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Overview

They’re all around us. We can’t see them, but we can feel their impact every day in our lives. They affect the things we do and how we go about doing them. Some of these systems are physical, like traffic on a highway or parking lots where people park their cars. Other systems are social, such as communication and language that help us interact with each other to get things done.

Once you realize that there are systems everywhere, you can start to think about how to use them. This article will show you how. You’ll learn why a system’s perfection is not the goal; and see examples of how systems work at home as well as in business.

Big Idea #1: Get the systems mind-set: the world is a logical system of processes, not a chaotic mess.

There’s a lot of chaos in the world. It can seem like there is no order to anything, but that’s not true. There is an underlying inherent order even though it may be hard to see at times.

The world is an amazing place. It runs on its own, without any one person in charge of it. Yet everything works perfectly most of the time. How can this be? The reason is that systems are inherently inclined toward efficiency and stability. There are many complex systems in place that work together to make life better for us every day, such as oil being extracted from the earth and transported to gas stations where we can fill up our cars with it.

When there is a problem in an organization or system, it’s usually because of human error. Humans make mistakes and systems run smoothly. The problems are proof that humans can influence the outcome of processes.

The global financial crisis wasn’t a bad luck event. It was caused by people making bad decisions and subjective assessments of the systems in place. Moreover, we often evaluate whether or not things are working well based on our own perspective of what a good outcome is.

For example, you may find it scandalous that gas prices are so high. However, a nation that exports oil will view the situation differently. Governments could negotiate for better resource sharing schemes to benefit everyone. In other words, you can work with the system to your advantage.

Big Idea #2: Stop agonizing over systems that are beyond your influence, and start taking control of the ones you can change.

Everyone has felt that they will never succeed in life because the system is rigged against them. This feeling prevents you from achieving your goals, so just accept it and move on.

While you can vote in a democracy, the overall result is out of your hands. Your vote is just one among many, and complaining about it does nothing to change this fact.

That doesn’t mean you should dismiss democracy. You can still participate in the democratic process, even though your vote might not singlehandedly swing an election.

You have many systems in your life which you can control. If you take charge of them, they will work to your advantage.

Most things don’t go the way we want because we don’t try to change their outcomes. If you believe that you are powerless, then you might stop voting and not advance your cause. Or if you’re trying to lose weight, just wanting it won’t help. You need a plan like dieting or exercising to make it happen. So let go of what is out of our control and focus on what we can influence such as creating plans for losing weight or promoting democracy in order for them to work better.

Big Idea #3: Take a step back to analyze systems from an outsider perspective.

It’s too easy to focus on the details and miss the bigger picture. However, you can gain perspective by looking at things from a different view point.