Chapter 6 - Leverage Points - Places to Intervene in a System

  1. Rules
  1. Numbers

4 Self Organization

  1. Stock and Flow Structures
  1. Buffers
  1. Delays
  1. Paradigms
  1. Goals
  1. Transcending Paradigms

7 Reinforcing Feedback Loops

  1. Balancing Feedback Loops
  1. Information Flows

More volume does not solve problems

Parameters adds leverage points when exceed ranges

Example: Ambient air quality standards are parameter that government sets to adjust the diriness of the air we breath

The sizes of the stabilizing stocks relative to their flows

Bigger the stock and small flows is more stable

Buffering capacity has more stability

Example: Money in a bank

Fix systems, like Dams

Physical Rebuild - Expensive and Slow to build

Physical Structure is rarely a leverage point

Common cause of oscillations of information can either overshoot or undershoot goals

Important because its a high leverage point yet not easily changeable if can change will have a big effect

Information and control parts has leverage points

Complex systems have multiple feed back loops to achieve a goal

some only used in a emergency

example: airbags in a car

Self Reinforcing

Self Correcting

more it works the more it gains power

Leveraging Point

Source of growth, explosion, erosion and collapse of a system

a system with an unchecked reinforcing can destroy a system

Access to info and missing info flow is the most common cause of a system malfunction

Structure of who does and does not have information

Human don't like to be accountable for their decisions

Incentives, punishments, constraints

Define Scope

High leverage points with the deepest malfunction

pay attention to a systems rules

The power to add, change, or evolve system structure

Add new reinforcing loops balancing loops or new rules

Strongest because system resilience

Purpose or Function of the system

Higher than self organizing on leverage

example: Ronald Regan's goals

Source of a system - its goals, structure, rules, delays, parameter - arise

Agreements about reality

Mastery of Paradigms

No one paradigm is true

The higher leveragepoint the more the system will resist changing it