The Importance of System Thinking in Nonprofits

We learned many linear frameworks in business school to help us solve simple to complex problems. Yet, systems thinking was probably missing from that curriculum.

The Fifth Discipline (Senge) and Systems Thinking (Meadows) are typical starting points for learning systems thinking. However, those books are not written from a business person's perspective.

Simple Complexity, by Dr. William (Willy) Donaldson, is the most readable and pragmatic book I've read on systems thinking. The author has a business background and uses stories from the field to simplify what otherwise would be obtuse and confusing concepts.

In this conversation, we will learn the bare essentials of systems thinking and how to apply this skill in our organizations.