Preface

I concluded the preface to my previous book with the statement: ‘But it is definitely my last book’. I probably did the same in earlier books – I do not dare to look. Writing a book asks a lot of those close to you as you need to go ‘missing’ for an extended period. It is exhausting for the writer. There are other things you could be doing. So, what is the excuse for this new book?

I felt there was unfinished business. My previous book, Critical Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity (Wiley, 2019), is a comprehensive overview of applied Systems Thinking (ST), demonstrating how Critical Systems Thinking (CST) could bring order to that diverse field and suggesting how best to use systems approaches in practice. I remain pleased with it, and it has been well received. The book is, however, 700 pages long and contains much (necessary for its purpose) historical and theoretical exposition. It sets a challenge to readers. Though it is one, I am assured, that is worth the effort. My only regret is that I did not manage to present a clear enough account of Critical Systems Practice (CSP) towards the end of that book. It is all there, and you cannot tie everything down, but that account could be better structured. This new book, Critical Systems Thinking: A Practitioner’s Guide, seeks to address both these points. It is more accessible, shorter and dwells on history and theory only if essential. The book is designed to provide the most intelligible and direct account of how best to use CST in practice. To my mind, it complements the earlier book nicely.

I felt some frustration. It continues to amaze me that, in a world beset by many complex problems, there is so little recognition of what ST has to offer. From the 1940s to the 1970s, ST led the development of exciting new ideas. This was the era of the formation of the Society for General Systems Research, the Macy conferences on cybernetics, and the Gaither lectures at Berkeley. Systems practice helped transform the postwar Japanese economy (the Deming Management Method); put a man on the moon (Systems Engineering); was involved in such ambitious social experiments as the Norwegian Industrial Democracy Project (Sociotechnical Systems Thinking) and supporting the Allende government in Chile (the Viable System Model); and was influential in the birth of the environmental movement (System Dynamics and ‘limits to growth’). Today, it is rarely taught in universities and while there has been a resurgence of interest in ST, this is not accompanied by a knowledge of its history, the lessons it can impart, or the breadth and diversity of the systems tradition. I have been working on this for 45 years. I have written numerous books and articles and used ST at work and in consultancy. I have done my apprenticeship and earned my stripes. I have tried to do justice to the approach, but it seems that one more attempt is necessary.

I felt that introducing two new ‘frameworks’ could help me express what CST was about more clearly. The first of these I owe to Zhichang Zhu, who led me on a journey from ‘paradigms to pragmatism’, which at times was difficult for me. I had heard people say what a revelation and liberation it was to abandon the ‘spectator theory of knowledge’, seeking accurate representations of an underlying ‘reality’, and embrace the philosophy of pragmatism, in which theories are seen as instruments to guide action. I now know that this is the case. ST has strong pragmatist roots. I believe that, in this book, I have explained it better by paying homage to and enhancing those roots.

The second ‘framework’ I owe to Cathy Hobbs, who insisted that I provide greater clarity on the phases of CSP and that a mnemonic would help. We came up with EPIC, and Cathy supplied the first version of the diagram I use to explain EPIC. It is difficult to capture how exactly systems practice should proceed because it needs to be innovative and flexible in response to the exigencies of the situation in which it is employed. The invention of the mnemonic prompted me to spell out what I thought could be achieved. EPIC is, of course, a label used with tongue firmly in cheek. It is meant to reinforce my insistence that CSP is an ‘ideal type’ of good systems practice. The concept of an ‘ideal type’ comes from the sociologist Max Weber. I adjust its meaning to make it relevant to practice and not just theory development. I see CSP as an abstract model of good systems practice, derived from research and experience. It cannot and is not supposed to be enacted in pure form in the real world. Its use will be different in every application. Nevertheless, it is essential to guide good systems practice, to reflect on what is occurring during an intervention and adjust as necessary, and to evaluate what has been achieved.

