Complex situations have multiple levels of explanation

Developing a systems perspective shows that there are multiple levels of explanation to any complex situation.

1. Event Explanations – Identifies “who did what to whom” (reactive posture).
2. Pattern of Behavior – Assessment of longer-term trends and implications (responsive posture).
3. Structural Analysis – Determines the structures causing the pattern of behavior (generative thinking)

Event explanations—“who did what to whom”— doom their holders to a reactive stance. As discussed earlier, event explanations are the most common in contemporary culture, and that is exactly why reactive management prevails.
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“Pattern of behavior” explanations focus on seeing longer-term trends and assessing their implications. …Pattern of behavior explanations begin to break the grip of short-term reactiveness. At least they suggest how, over a longer term, we can respond to shifting trends.
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The third level of explanation, the “structural” explanation, is the least common and most powerful. It focuses on answering the question, “What causes the patterns of behavior?” … Though rare, structural explanations, when they are clear and widely understood, have considerable impact.^[1]

#systems #metacognition

See also:

• Structure influences behavior
• Structural explanations address underlying causes
• Systems Thinking perceives the relationships and structure of complex systems
• Wicked problems can only be addressed by systems thinking