- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Thorsons (15 Sep 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0722534426
- ISBN-13: 978-0722534427
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 13.6 x 2.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 206,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Product Description
Systems thinking goes beyond logic & sees beyond isolated events to the deeper patterns and connections. Systems thinking took the business community by storm when Peter Senge published The Fifth Discipline in 1990. Although Senge’s work was pioneering, it remained abstract and of interests only to theorists.
Here at last noted NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming) trainers and authors O’Connor and McDermott unlock the mysteries of systems thinking and offer practical suggestions, exercises, and tips to help you:
problem-solve
• think laterally
• get a huge result from a small effort
• manage and negotiate with ease
• revolutionise your business or your life
• essential skills to promote creativity
What NLP has been to the last two decades, systems thinking will be to the millennium.
From the Back Cover
WHAT IS SYSTEMS THINKING?
Systems thinking goes beyond logic, because people are not always logical. Systems thinking sees beyond isolated events to the deeper patterns and connections.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
Because we live in a world of systems. Your body is a system, so id your family. The natural environment is a system, as is your business. Understanding how these systems work will dramatically increase your effectiveness, save you time and help you achieve your goals.
Systems thinking is practical and immensely useful. It is not an academic discipline requiring mathematics or engineering to understand it. This book explains the principles of systems thinking in a straightforward way with practical applications, exercises and examples that will help you become more influential and successful in managing your health, work, finances and relationships.
This book will show you how:
• you can get a huge result for a small effort
• obvious solutions can often do more harm than good
• to avoid recurrent misfortunes that seem to happen automatically
• to know the best time to change strategy
• your attempted solution can cause the problem you are trying to solve
• you can never do just one thing because there are always side effects
Joseph O’Connor is a consultant, trainer and author of many books on psychology and communication skills, including the best selling 'Introducing NLP'.
Ian McDermott is a Director of Training for International Teaching Seminars, a leading NLP training organisation in the UK.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is unique in providing a bridge between the literature concerning systems analysis techniques as used mostly by techies and soft management techniques. I have taught both types of courses and know how difficult students find this subject area, complaining of its lack of relevancy and exoteric concepts.
This book, with it's feet firmly on the ground, will serve a very useful purpose in breaking this problematic attitude. Complex concepts such as emergence and stability are discussed in a very clear non threatening way - avoiding both jargon and the plethora of diagramming techniques that are so commonly introduced inappropriately a this stage.
The low cost of the book is another reason for recommending it to students. Unfortunately I feel that it will not be widely used by the people who must need it - computing undergraduates - because of it's title however, hopefully a few lecturers may come across it and realise, like me, it's importance. For once we have the opportunity to introduce real understanding rather than just the learning of a specific technique.
9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Art of Systems Thinking is a very easy read and a gentle introduction to the concepts of system thinking as advocated by Senge et al. However it does tend towards fairly trivial examples and in my view could have used a more systemic approach to its structure.
As a communications engineer I found myself comparing a lot with control theory which is alluded to, and found the comparison lacking. The examples didnt really apply to business use but in the softer area of 'self help'.
Overall a nice safe read, an introduction to the subject for someone who may take things further, but isn't commited enough to tackle to 'The Fifth Discipline' yet.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Straightforward introduction to systems thinking.
My only problem with this book is that it introduces the ideas but I think misses some of the spirit of systems thinking. System thinking in my mind is about whole systems - and this didn't come across to me clearly in the book.
Maybe I am being unfair, I read it quite a few years ago.
My only problem with this book is that it introduces the ideas but I think misses some of the spirit of systems thinking. System thinking in my mind is about whole systems - and this didn't come across to me clearly in the book.
Maybe I am being unfair, I read it quite a few years ago.
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