Groups as Systems

This chapter introduces the groups as systems perspective. While conventional thinking views groups as a set of independent actors that need optimizing, systems thinking views groups as a set of dynamic and interdependent actors that interact to create emergent outcomes. The first part of the chapter contrasts systems thinking and conventional thinking across dimensions of causality, accountability, outcomes, and time. The second part introduces how to recognize and tell system stories, using the television show The Wire as an example. Finally, the third part provides practical recommendations for life inside groups, maintenance (e.g., soliciting feedback) and adapting (e.g., collective sensemaking).