Systems Thinking Case Study #7:
Systemic structure that controls declining organizational sustainability
HOW COME SUSTAINABILITY OF ORGANIZATIONS APPEAR HARDER TO HAPPEN,
DESPITE EFFORTS TO CORRECT DECLINING SALES
DIALOGUE NOTES:  WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING?

  • "There is a lot of attention paid on setting targets and managers work hard at keeping people's
    attention on these performance targets.
  • "We lose customers when we are not able to respond to surges in demands and it takes a more
    than a week to meet the new demand levels.  Given these customers are in turn suppliers up the
    chain, this affects their ability to meet deadlines.  Customer loyalty erodes making sales targets
    harder to meet over time.
  • "We have no time for each other.  We are busy working to think of ways on how we may
    collaborate better."

INHERENT SYSTEMIC STRUCTURE:  FIXES THAT BACKFIRE
LESSONS FROM THE SYSTEMIC STRUCTURE:

  • What can we do to pay attention on our performance and not lose sight of trends
    emerging outside the organization?