Sheryl Cababa, author of *Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers* and founder of Optimistic Design, dives into the complexities of problem-solving. She discusses the importance of taking a systems approach before rushing to solutions. The conversation explores navigating change with AI, the role of designers as facilitators, and the ethical responsibilities of product leaders. With insights on mapping stakeholder dynamics and anticipating consequences, Sheryl encourages rethinking how decisions impact the broader organizational landscape.
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insights INSIGHT
Systems Thinking Importance
Systems thinking considers complexities around a challenge instead of linear simplistic solutions.
Complex circumstances need a holistic problem-solving approach for better outcomes.
insights INSIGHT
Broadening Design Lens
Human-centered design often misses broader systemic factors like unintended consequences or cultural context.
Systems thinking expands the lens to include incentives and stakeholder dynamics for solution success.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Assess Emerging Technologies Intentionally
Interrogate assumptions about emerging tech’s impacts before adoption.
Use tools like the futures wheel to explore intended and unintended consequences.
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The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge focuses on creating 'learning organizations' that can adapt and innovate in a rapidly changing environment. The book introduces five disciplines: personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking. These disciplines help organizations overcome 'learning disabilities' such as the delusion of learning from experience and the myth of teamwork. By embracing these disciplines, organizations can foster a culture of continuous learning, enhance problem-solving capabilities, and achieve long-term success. The book draws on a wide range of sources, including science, spiritual wisdom, psychology, and management thought, and has been influential in shaping modern business management practices[2][3][5].
Thinking in systems
A Primer
Diana Wright
Donella Meadows
This book introduces readers to systems thinking, a critical skill for 21st-century life. It explains how to understand and interact with complex systems, highlighting the importance of internal system structures and feedback loops. The book is divided into sections on system structures and behavior, the relationship between systems and humans, and strategies for creating change within systems. It aims to help readers develop a deeper understanding of systems to address global issues such as climate change, poverty, and social inequalities.
Closing the Loop
Closing the Loop
Cheryl Kababa
What if instead of racing to solve problems, you paused to map the entire system first? In this episode, Hannah sits down with Sheryl Cababa—author of Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers and founder of Optimistic Design—to talk about what it really means to design for complexity. From AI adoption to organizational policy changes, Sheryl brings a systems lens to the decisions leaders make (often too hastily) in fast-moving environments.
They explore how design leaders can avoid short-sighted thinking, better understand stakeholder dynamics, and use accessible tools to facilitate organizational change that actually sticks. Whether you're planning your back-to-office strategy or rethinking your product's impact, this conversation will leave you re-evaluating how your decisions ripple through the system.
The Product Manager 
