How do you look at the world?
It depends on your perspective.
Some might focus on the unpredictability therein. On the surprise occurrences — good and bad — that can either make our day or ruin it.
The temptation here is all too often to find a pattern in the random noise. To turn to a higher power — be it faith or superstition — to explain it. Or else, to turn to pessimism and declare that managing life’s volatility is a fool’s errand.
Others might focus on the constants. On the rising and setting of the sun. Or the feeling of fresh air in our lungs.
This view is fixed at the macro level. It’s far too tempting to ignore the ups and downs altogether — even if some of them can be quite significant. And it’s far too easy to check out from everyday life.
In reality, both of these ways of looking at the world — divergent as they may seem — share a common issue.
Both seek to place responsibility on a single entity for the adventures we encounter.
Whether we’re screaming at the driver who ran the red light and almost T-boned our car, or we’re thanking God for the beautiful weather, we’re placing all blame or praise in one place.
It’s just us and them. Nothing in between.
We act as if we have a ledger, and we’re making sure everyone knows the score.
But there’s no way that everyone knows the score. Because each person has their own scorebook.
The experiences we face are unique. Each of us faces our own reality each and every day.
And when our realities collide with those of others — literally or metaphorically — standing around and pointing fingers does no one any good. On the contrary, this only serves to sow divisiveness and mistrust — the dual viruses that happen to be plaguing our society more than ever these days.
So, when we find ourselves in this position, what should we do?
We should take a step back. And we should look at the underlying architecture.
Awhile back, I took a professional assessment. A questionnaire that looks at how someone thinks, and how that thought process jibes with their personality archetype.
Many of the results of the assessment didn’t surprise me all that much. But one floored me.
There, on the summary page were four words: Thinks like an engineer.
I looked at those words and laughed.
I fancied myself the furthest thing from an engineer. I despised math growing up, and I gave up on science before I could even get to physics.
I seemed to be missing all the ingredients needed to be a halfway-competent engineer, let alone a savant.
Yet, the more I thought about it, the more I realized this proclamation wasn’t about the craft of engineering at all.
It was about adherence to systems.
Engineers adopt systems thinking. They distill a volatile environment into a more manageable series of systems. Then, they design solutions that meet the specifications and constraints of each system.
This is the secret to engineering success. And engineering success has transformed our world.
While there have been some notable engineering gaffes over the years, they’re dwarfed by the number of successful projects and designs. One need only drive on an interstate highway, cross a bridge over the Mississippi or ascend a Chicago high-rise to see the brilliance of engineering.
Systems thinking has worked its magic, time and again.
Yet, systems thinking is not only an engineering phenomenon. It can also be used to deal with political drama and understand the makeup of entire industries.
The more we consider the landscape of the environment we’re probing, and the more methodically we can chart our moves, the more successful we’ll be. That’s how the systems thinking theory goes.
I believe in this theory, and have practiced it for years. I just didn’t realize it until I took that assessment.
What does systems thinking look like in day-to-day life?
It can vary, depending on the situation.
But in general, it requires taking a look at the underlying structure of whatever we’re facing, and seeing how this structure could have caused the scenarios you encountered.
As an example, let’s take a look at the workplace. If you’re like millions of other gainfully employed citizens, you might spend a few of your hard-earned wages at Happy Hour with your colleagues or friends.
And what do you do at Happy Hour? You complain about work!
You make a big fuss about how you’re overworked, underappreciated and underpaid. About how much your 9 to 5 life stinks, and how much those in charge are leading to your misery.
I know this pattern, because I once lived it.
When we feel underappreciated at work, it’s easy to blame our boss — either tacitly or at impromptu Happy Hours. It’s basically an American pastime at this point.
Yet, our boss likely has a boss. As such, they might be dealing with similar issues and frustration from up in the ranks.
In fact, even if your boss is the owner or the CEO, they still have people or standards to answer to. These might be customers, investors or the company legacy itself.
Yes, a business is a massive system. A system with many moving parts that must remain synchronized to see sustained success.
Understanding the dynamics of this system can help you assess the situation you face and rationalize actions or decisions.
Perhaps your boss is not actively working to snub you. Perhaps they’re dealing with a full plate themselves. Or perhaps they trust you enough not to micromanage you.
And perhaps, with everything functioning the way it should, the issue you face is not as significant as you’re making it. If you’re contributing to the mission, being compensated fairly for your efforts and not at risk of being shown the door, you’re in a good spot. Visceral approval from your boss is more icing on the cake than a fundamental need.
Better not to make a mountain of a molehill.
Did you notice what happened there? By applying systems thinking, we diffused the situation. Instead of our grievance being a budding confrontation between ourselves and our supervisors — an Us vs. Them scenario — it became a systems problem. And then, suddenly, it wasn’t much of a problem at all.
This type of collectivist thinking can help in many other situations too. When we understand the system, it’s much easier to recognize that we’re all in this together. We’re less likely to have an urge to spar — unless we’re confronted by someone who’s truly acting selfish or malicious.
So, let’s change our perspective. Let’s stop looking to pin blame or praise in one place. Let’s take the time to look at the underlying architecture instead.
Systems thinking works. Let’s see how it can work for us.