CRITICAL SYSTEMS THINKING

The vast majority of decisions that we make each and every day occur quickly and intuitively.  We often take things at face value rather than probing for additional information or questioning the veracity of that we are being provided.  We like to make quick decisions so that we can turn our attention to the next topic at hand.  I’ll call this thinking Simple Thinking.  
 
But on more complex topics, and especially more contentious ones awash in bias, misinformation, and manipulation, we need to slow down, know what to look for, ask questions, and be disciplined in our thinking and decision making.  And that’s exactly what Critical Systems Thinking is designed to do, synthesizing key concepts from three distinct disciplines:  Systems Thinking, Critical Thinking, and Decision Making.  As depicted below, the three are highly interdependent, and must work together in order to achieve positive outcomes in the complex world we live in.