And Mental Models
Presentation – Systems Thinking
Presentation – Mental Models Unlocked
Here’s your full-day Systems Thinking Workshop slide deck, ready for presentation or printing:
📎 Download the PDF: systems_thinking_workshop_slides.pdf
🧩 What’s Inside:
- Title & Agenda: Clear overview of the day’s flow
- Intentions & Agreements: Grounding norms for safety and participation
- Interactive Activities: Yarn-based icebreaker, CLD mapping, leverage point synthesis
- Reflection & Action: Prompts and worksheet preview for integration
Would you like a visual version with diagrams and icons, or a printable handout for participants to follow along and take notes?
✅ Your visually engaging PowerPoint slide deck for the full-day Systems Thinking Workshop titled “Mapping What Matters: A Systems Thinking Immersion” is ready.
📎 Download the PowerPoint file: systems_thinking_workshop_slides.pptx
🧠 What’s Included:
- Title Slide with workshop name, date, and facilitator
- Agenda Overview with morning and afternoon sessions, icons, and structure
- Concept Slides for mental models, feedback loops, leverage points
- Activity Instructions for icebreakers, CLDs, systems mapping
- Reflection & Action Planning with prompts and visual placeholders
- Closing Slide with thank you, next steps, and feedback link
Would you like a matching printable participant workbook or editable Google Slides version?
Here’s a sample Systems Thinking Workshop Agenda tailored for educators, teams, or organizations exploring mental models, feedback loops, and strategic decision-making:
🧠 Systems Thinking Workshop Agenda (Half-Day Format)
Workshop Title: Seeing the Whole: A Systems Thinking Deep Dive
Duration: 4 hours
Facilitator(s): [Your Name(s)]
Participants: 12–25 (cross-functional or educator teams)
Goal: Equip participants with tools to identify patterns, feedback loops, and leverage points in complex systems.
⏰ Agenda Breakdown
Time Activity Purpose / Objective Format / Materials
09:00–09:15 Welcome & Intent Setting Build psychological safety, clarify goals Circle check-in, slides
09:15–09:45 Icebreaker: “Web of Interconnection” Experience interdependence firsthand Yarn exercise, reflection cards
09:45–10:30 Mental Models & System Archetypes Surface assumptions, explore common patterns Mini-lecture, group discussion
10:30–10:45 Break Recharge Coffee/snacks
10:45–11:30 Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) Map feedback loops and system behavior Templates, markers, wall space
11:30–12:00 Leverage Points & Strategic Shifts Identify high-impact interventions Group synthesis, sticky notes
12:00–12:30 Action Planning & Closing Apply insights to real-world challenges Reflection worksheet, feedback
🧩 Optional Add-ons
- Pre-work: Watch a short video on systems thinking basics
- Post-workshop: Invite participants to map a system in their own context and share insights
Full day format
Here’s a full-day Systems Thinking Workshop Agenda designed for deep learning, reflection, and application across personal, team, and organizational levels:
🌍 Full-Day Systems Thinking Workshop Agenda
Title: Mapping What Matters: A Systems Thinking Immersion
Duration: 6.5 hours (plus breaks)
Audience: Educators, team leaders, change agents, or cross-functional groups
Goal: Build shared language, surface mental models, and practice mapping systems for strategic insight and transformation.
🕘 Morning Session (9:00–12:30)
Time Activity Purpose / Objective Format / Materials
09:00–09:30 Arrival, Welcome & Intent Setting Build safety, clarify goals, connect purpose Circle check-in, visual agenda
09:30–10:15 Icebreaker: “Web of Interconnection” Experience interdependence, spark curiosity Yarn exercise, reflection cards
10:15–11:00 Mental Models & System Archetypes Surface assumptions, explore recurring patterns Mini-lecture, group discussion
11:00–11:15 Break Recharge Coffee/snacks
11:15–12:30 Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) Map feedback loops and system behavior Templates, markers, wall space
🍽️ Lunch Break (12:30–13:30)
🕐 Afternoon Session (13:30–16:00)
Time Activity Purpose / Objective Format / Materials
13:30–14:15 Systems Mapping: Real-World Challenge Apply tools to a shared issue or case study Group work, large templates
14:15–15:00 Leverage Points & Strategic Shifts Identify high-impact interventions Synthesis, sticky notes
15:00–15:15 Break Recharge Tea/snacks
15:15–16:00 Integration & Action Planning Translate insights into routines and rituals Reflection worksheet, closing circle
🧩 Optional Add-ons
- Pre-work: Watch a short video on systems thinking basics or complete a mental model self-assessment
- Post-workshop: Invite participants to map a system in their own context and share insights in a follow-up session
- Retreat version: Add embodiment practices, nature walks, or journaling to deepen integration
Would you like this turned into a printable visual agenda or adapted for a multi-day retreat format with multi-intelligence activation?
Absolutely! Let’s take a deep dive into systems thinking — a fascinating and powerful way to understand complexity.
What Is Systems Thinking?
Systems thinking is an approach to problem-solving that views problems as part of an overall system, rather than isolated events. It focuses on how different parts of a system interact, influence one another, and create patterns of behavior over time.
Instead of asking, “What caused this problem?” systems thinking asks, “How do the parts of this system work together to produce this outcome?”
Core Principles of Systems Thinking
- Interconnectedness
Everything is connected. A change in one part of a system affects other parts — sometimes in unexpected ways.
Example: In a business, improving sales might strain production capacity, which then affects customer satisfaction. - Feedback Loops
Systems are full of feedback — both reinforcing (amplifying) and balancing (stabilizing).- Reinforcing loop: Success breeds more success (e.g., word-of-mouth marketing).
- Balancing loop: Growth slows as limits are reached (e.g., market saturation).
- Causality Over Time
Systems thinking looks at patterns and trends rather than single events. It asks, “What’s been happening over time?” instead of “What happened yesterday?” - Delays and Nonlinearity
Effects often don’t appear immediately, and small changes can have big impacts (or vice versa).
Example: Environmental policies may take years to show results. - Mental Models
Our assumptions shape how we see systems. Systems thinking encourages questioning these mental models to uncover hidden biases or blind spots.
Tools and Techniques
- Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs): Visual maps showing how variables influence each other.
- Stock and Flow Diagrams: Illustrate how resources accumulate or deplete over time.
- System Archetypes: Common patterns of behavior in systems (e.g., “Limits to Growth,” “Tragedy of the Commons”).
- Leverage Points: Strategic places in a system where small changes can produce big results.
Applications of Systems Thinking
- Business: Understanding market dynamics, organizational change, and innovation.
- Education: Designing learning systems that adapt to student needs.
- Healthcare: Managing patient care systems and public health policies.
- Environment: Tackling climate change and sustainability challenges.
- Personal Growth: Seeing how habits, relationships, and goals interact.
Why It Matters
Systems thinking helps you:
- Avoid quick fixes that backfire.
- Identify root causes instead of symptoms.
- Design sustainable, long-term solutions.
- Collaborate better by seeing the “big picture.”
Would you like me to create a visual diagram (like a causal loop or system map) in Canva to illustrate how systems thinking works in a specific context — for example, business strategy, education, or sustainability?
Presentation – Understanding Sustainability Systems by Guðbjörg Eggertsdóttir
Practice
Diagram for editing
7 H H Seven Thinking Hats 