Causal loop diagrams are very helpful in capturing and communicating sources and implications of feedback within a complex system for an individual or for a team. I've found them to be very useful initially in a project, when I'm trying to understand the scope and the possible interconnections and the feedback loops within a supply chain that I'm just learning. They are great models to share that insight back and forth with the team members.

Now, these are models. And so, you should try to keep them very simple because that's what models are for. We're trying to simplify reality to get to the critical elements that are important. So now, when I look at causal loops, they're really made up of causal links. And these causal links describe the structure of the system. And remember, the structure is what generates the overall behavior.

 

 

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