# Systems Thinking Systems thinking studies a phenomenon through relationships, feedback, boundaries, delays, incentives, constraints, adaptation, and effects across time. It asks how parts change one another and why optimizing one component may degrade the whole. In communication environments, systems thinking connects message design to platform behavior, network topology, audience interpretation, adversarial response, channel security, and second-order effects. The unit of analysis is the interacting field rather than an isolated post or metric. Related: [[wiki/Systems Theory|Systems Theory]], [[wiki/Complex Systems|Complex Systems]], [[wiki/Cybernetic Feedback Loop|Cybernetic Feedback Loop]], [[wiki/Second-Order Effects|Second-Order Effects]]. ## Simple Reminders, Quotations, and Thoughts > “Systems thinking lets a small team do outsized work. Carefully designed pipelines and tools can allow a few people to accomplish what might otherwise require a large staff, which is why time invested in process design pays off.” > **— Bryant McGill**, *Systems Thinking, Video Connection, and Protecting Your Creative Energy - Livestream (Jan 2016)* [[reminders/Entrepreneurship/Systems Thinking Lets Small Teams Do Outsized Work by Bryant McGill|Systems Thinking Lets Small Teams Do Outsized Work by Bryant McGill]]