The systems thinking tools are part of the logical thinking processes which Eli Goldratt brought to the world in a collection of books, primarily in novel form. They fit into his Theory of Constraints , which proposes that there is a key limit on all systems which governs how it will perform (for example speed of a car). Using logical processes you can identify the cause of this limit and address, and achieve a significant increase in performance.

In Goldratt’s first book, The Goal , he introduces the core improvement steps for TOC (The Theory of Constraints). It was not until the sequel, It’s Not Luck , that the thinking processes which underpin the steps were discussed.

How can they be useful?

I’ve found that they are incredibly useful in distilling thoughts, both my own and in one to one or group settings. They are both a communication tool, as well as an analytical one. The process of creating one of the diagrams (Trees) is where much of the ambiguity is removed and common intent and meaning derived. The final artefact provides a concise overview of the conclusions and implications.

The trees can be summarised when sharing conclusions if the audience is not familiar with them, or if it is substantial in the case of some trees; However often it is very straight-forward to know how to “read” the tree. In It’s Not Luck the characters have been coached in them such that sharing their trees is considered a fast and practical way of sharing thoughts and solutions, especially to encourage adaptation to an alternate context.

I’ve often stated they provide a fantastic way of ensuring everyone is on the same page because you can often print on a page (albeit A3) and someone can rapidly reach a shared understanding of your reasoning, even if they want to challenge it (which is always a welcome option to improve).

The Thinking Processes

Put simply, the processes are a structured way of looking at cause and effect, dependencies and assumptions. Goldratt’s background was in physics, so an analytical and scientific approach to understanding the world was at the heart of it.

Cause and effect

If there is an observed problem (or opportunity) then one should be able to reason about the cause:

If A, it must have been caused by B

However, it’s not sufficient to leave it at that, because this is an hypothesis. There are two key points:

• Is A really a thing?
• Did B really cause it?

First “Is A true?": To reason about A, we would think about other expected consequences which could also be readily observed. (For example Pigs Fly, we would also expect to see dung falling from the sky from time to time)

Second “Did B really cause it?": This hangs on similar to above, in that if B is a cause, what else would it cause? Could other causes exist, and is B on its own sufficient to cause A, or is it simply one of the contributing factors.

Dependencies

Similar to cause and effect, which is a dependant link, there are other dependencies, especially when looking at requirements to achieve an objective.

In order to have A, I must have B

This helps identify steps on a path towards a goal or clarify the clear characteristics which define what you are pursuing.

Assumptions

In much of this outlining of the links between statements that the processes are outlining the assumptions at work. Making such assumptions clear and transparent to a reader of the ‘trees’ is a fantastic way to reach common understanding quickly.

Once those are highlighted and the impact is demonstrated, it is possible to discuss how to challenge those assumptions, and even identify that they are not as present as had been thought (again using some of the logical cause questions outlined above).

The tools

The thinking processes are structured into a several tools, which are similar but for discrete purposes. These tools include:

• Prerequisite Trees: For determining steps and order to achieve a goal
• Goal Trees: For specifying and clarifying the core conditions of a goal
• Current Reality Tree: To outline the cause and effect of the current circumstances
• Future Reality Tree: Project expected consequences for actions you take
• Conflict Clouds: Expose assumptions and causes behind seemingly incompatible positions

Next time I’ll go over them in a little more detail and discuss how I see them fitting together as a set which you can reach for in collaborative settings.