Leverage Points in increasing order of

effectiveness

Numbers Parameters in the system They can be important – rarely Critical exceptions – when numbers

go over a range and kick start other variables

Length of delay is a high leverage point (especially for negative feedback loop)

Material stock and flow Changing the size of the stock

(buffer). Physical limitation to changing this. High buffer means stable system.

Regulating negative feedback loop Information and control part of the

system. Do not strip away negative feedback

loops. Strengthen the negative feedback

loop by finding the combination of parameters and links.

Driving Positive Feedback loops Check for rates where the more you

have of something, the more you get.

Chaotic behavior happens when changes happen much too fast for the negative feedback loop.

Look for success to the successful loop.

Information Flows Restore missing feedback

information. Human beings tend to avoid

accountability, thus very few feedback in a system.

Unpopular for the powers that be.

Change the rules of the system Add incentives, punishments, and

constraints Rules change behavior

The Power of self-organization This means adding or deleting new

physical structure, adding or deleting negative or positive loops, or information flows or rules.

This means changing any aspect using any of the previous items.

Change the system by changing ourselves.

Goals of the system Identify the goals of the system, not

just the negative feedback. The goals of the system drives

pressure on the other items in the list.

Mindset or paradigm of the system Paradigms are the sources of

systems. To change paradigms, go out of the

system and see it as a whole. Paradigms are shared ideas in the

mindset of society. The great unstated assumption.

Transcend Paradigms Be unattached to paradigms. No paradigm is true.