Learning Systems Thinking: Final Thoughts on the Book
So here we are. Sixteen posts later and I’m done retelling “Learning Systems Thinking” by Diana Montalion. Time to wrap it up with what actually stuck with me.
Learning systems thinking
Systems Thinking Chapter 12: Redefining Success - Part 2
This is Part 2 of 2 for Chapter 12. If you missed Part 1, go read it first. We covered how success is a system, enabling constraints, root causes, equalizing impact, knowledge flow, and the paradigm shift. Now we finish the chapter and the book.
Systems Thinking Chapter 12: Redefining Success - Part 1
We are near the end of the book. Chapter 12 is called “Redefining Success” and it asks two questions that sound simple but are not. How do you know you are learning systems thinking? And what does success even mean when you look at the whole system?
Systems Thinking Chapter 11: Systems Leadership
Chapter 11 is about leadership. But not the kind you see on LinkedIn where someone posts a sunset photo and writes “leaders eat last.” Diana is talking about something very different. Systems leadership is about improving how knowledge flows through your organization. Not about your title, not about your authority, not about how many people report to you.
Systems Thinking Chapter 10: Modeling Together - Part 2
This is Part 2 of Chapter 10 from “Learning Systems Thinking” by Diana Montalion. Part 1 covered what modeling is and different modeling approaches. Now we get into the practical stuff. How do you actually use modeling to solve real problems? Diana brings back the MAGO case study to show us.
Systems Thinking Chapter 10: Modeling Together - Part 1
Chapter 10 is a big one, so I’m splitting it into two parts. This is Part 1 of 2.
Diana opens with a Donella Meadows quote that sets the tone for everything that follows: get your model out where people can see it, invite others to challenge it. That’s the whole chapter in one sentence, really. But of course there’s much more to unpack.
Systems Thinking Chapter 9: Pattern Thinking
We all see patterns. You get sick and you think back. Was I stressed? Did I sleep enough? Was someone around me sick? You compare symptoms to last time. You adjust your schedule.
Systems Thinking Chapter 8: Designing Feedback Loops
When you hear “feedback loop” you probably think about monitoring dashboards. Or autoscaling. Or maybe that annoying annual performance review your manager gives you. Diana Montalion says all of that is too narrow. Chapter 8 is about feedback loops for thinking. Not for servers.
Systems Thinking Chapter 7: Collective Systemic Reasoning
Chapter 7 is where Diana shifts from “you” to “we.” Previous chapters were about your own thinking, your own reactions, your own learning. Now it’s time to think together. Because in systems, your brain alone is not enough.
Systems Thinking Chapter 6: A System of Learning
The book is called “Learning Systems Thinking.” We talked about systems. We talked about thinking. Chapter 6 is about the third word. Learning.
Systems Thinking Chapter 5: Replace Reacting With Responding
This chapter hit close to home. If you ever rage-typed a Slack message, hit send, and then immediately wished you could unsend it, this one is for you.
Systems Thinking Chapter 4: Self-Awareness as a Foundational Skill
Chapter 4 starts Part II of the book. And Part II hits different. Part I was about systems out there, in the world, in software. Part II turns the mirror around. Now we’re looking at ourselves.
Systems Thinking Chapter 3: Shifting Your Perspective
Chapter 3 opens with a quote from Donald Berwick: “Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.” Read that again. If your system produces bad results, it was designed to produce bad results. Maybe not on purpose. But the design got you there.
Systems Thinking Chapter 2: Crafting Conceptual Integrity
Chapter 2 opens with a quote from Fred Brooks: “Conceptual integrity is the most important consideration in system design.” Written decades ago. Still true. Maybe more true now than ever.
Systems Thinking Chapter 1: What Even Is Systems Thinking?
Diana starts Chapter 1 with a warning. Reading a book about systems thinking will not teach you systems thinking. Just like reading a book about tennis will not teach you tennis. You have to go outside and play. Fair enough. But you still need to know the rules before you step on the court.
Learning Systems Thinking by Diana Montalion - A Book Retelling Series
I just finished reading “Learning Systems Thinking” by Diana Montalion (O’Reilly, 2024, ISBN: 978-1-098-15133-1) and I want to share what I got from it. Chapter by chapter. Like a retelling with my own thoughts mixed in.