This page is a “hub” page of resources around systems thinking.

It is not meant to be authoritative nor definitive, but should hopefully give those interested in Systems Thinking a head start on learning about systems thinking. There are many “flavours” or methodologies of systems thinking. Here I aim to provide a general overview.

So what is systems thinking? I like this definition: “Systems thinking is a set of synergistic analytic skills used to improve the capability of identifying and understanding systems, predicting their behaviors, and devising modifications to them in order to produce desired effects. These skills work together as a system.” Arnold & Ross, 2015 (HERE)

I am always keen to expand and update, so please do leave any recommended resources or feedback below.

The following is a list of websites that provide a range of resources or systems thinking. If you have additional suggestions of pages that have multiple resources / tools, I would love to hear them.

  1. Waters Center for Systems Thinking. This site provides a whole range of resources to explore what systems thinking is. The resources page has dozens of resources for Learning about and teaching systems thinking. Recently they have created the Thinking Tools Studio which provides several courses on systems thinking. I personally have a copy of their book “The Habit-Forming Guide to Becoming a Systems Thinker” which is a good introductory read.
  2. Donella Meadows is a leading author on systems thinking and I certainly recommend all of her work. This page linked here is the resource page.
  3. Open Learn is the free learning platform from the Open University. It has a range of mini-free courses. I have personally done the MSc Systems Thinking in Practice and highly recommend it IF you want todo a deep dive.
  4. The Systems Thinker site is one of the best resources around. Excellent articles and how to guides. I would start with THIS if you have little knowledge of systems thinking.
  5. Systems thinking in Project Management. A page of resources from the Association for Project Management. The page links to THIS 44 page research document on how it is used in PM.
  6. Linda Booth Sweeney has curated a good categorised list of resources, from sites to books and on to simulations. I have her ‘playbook” which has a whole range of experiential activities to explore systems thinking. A good resource.
  7. Gene Bellinger’s Systems Thinking site is chock a block full of resources. It may seem quite technical, so consider starting HERE.
  8. Carter McNamara, on his exhaustive ManagementHelp.com has a solid section on systems thinking amongst other things.
  9. Applied Systems Thinking website provides some good articles, videos and resources.
  10. Medium has a lot of writers sharing their ideas on Systems Thinking. One of my favourites is THIS: “Tools for systems thinkers: The 6 fundamental concepts of Systems Thinking”.
  11. T552 is an old Open University course. This site is a mini diagramming site for systems thinking. Good examples and instructions.

Here are some of the books I own and recommend on systems thinking. I have more, but these are the ones I would recommend to people starting to explore the subject. My view of systems thinking is very much shaped by Systems Dynamics and Soft Systems Methdology. I am also influenced by books that particularly “help” in organisations. I may come back in and add more advanced ones at a later stage.

Donella Meadows: Thinking in Systems: A Primer – Possibly the best starting book I know on the subject.

Peter Senge: The Fifth Discipline – The book that got me originally into the whole area of Systems Thinking. Actually I would recommend the “Field book” more than the original book.

Derek & Laura Cabrera – Systems Thinking Made Simple – A simple books that outlines some of the key facets of systems thinking. Quite simplistic, but powerful, but a good primer really.

Michael C Jackson – Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for managers – A really solid overview with good examples and reflections

Dennis Sherwood – Seeing the forest for the trees: A manager’s guid to Applying Systems Thinking – A good introduction to systems dynamics with plenty of examples

Peter Checkland – Systems Thinking-Systems Practice – The definitive guide fo Soft Systems Methodology

Russell L. Ackoff – Re-creating the corporation: A design for organisations for the 21st century – A solid introduction to the application of Systems Thinking in organisational design.

Stafford Beer – Diagnosing the System for Organisations – One of a series of books from Beer, This is my favourite, but the others are also worth reading.

Rosalind Armson – Growing Wings on the Way : Systems Thinking for Messy Situations – A good overview and particularly strong for systems diagramming.

