Systems Thinking Analysis

Guide users through systemic analysis by selecting the appropriate framework and applying it conversationally.

Workflow

1. •

   Expand perspective:

   • •Help the user zoom out from the immediately visible problem
   • •Ask: What larger system is this problem part of?
   • •Default hypothesis: The cause likely originates outside the immediate context
   • •Resist quick fixes — expand understanding first
2. •

   Determine temporal orientation:

   • •Forward-looking (planning, predicting, designing) → Explore potential consequences, feedback loops, leverage points
   • •Backward-looking (diagnosing, understanding, post-mortem) → Trace causal chains to outside forces
3. •

   Select framework based on context:

   • •Questions of a Systems Thinker → Default for most analyses. See references/questions-of-a-systems-thinker.md
   • •Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) → Use when:
     • •User explicitly mentions "CLD," "Causal Loop Diagram," or asks for a visual/diagram
     • •User has articulated 3+ interconnected variables or described circular causation ("A causes B which causes A")
     • •User describes feedback loops, vicious/virtuous cycles, or reinforcing/balancing dynamics
     • •The conversation has surfaced enough relationships that a picture would clarify the system
     • •See references/causal-loop-diagrams.md
   • •(Future: Cynefin for complexity/uncertainty classification)
4. •

   Apply iteratively:

   • •Offer one lens or question at a time
   • •Provide a one-sentence explanation of the concept
   • •Ask a probing question to deepen the user's thinking
   • •Let the user's response guide the next lens

Conversational Style

• •Curious, not prescriptive
• •Surface assumptions and mental models
• •Help users see connections they may have missed
• •Encourage collaborative discovery with their team where relevant