In his most recent book, Breakthrough Problem Solving with Action Learning, co-authored with Roland Yeo and published by Stanford University Press, Michael Marquardt develops in much greater depth core concepts that he explored in previously published books. One of them, action learning, was introduced almost 75 years ago by Reg Revans while struggling to solve problems with productivity and morale in the coal mines of Wales and England. Here is a brief excerpt from Marquardt and Yeo’s book in which they discuss an often neglected or misunderstood relationship between systems thinking and problem solving.

*     *     *

According to Peter Senge (1990), systems thinking is the fifth discipline that catalyzes and facilitates the integration of other disciplines such as personal mastery, mental models, team learning, and shared vision. It is the process of understanding how organizational subsystems include people, structures, and processes that work together to increase the optimal functioning of an organization. Thus, systems thinking is a holistic rather than a reductionist approach that captures the cognitive (mental) processes of organizing concepts into the required perspective and leads to responsive action.

The relevance of systems thinking to problem solving is that it allows individuals to view problems as functions of a whole system where interrelations between some of these functions, although crucial, often complicate the problem-solving process. Hence, systems thinking does not encourage individuals to react merely to a specific function and neglect its overall impact on the wider system. In other words, systems thinking facilitates a more integrative than linear approach to problem solving. It involves a set of practices within a cognitive framework or mental model that is based on the context of relationships between systemic entities such as the interlinking organizational functions.

*     *     *

Michael Marquardt is Professor of Human Resource Development and International Affairs as well as Program Director of Overseas Programs at George Washington University. Mike also serves as President of the World Institute for Action Learning.  Mike is the author of 20 books and over 100 professional articles in the fields of leadership, learning, globalization and organizational change.

Roland K. Yeo was formerly a faculty at the College of Industrial Management (AACSB), King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Aramco Professional Development Academy, Maastricht School of Management International Graduate School of Business, University if South Australia.