On the systems thinking (ST) LinkedIn Group this question was asked: Is Systems Thinking about Control or Understanding?

This rhetorical question is very provocative. The board responses range from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Please, the notion of control, vis-à-vis systems thinking, can now, and forever, be retired.

A lot of the lesser responses were teachable moments. Not surprisingly, many cling to obsolete, harmful notions. It is rewarding to see finally the rigid engineering, measurement and management mindset give way to networks, markets, systems, and complexity.

Systems thinking compels holism. For those that stubbornly harbor lingering notions of system control, please consider.

Do you think the Cantor Fitzgerald employees sipping coffee and reading email at 8:45AM on 11 Sept 2001 on the 102 floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center were ‘in control’ of their situation?

Do you think Trans Ocean Ltd operating the Deep Water Horizon rig for BP in the Gulf of Mexico felt ‘in control’ of the systems in the semi-submersible exploratory offshore drilling rig on the morning of 20 April 2010?

Are Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and Florida ‘in control’ of the largest oil spill in history and the worst man-made disaster ever recorded?

C’mon. Systems are not controlled, only served.

Systems thinking methods are optics of understanding. Networks are the language of complex systems. The Network Singularity is the sharply advancing comprehension and mastery of system networks. 

The mentions above are examples of comprehensive network failure. The inter-agency response networks in NYC failed as miserably as in New Orleans. The inter-agency network collapse of the US Govt intelligence apparatus allowing 9-11 was complete, staggering – and unnecessary. Remember, all these agencies felt ‘in control.’

With even a rudimentary understanding of systems and networks these events could have been avoided or ameliorated.

Fortunately, people are beginning to retire control idioms in favor or network sensibilities. Biological thinking is on the rise. Here is a good example.

http://faculty.nps.edu/dl/HFN/

Remember, systems and networks are more akin to biological networks. They are the antithesis of analytical reductionism.

Finally, everyone here, please remember, UCLA has one department of computer science and 25 biology departments. Why? Biologists are smarter than engineers and computer scientists.

It is critical to strive to retire rigid notions of control in a conscious, deliberate and comprehensive way.