Let’s get ready for Tomorrow’s Exam

James Burns

June 10, 2002

The Adjacency Matrix

    1 2 3 4  

1 || 0 1 0 0 ||

2 || 0 0 1 0 ||

3 || 0 1 0 1 ||

4 || 0 0 0 0 ||

Also known as the Square Ternary MatrixBe able to convert it to a causal loop

diagramBe able to convert the CLD to a SDFBe able to write the rate equations

associated with the SFD Assumes rates are multiplicative functions

of their antecedents

The Pension Fund ProblemWhat sectors did you find?What stocks?What rates?

Employees RetireesNew Hires Retire rate Deaths

Fund

Deposits Withdrawals

Growth

SalaryGrow rate

Pension Fund Problem

Fund SectorSalary Sector

Employee/Retiree Sector

NH Rate Norm

Grow Rate Norm

Dep NormWithdraw Norm

Grwth Norm

Employment timeRetirement time

THE FIFTH DISCIPLINEWhat are the five disciplines?Name four archetypesWhich discipline is concerned with

getting individuals to make a commitment to lifelong learning?

Which discipline is concerned with the picture people carry in their heads?

Systems thinking is a radical departure from the old, ____ way of thinking

Which archetype is most akin to the adage “the easy way out usually leads back in?”

Healthy companies that fail quickly, do so because of _____ _____.

Which one of the following is not a typical ST mistake? “People believe they are their jobs” “The enemy is in here” “trying to be proactive” “fixation on events” “inability to learn from experience”

Seven Laws in STToday’s problems come from _____

_____.The harder you push, the harder the

system _____ _____.Behavior grows better before it grows

_____.The easy way out usually leads ____

__.

Seven Laws, continuedThe cure can be worse than the ____.Cause and effect are not closely related

__ ____ ___ ____.You can have your cake and eat it too--

___ ___ _____ ____.

Which of the seven laws is due to compensating feedback?

Which of the seven laws is the “carpet bump” an example?

More STThe first step in breaking out of the

reactive mind-set is to see _____ __ _________.

“I am filling the glass with water” describes ___ ____ __ ___ ______.

FeedbackName two typesWhich type produces exponential

growth?Which type produces exponential goal

seeking?What is the discernment rule for

distinguishing one type from another?

What about delays?Cause ____ and ____ when ____

moves are applied

Seeing the World AnewAs wholesSeeing ourselves as part of the whole,

part of the system

Coping with Complexity mandates systems thinking Today, we are creating complexity at a

frenetic pace

When is dynamic complexity present?When there are dramatically different

effects in the short vs. The long runWhen an action has one set of

consequences locally and a very different set of consequences in another part of the system

When obvious interventions produce non- obvious consequences

The first Archetype Senge often says structures of which we are

unaware hold us ____. All growth eventually ____.

Which archetype illustrates this??

Most managers react to the slowing growth by pushing harder on the _____ loop

Instead, concentrate on the balancing loop--changing the _____ factor

Structure

state of stockgrowing action slowing action

BalancingReinforcing

The second ArchetypeAn underlying problem generates

symptoms that demand attention. But the underlying problem is difficult for people to address…

Draw the structure

The Stereotype Structure

Problem

Symptomatic Solution

Fundamental Solution

Side effect

BALANCING

BALANCING

REINFORCING

Symptiom-CorrectingProcess

Problem-Correcting Process

Addictioin Loop