Innovation
Why You Need Systems Thinking Now
Summary of HBR article by Tima Bansal and Julian Birkinshaw
What can we learn?
Managers of communications can learn that adopting systems thinking is essential for anticipating the broader consequences of decisions and changes within organizations and society.
Anticipating Secondary Effects
Systems thinking helps communicators recognize that innovations—even those appearing purely positive—often carry unforeseen secondary impacts across social, environmental, and organizational domains. For example, while plastic enabled affordable products, it also created ecological problems, highlighting how single-issue communication can be misleading if it doesn’t consider ripple effects.
Communicating Complexity
Managers can more effectively convey strategies and policies by acknowledging interconnectedness rather than presenting changes as isolated improvements. This fosters transparency, builds credibility, and prepares stakeholders for side effects that might arise due to complexity in business systems.
Supporting Sustainable Practices
By applying systems thinking, communication teams can advocate for sustainable business practices and guide organizations to choices that consider both immediate benefits and long-term risks. This approach enhances organizational resilience and trust, aligning with modern expectations for responsible and holistic communication.
Guiding Better Decision Making
Effective communication around innovation, design thinking, and business practices should incorporate a systems lens to help audiences understand the full spectrum of potential outcomes, not just the intended benefits. This supports smarter, evidence-based decision making at all organizational levels.
https://hbr.org/2025/09/why-you-need-systems-thinking-now