I felt a little unfulfilled. My previous books have been structured as accounts and reflections on the work of others, from which I sought to develop new ideas of my own. That is fine; you need to know a field thoroughly to make a useful contribution. Too much of what goes under the label ST, now that it is becoming popular again, shows little appreciation of what has gone before. It does not build on what has already been achieved or seek to learn from previous mistakes. At best, it ends up reinventing the wheel. That said, I remembered Russ Ackoff insisting that one day I should stop standing on the shoulders of giants and write a book where my own ideas controlled the narrative from beginning to end. In almost all cases, you should do what Russ advises, and I have attempted to do so. I hope he would approve.

I felt I might be abandoning some aspirations too early. In 1814, Wordsworth wrote about ‘The French Revolution as It Appeared to Enthusiasts at Its Commencement’: ‘Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, But to be young was very heaven!’ I am a child of the 1960s and have always felt about that period in the same way. Revolution was in the air; minds were expanding; wars were opposed; imperialism was called out; global and class inequalities were challenged; movements for women’s, black and LGBT+ rights were underway; and environmental awareness grew. The music certainly seemed better. Of course, there were issues, but some things did change. Not enough, though. I was talking to John Mingers and suggested we had made some small contribution to management science. He pointed out how trivial that was compared to the ambitions we held in the 1960s. He was right, but what do you say? I could only respond: ‘Better carry on then’.

I felt that I should continue to ‘rage against the dying of the light’. This is hard to escape when you have had cancer for 12 years, another major liver operation in 2021, and you are on a monthly drug regime. I am, incidentally, very lucky. I can still enjoy beer and walking. Hull Kingston Rovers are getting closer to the success that us fans, and especially the owner, Neil Hudgell, deserve. Hull City are improving. Yorkshire County Cricket Club could do with some ST. My everyday life remains largely unaffected, thanks to the NHS, modern medicine, and a skilled surgeon, Professor Peter Lodge. I really should not go ‘gentle’.

In the acknowledgements in previous books, I have referred to many individuals, and I continue to owe them all a huge debt. Here I acknowledge, in addition, some organisations responsible for flying the flag for ST in the United Kingdom. The Open University Systems Group celebrated 50 years of teaching ST in 2021. It has been preeminent in spreading systems expertise through its teaching and the ‘systems thinking in practice’ (STiP) approach. Systems and Complexity in Organisation (SCiO) has gained government recognition as the professional body for systems thinkers. It was instrumental in launching the ‘Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship’, which has spread the teaching of ST to a wider range of universities and opened opportunities for in‐work systems training. Of course, I must mention the Centre for Systems Studies at the University of Hull, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022. It pioneered CST and, I would claim, continues to make significant intellectual advancements in the field leading to improved forms of systems practice. Its previous directors deserve a mention: (me), Bob Flood, Gerald Midgley, Jennifer Wilby, Yasmin Merali and Amanda Gregory. Under its current sole director, Amanda Gregory, it is undergoing a significant renaissance. I also wish to acknowledge three ‘communities’ that I have been involved with recently, which have helped me learn more about ST. I have a lecture series in my name at the University of Hull, kindly sponsored by Dr. Andrew and Mrs. Valerie Chen. I must prepare by reading the works of the guest lecturers so I can ask sensible questions. I have, as is obvious in this book, learned much from Andrea Wulf, Fritjof Capra, Debra Hammond, Peter Senge, Carlo Rovelli, Dave Snowden and Charles Foster. I worked with a community of systems thinkers to help prepare a report for the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research. This project has not yet come to fruition, but I am conscious that our many exchanges have infiltrated my thinking and this book. I therefore thank Cathy Hobbs, Patrick Hoverstadt, Martin Reynolds, Luis Sambo, Anne Stephens and Bob Williams. The third ‘community’ consists of Paul Barnett and the facilitators, guest presenters and participants on the first two cohorts of the ‘Critical Systems Thinking...