Systems Archetypes Courses
An archetype, as defined in the dictionary, is a pattern or model of a person or thing that serves as a recurring example. In literature, we have archetypical heroes such as the “One for all and all for one!” band of Three Musketeers. There are also archetypical symbols that appear repeatedly in literature, such as water symbolizing life or renewal.
In these courses, you will learn about systems archetypes — multi-loop, causal loop diagrams that represent behavior seen commonly in complex systems.
Just as literary archetypes help us increase perspective on the layered meaning of a story, the systems archetypes and their accompanying visual templates provide us lenses with which to view systems more clearly. Archetypes can help us analyze a situation, identify potential storylines that are unfolding, explore their implications and gain some initial understanding of an issue under study. Looking at an issue through the lenses of archetypes reminds us that there are multiple ways of perceiving any issue—and all of these ways can contribute insights into the issue.
Each of the systems archetypes presents a specific lens through which to view a system because each archetype tells a specific archetypical story. The interdependencies within an archetype’s structure mirror those within a story’s structure. A story’s setting, characters’ traits, historical period, among other components create the story’s dynamic plot and its theme, i.e. the meaning of the story. Likewise, a systems archetype depends on the components of feedback, delays, and loop dominance to convey the dynamics within its particular story.
After exploring the systems archetypes courses and the underlying stories associated with them, you will not only understand how archetypical they are, you will also appreciate their connections to the Habits of a Systems Thinker, and to many key aspects of systems thinking. In fact, one of the connections that the systems archetypes have to the Habits is that you’ll need to change your perspective at times as you are reading the visual representations of a given archetype! The visual representation of a given archetype can be horizontal/landscape, as in the first example showing elements X,Y, and Z of a system that interdependently cause changes to occur directly or indirectly on each other. Or, as is the case in the second example, the same archetype can be presented vertically, as a portrait. As you change your perspective to read the archetype, you’ll see that whether portrait or landscape, the picture captured tells the same story.
Press the button below to review definitions of terms that you will encounter throughout the Archetype courses offered in the Thinking Tools Studio. Take some time to familiarize yourself with these definitions and refer back to this page as needed when going through the different Archetypes. If you have taken the Habits and tools courses, you will notice these terms are woven throughout.
Causal Loop Diagram:
A causal loop diagram shows feedback within a system. Feedback refers to circular causal relationships inherent within a system. Causal loop diagrams help one understand and communicate the interactions that determine the dynamics of a system.
Delay:
Systems often have time delays between cause-and-effect elements. Links within causal loops and archetypes that include delays are designated with two hash marks (//).
Feedback:
“Feedback is said to occur when the effect of a cause re-affects the next iteration of the cause. The size of a population is the cause affecting, as feedback, the amount of the next change of population.” –An Introduction to Systems Thinking, (STELLA, isee systems, inc.)
“... process whereby an initial cause ripples through a chain of causation ultimately to re-affect itself …” –Introduction to Computer Simulation, A System Dynamics Modeling Approach, Roberts, Anderson, Deal, Garet, Shaffer, (1983)
Interdependencies:
Components of a system affect each other; the dynamics of the system are determined by the effects of the interdependencies, rather than by the components of the system themselves.
Leverage:
Leverage is a way of "seeing where actions and changes in structures can lead to significant, enduring improvements." –The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Senge, Doubleday. (1990)
Loop Dominance:
In a system that has multiple loops operating simultaneously, one loop may have a stronger impact than other loop(s) within the system. This loop dominance can shift over time. A loop that is initially more powerful can eventually become weaker relative to other loops. The Fixes-that-Fail (Fixes-that-Backfire) is one example in which loop dominance shifts over time.
Systems Archetypes:
Systems archetypes are multi-loop, causal loop diagrams that represent behavior seen commonly in complex systems. They can be lenses with which to view systems more clearly. Archetypes can help us analyze a situation, identify potential story lines at work, explore their implications and thus gain some initial understanding of the issue under study.
System Structure:
System structure includes the elements of the system and the manner in which those elements are organized and interrelated.
You are invited to explore the archetypes within these courses and then consider how you might help colleagues or students use them to explore complex systems and perhaps uncover leverage points within the organization, within the systems they are studying, and within their lives. It is recommended that as a prerequisite to Archetypes courses you take Tools courses #7-9 to familiarize yourself with feedback loops.
Archetypes Course #1: Fixes that Backfire
In this course, you will learn about the Fixes that Backfire archetype. You will identify ways to recognize this pattern in your own system of interest and strategies to avoid unintended consequences that may arise as a result.
Estimated Time: 1 Hour
Archetypes Course #2: Success to the Successful
In this course, you will learn to recognize and tell the Success to the Successful story. Through practice exercises, you will become comfortable with drawing a Success to the Successful archetype connected to a system of interest.
Estimated Time: 1 Hour
Archetypes Course #3: Limits to Growth/Success
This archetype is referred to as both Limits to Growth and Limits to Success, depending on the story you’re telling. For brevity’s sake in writing, we’ll use the title Limits to Success, but may refer to both success and growth in examples. This course will help you identify the Limits to Success archetype and how to avoid constraints that hinder desired outcomes.
Estimated Time: 1 Hour
Archetypes Course #4: Escalation
In this course, you will learn to identify escalation scenarios in your own systems of interest and explore strategies to break and prohibit the cycle from occurring.
Estimated Time: 1 Hour
Archetypes Course #5: Shifting the Burden
In this course, you will learn to identify the Shifting the Burden archetype and the important difference between symptomatic and fundamental solutions and how they can impact a problem symptom.
Estimated Time: 1 Hour
Archetypes Course #6: Drifting Goals
In this course, you will learn to identify ways to prevent giving in to pressure to lower a goal rather than wait to see if actions that have been taken would have eventually gotten you to your original goal.
Estimated Time: 1 Hour
Archetypes Course #7: Tragedy of the Commons
In this course, you will learn to recognize and apply The Tragedy of the Commons archetype. Through practice exercises, you will become comfortable with drawing the Tragedy of the Commons archetype and identify ways to avoid succumbing to the pattern.
Estimated Time: 1 Hour
Archetypes Course #8: Accidental Adversaries
In this course, you will learn to recognize the accidental adversary dynamic when two people or groups are amicably working together toward a common goal and then, the actions of one person or group challenges and undercuts the success of another.
Estimated Time: 1 Hour
Archetypes Course #9: Repression and Revolution
In this course, you will learn to identify, apply and prevent the Repression and Revolution archetype. This archetype occurs when official policies are perceived as repressive and members of an oppressed group join together to act defiantly.
Estimated Time: 1 Hour