A systems thinking playbook for climate change – this is a free ebook with a range of experiential activities to help people better understand systems thinking. Based on a classic experiential book with almost the same name. Download HERE. Thanks to SystemsInnovation.io for sharing this on twitter.

In this section I will add in documents that are not not books, but PDFs and larger academic papers. These are in order of placing them here, so the most recent addition is lowest down.

  1. Systems Change Framework developed by Dr Seanna Davidson and Ms Michelle Morgan. THIS is an 8 page PDF that outlines their model and systems thinking practices. Thanks to Benjamin Taylor for bringing this to my attention.
  2. Systems Change and how to do it by Rob Abercrombie, Ellen Harries and Rachel Wharton of New Philanthropy Capital (NPC). THIS is a 40 page PDF document.
  3. Working with Change: Systems approaches to public sector challenges by the OECD. THIS is a draft document, but still very extensive.
  4. Using a Systems Change Framework for BIGGER Results by Women’s Funding Network. THIS is quite a specific THIS area of use for systems thinking, but the model is quite interesting.
  5. Looking beneath the surface: The Education Changemaker’s Guidebook to Systems Thinking by KnowledgeWorks is a 54 page PDF grounded in systems dynamics. Download HERE.
  6. The Water of Systems Change by John Kania, Mark Kramer & Peter Senge (via FSG). THIS document looks at the conditions required for systems change.
  7. Systems Leadership for Sustainable Development: Strategies for Achieving Systemic Change by  Lisa Dreier, David Nabarro and Jane Nelson of the Harvard Kennedy School. THIS document focuses more on the leadership end of systems thinking, but is a worthwhile read.
  8. From design thinking to systems change: how to invest in innovation for social impact by Rowan Conway, Jeff Masters and Jake Thorold at the RSA. THIS document looks at how design thinking can support systems thinking and systems change.
  9. Key Components of Systems Change: First of Three Papers on Unlocking the code of effective Systems Change By Michael J. Kendrick, Darrell L. Jones , Lee Bezanson , Richard E. Petty for Independent Living Research Utilization. THIS paper has an extensive bibliography.
  10. Introducing systems approaches by Martin Reynolds,Sue Holwell at The Open University. THIS PDF is an ebook chapter from one of the modules I studied as part of the MSc Systems Thinking in Practice. A solid read.
  11. Putting the system back into systems change: A framework for understanding and changing organizational and community systems by Pennie G Foster-Fishman of Michigan State University. This is a long but interesting “pracademic” read on systems change.
  12. The Art of Change Making by John Atkinson, Emma Loftus and John Jarvis at The Leadership Centre. THIS is a very meaty document on systems change / leadership.

Do you have any recommended PDFs on Systems Thinking? If so, post here or reach out.

There are quite a lot of videos on Systems Thinking.

Donella Meadows has a range of videos over HERE. This is a good one to kick off with.

Systems Innovation has a broad range of videos on Systems Thinking and connected areas. THIS playlist is their course on Systems Thinking. An excellent resource set which kicks off with this video:

Cabrera Research Lab have dozens of videos on systems thinking. THIS link takes you to their playlist. I would really recommend that you head to the Systems Thinking Made Simple set.

The CDC has some great videos on Systems Thinking. This is a good introductory one. HERE are further ones to explore

Here are some communities that may be of interest. I have not included formal associations, rather places where I see Systems Thinkers hang out.

Systems Thinking Network – A LinkedIn group with over thirty thousand practitioners. I am a member here.

Strategic & Systems Thinking – Another linked in group with 3500 members.

Systems Thinking Daily – A Facebook group with over one thousand members.

The Ecology of Systems thinker – With over eight thousand members, the largest of the Facebook groups.

Systems thinking, Complexity, Chaos & Senge’s Learning Organisation – Just over a thousand members here.

Systems Innovation community – Over two and a half thousand people here, with events and other things going on.

This is where I will add in suggestions until I have a chance to fully explore them!

Raffaellina Rossetti suggested a few resources:

This is the second “Hub” page I have created. The first was “Visual Hub” around visual practice. More to come!