Cognitive Jigs... Say What?

In section two of “Systems Thinking Made Simple”, Cabrera provides guidance on how to become a better systems thinker. The chapter highlights visual mapping and metal models as crucial tools to help understand and represent how a system works. The section calls out ways to improve modeling and mapping by creating diagrams that successfully balance information content (words) and cognitive structure (shapes). Using the DSRP rules, Cabrera explains the importance of color, shape, lines, and size in diagrams as well as how they are commonly abused in everyday models. This was interesting and helpful in reflecting on how I use system mapping for my capstone project.

The later chapters moved into new and dynamic concepts surrounding visual mapping and metal models. One concept, in particular, that I found confusing was cognitive jigs. Cabrera calls out P-Circles, Part-Parties Barbells and R-Channels as common structures used in systems thinking. The chapter provide countless examples of how these jigs work and how they are used to create models of complex and wicked problem. These elaborate and creative diagrams left me completely overwhelmed. At one point of the chapter, I flipped back to the cover and had to remind myself of the title of the book- “Systems Thinking Made Simple”. I chuckled to myself as the last chapters of the section were nothing close to ‘simple’. Ironically, all the example diagrams were in need of a manual or translator to aid in expressing a clear explanation of what the model was representing. I strongly urge Cabrera to take his own advice and work to make these diagrams simpler in order to make wicked problems more approachable for an audience. Do you believe that these elaborate diagrams are helpful in representation wicked problems or create more confusion?

Comments

[Jess Fleck]

I agree. I feel that these diagrams, while at times can serve a purpose - currently just confuse me. The real problems of this world aren't going to be solved by squares and arrows.

[Whitney]

I think it's an interesting mental exercise that helps broaden an understanding of a system, but that's about it. Developing these maps may help us personally better understand a system, but I'm pretty sure I would have been quickly booted out of meetings with my former employers if I suggested this as a regular practice. Realistically, we are going to have to observe systems continuously in our work, but will not have the time to stop and model these things out to the degree the authors of this book see as necessary. Glenn Page's approach is way more reasonable. Just because we're not mapping perspectives on a systems chart does not mean that we are ignoring them. However, obsessing over modeling them will not be reasonable for most of us professionally - particularly if we are working in a operation that requires agility and rapid decision making.