Applying systems archetypes

When using systems thinking tools to address an organizational issue, it is often helpful to employ the archetypes at first simply to initiate a general inquiry into the nature of the problem. Using an archetype in this way can be similar to putting on a pair of special eyeglasses. If we look at a situation through the lens of the 'shifting the burden' story line, we will ask different questions and focus on different things than if we use the 'tragedy of the commons' archetype.