Systems Thinking - Assignment Example

SYSTEMS THINKING Alman d that “systems thinking have been described as an approach to problem solving where "problems" are viewed as symptoms of an underlying system.” This means that in the context of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, applying systems thinking would mean that the hospital will focus on finding underlining causes of problems so that treating symptoms alone will not create a situation of problems reoccurring time and over again (Meadows, 2008). There are a number of ways in which the hospital has applied this key principle of systems thinking.

First, the hospital has as part of its three main goals, the need to emphasis on research and teaching. Meanwhile, researching in paediatric care entails practices that bring system builders closer to the need to always dig beyond problems that are seen on the surface. Instead, they dig very deep to ensure that causes of problems that are seen on the surface are addressed from its root cause (Senge, 2006). Another important principle of systems thinking is the fact that it incorporates the role that all stakeholders have to play in the solution of a given problem.

This is also something that has been in practice at the hospital since 1994 when the management of the hospital decided to undertake a dramatic shift from the way it went about its business to focus on improvement of the hospital’s delivery system. Once systems thinking have been adequately applied at the hospital, there are several values that the leadership of the hospital will derive. For example, in line with the interpretive system approach which allows for a pluralistic perspective to system building, the leadership will be offered the chance to including stakeholder’s viewpoint (Meadows, 2008), which will ensure that at end of any system thinking solution, all stakeholders will be willing to cooperate since they will not feel undermined.

Eventually, there will not be apathy towards the implementation of interventions at the hospital. References Alman D. (2011). Using Systems Thinking to improve organisations. Accessed May 7, 2014 from http://systems-thinking-approaches.blogspot.com/ Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in systems: A primer. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green. Introduction, “The System Lens” (pp. 1–7) Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Doubleday.