zooming out to look at the whole picture, instead of just focusing on one small part of it. It also means thinking in systems. You wonder how one action can impact another, and how that action impacts the overall system. When Thinking Systemically, you must also be creative. If you have to solve a problem, you must use logic and creativity to do so. 

What Thinking Systemically doesn’t look like is someone too focused on one small part of the system, or too caught up in one detail, and ends up ignoring the whole thing. I did this lots of times in soccer, where I would be so focused on getting rid of the ball and trying to pass the ball to the closest teammate, regardless of whether or not they are marked by an opponent. In doing this, my team loses possession of the ball much faster which leads to more negative things in the system happening, such as my team getting scored on. 

My Growth

When I first came to SEEQS, I had no idea what this skill meant, even after I attemped to learn a bit more about it. I was confused about the definition, how we use it, how we can further use it, and basically everything about it. Now, I understand what Thinking Systemically is, why it is important, and how we can use it. It is important mainly because without it, we will get too caught up on the smaller details and forget to step back and look at the whole system. Although these smaller details are important, we can never forget the bigger picture. One example of this is when I play soccer. I learned to use this skill in soccer because I have to think about what impact it would have if I passed the ball to a certain teammate, or if I moved to a certain spot on the field. For example, if I passed to someone marked by an opponent, the chances of her losing the ball is much higher than if I passed to an open teammate. 

I learned to use this skill in my everyday life whenever I have to make a project or identify a problem. When identifying a problem, it is much more useful to zoom out and try and find all or most of the small parts of it. In doing this, I will find out how big the problem is, what it is affecting, what is affecting the problem, the root, and more. 

Exemplary Project

An exemplary project that has really helped me develop my understanding of Thinking Systemically is the Systems Map Project I did in EQS Aina and People, 2022 (7th grade). For this assignment, we individually created a systems map using a website called Lucidchart, about our gardens we were growing in EQS. 

A good way of using Thinking Systemically is to create a systems map. A systems map is a type of map where you can see the system as a whole and all the individual components in it. It is made up of nodes, arrows, and + or - signs (If you want more information about how to make one or just about systems maps in general, go to this website). Systems maps are good for practicing this sustainability skill because they can help you zoom out after focusing in on the whole system and not just focus on one or two of the smaller components in it. 

The first step we took was to choose our main node. This node should either have the biggest impact on the system or be what the system is about, and had to be a changeable amount like all nodes (some of my nodes are the “Amount of Gardens” or “Health of our Aina.” As you can see, these all have levels that can be raised or lowered). Your main node could be your goal, your problem, your solution, and more. I chose Food Sustainability as my main node because our goal was to raise the level of this type of Sustainability, and my entire system’s map would revolve around it. We wanted to raise the level not only because it is good for Oahu (since we live on an island) but because the whole Earth would benefit from it. 

Next, I started adding all of the smaller nodes. I had to find everything that relates to or is affected by my main node, and have numerous nodes branching off of my other ones. I would keep adding until I could not think of any more, and then I got feedback. The first draft of my system's map is below. 

The feedback I got was to try and add more nodes, and I got some ideas for new ones. Some examples are urbanization and pollution, problems that affect food sustainability. After I added more nodes, I was done with my systems map (a photo is below). 

After I finished my systems map, I reflected on how every node connected with another. This helped me to better understand the design thinking and systems processes of my map. Writing my reflection also helped me make more connections for my nodes since I was writing out everything instead of mapping it. 

When I finished my reflection, I made a Loom video where I just read aloud exactly what I wrote in my reflection. After, I answered the question on Altitude where I just linked in my Loom video. Altitude Learning is the learning platform that SEEQS is currently using. We get assignments, or cards, and assessments on this website. 

Connection to Thinking Systemically

This project connects to Thinking Systemically because systems maps are one of the best ways to Think Systemically. You see the system as a whole when finished and can identify all the little bits and pieces inside of it. When diving deeper into my nodes and figuring out how they all connect, I was using this Sustainability Skill and focusing on one spot (or nodes) but looking at the whole system now and then. I understood the complexities of Food Sustainability by finding all the components that impact it, such as the problems, and sought solutions to those problems by adding everything that impacts them. 

I stepped back to look at the whole system and didn’t focus on just one part of it. I used logic and a bit of creativity to make the map by thinking about things connecting to a specific node, both directly and indirectly. I also did my best to think in systems and contemplated what would happen if I removed a node from the systems map. For example, if I removed the “amount of people who grow food by themselves” node, it would impact the “food sustainability” node, which would eventually impact the entire system. Doing this helped me learn that even the smallest component in a large system can have a big impact. 

I also Thought Systemically in my reflection and Loom video, because I explained how every node connects. I was also making more and more connections when writing because I was looking at my map from a different angle, which led me to look at it from a new perspective. It was similar to looking at my work with a new set of eyes. 

A time I didn’t Think Systemically was when I was ready to turn my first draft in. This is a counter-example because my draft could have had a lot more nodes and connections. It was not even close to having a good chunk of the system in it. Granted, I don’t think that it had enough nodes even when I was finished, but after getting some feedback and adding more nodes, it was better. However, I think that was the only time I didn’t Think Systemically since the entire project is an example of this Sustainability Skill.