Frame
System Mapping
Drawing the causes and effects around a problem to find the loop that keeps it going.
What is System Mapping?
Drawing the causes and effects around a problem to find the loop that keeps it going.
What you learn
When a problem keeps coming back, look for the loop that recreates it.
When it helps
you need a first map of the people, actions and links behind a problem that keeps returning.
Use it at work
- Write the problem in the middle.
- Add what causes it and what it causes.
- Draw arrows until a path returns to the start.
- Change something in the loop, not just the symptom.
Your output
Pick a problem your team has fixed more than twice. Draw what causes what until you find the loop that brings it back.
Watch for
Fixing one event, or blaming one person, while the loop continues.
Related practices
- Context of Use
- Service Blueprinting
- Sustainability
- Stakeholder Mapping
- Design Operating Models
- Lifecycle Design
Sources
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