When to use it
Use it when repeated local fixes appear to make the wider problem worse.
When to be cautious
An arrow in a causal sketch is a hypothesis, not established evidence.
Apply it
- Define the behaviour over time that needs explanation.
- State causal hypotheses and delays with the affected people.
- Test a small intervention and look for unintended effects.
An example in practice
Adding urgent work interrupts planned work, causing more lateness and more urgent requests. Change the admission rule and monitor the whole flow.
Source & credit
System dynamics traces to Jay W. Forrester, including Industrial Dynamics (1961). Systems thinking is a wider field with multiple origins.
MIT: annotated system dynamics literature
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