4 types of systems maps to master for innovators
Seeing the big picture is one of the most invaluable skillsets to possess for an innovator. In order to question the status quo and meaningfully change it, one needs to understand how systems function. A systemic understanding is the ability to have an interconnected and integrated way of understanding how internal and external components function together as a whole. There are many tools available to develop systems literacy, and one of them worth mastering is the skill to visualize or map out complex systems.
Systems and systems thinking
A system is an organized collection of parts (subsystems) that are highly integrated and accomplish an overall goal. A system is more than the sum of its parts. Here’s an example that illustrates this.
A pile of sand is not a system. If we took away one grain of sand, you are left with a pile of sand. A functioning car, however, is a system. Remove the carburettor, and you no longer have a properly working vehicle.
Systems thinking encapsulates this systemic view in diagnosing problems, finding solutions, optimizing inputs, measuring outputs and planning for improvements. Systems thinking indicates a shift away from:
- Parts to the whole
- Objects to relationships
