Seeing the Forest for the Trees: A Manager's Guide to Applying Systems Thinking

by Dennis Sherwood

Following the groundbreaking work of such best-sellers as The Fifth Discipline and The Living Company, SEEING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES delivers the tools and techniques to make systems thinking a part of daily decision making to solve complex problems of business and organizational life. For organizations large and small—whether for-profit, not-for-profit, or in the public sector—Dennis Sherwood makes clear that systems thinking is far from being only for scholarly and academic thinkers. Profoundly practical and pragmatic, he covers the gamut of everyday applications,

Genres: Business, Management, Nonfiction, Leadership

371 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 11, 2002

Reviews

[Leafy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are way better options if you want to understand system thinking in general. This is a book about application. Diagram of a system is a tool that is built on top of system thinking and reality. Most of the contents are abou draw the graph, less of learn from the actual confusing settings. If you want to use the tool to better understand the system/setting, the writer did a fine job articulate the howto. The weeds are barely touched, so not very practical.

[S J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good for causal diagrams but not much else

85% of this book is causal diagrams but very little on seeing the wood from the trees of taking business context and making improvements through systems thinking

[Aliah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Дуже слабка книга по системному мисленню. Нового в цю тему для мене не привнесла, а була більше побудована навколо циклічних схем. Можливо це і стало для мене переломним фактором для оцінки, тому слухала її в аудіою

[Geert Hofman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introductory book into systems thinking.

[Vincent Musolino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a well-written book on Systems Thinking! After Senge and Haines, both disappointments, a short(er), concise, clear set of practical instructions about how to draw diagrams and start thinking about dynamics modelling.

[Ben Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different approach to used of causal loop diagrams with a definite organizational development approach. A interesting read if a little lengthy. A good contract to Donella Meadows' last book.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to understand intro to systems thinking aimed at managers.

[Akarsh Dhaiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A practical book on the subject of complexity

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good intro to systems thinking. Some of the examples feel out of date. Eg the same book written today could take lots of examples of positive reinforcing loops from Facebook. Excellent and useful bibliography.