A system is an entity, the interconnected parts of which function as a whole. Any system consists of smaller systems and, in turn, is part of even larger systems. It is thanks to the interaction of the parts and the connections between them that a system maintains its existence. If something is added to or removed from a system, it will change as the location of parts within the system can also be decisive for its existence.
Systems thinking is focused on the system as a whole, on its parts, as well as on the connections between the parts. The properties of a system are the properties of the whole, the individual parts of which do not possess these properties individually. Therefore, systems thinking begins with the study of the whole – from the general to the particular. To understand the properties of a system, one must observe it in action. And by understanding how one system works one can understand the behavior of other systems since it does not depend on the parts of the systems, but rather on the relationships between the parts.
The basic property of a system is that by dividing it into its parts, you will get not several systems, but a damaged and non-operable system. Neither the car’s engine nor its carburetor will go far on its own. When we begin to study the parts of a system separately, another danger lies in wait for us – we lose track of and miss the connections between the parts that are fundamentally important for the formation of the properties that interest us. In this case, our understanding becomes incomplete and false, and our conclusions incorrect, perhaps even harmful.
Analysis – the breaking down of a system into its parts – gives us knowledge, and synthesis – combining parts into a whole – helps us understand. Breaking down a system (analysis) in order to understand what it consists of and how each of the parts works can also be very helpful if done right.
The behavior of a system depends on its structure; when the structure changes, the system changes. The more complex the system is, the less predictable its properties are. The properties of a system are called emergent, or arising, because they arise only in the process of its operation: individual pictures turn into a cartoon when the projector starts operating; when a car is moving; when a whirlpool suddenly appears in the river; when a rainbow is born when water splashes. Our consciousness is also an emergent property, created by millions of neuron connections.
In the world of systems, "bigger" does not mean "better". There is an upper limit to the growth of systems, after which they become too bulky, difficult to manage, and break down more often. Therefore, overcomplicated human-created systems, such as organizations, should be ideally divided into smaller ones, forming intermediate connections and management levels.
The complexity of systems can be characterized as detailed and dynamic. Detailed complexity implies that the system consists of too many parts (an example is a mosaic), and dynamic complexity implies that there are too many connections between the parts of a system, since each of the elements may be in different state at any given time (example – chess).