March 28, 2024

A BUSINESS ARCHITECT`S PERSPECTIVE

by Kaustuv Halder

Businesses are operating in environments that are drastically more complex than the times traditional management methods were developed for. A Systems Thinking approach to management that helps us make the transition from viewing businesses as machines to thinking of them as living organisms, from looking at the “parts” to looking at the “whole”, is considered by experts and leading organizations like OECD as the paradigm shift needed to deal with complexity. Incorporating Systems Thinking principles within Strategy, Organizational Design and Problem Solving equips leaders with the tools and perspectives needed to manage in times of complexity.

This paper presents nine key Systems Thinking principles, where each principle is framed as a management question. In addition, Kaustuv also discusses the interesting and often overlooked synergy between Business Architecture and Systems Thinking and argues why Business Architects could be champions of a Systems Thinking approach.

USING A SYSTEMS THINKING APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT – A NECESSARY PARADIGM SHIFT? – Enterprise Architecture Professional Journal