Read the case study below and answer the questions that follow.

Principles of systems thinking

Tshepo and Thandi have to work closely together in the marketing department.

Tshepo does personal selling and maintains the current customers of the

organisation. Thandi is the one who orders the supplies and deliveries that were

organised by Tshepo. The problem was that Tshepo$$s office was on the first floor and

Thandi$$s office was on the ground floor. Every time that she had an urgent problem

with a supplier or a delivery she had to walk up to Tshepo$$s office to explain the

problem to him and ask him to phone the customer. To try and phone him was

impossible because he was forever on the phone with clients. To send an email would

take too long and customers would become unhappy if it takes too long to resolve

their issues.

The marketing manager suggested that they share Thandi$$s office on the ground floor

which was big enough to accommodate them both. Before they could discuss the

workability of the suggestion, the move was organised by the marketing manager and

Tshepo$$s office was allocated to someone else who was a close friend of the

marketing manager and for whom a job was created in the organisation.

Initially, the plan worked, but it was not long before the problems started. Thandi$$s

side of the office was as neat as a pin while Tshepo$$s side was the total opposite.

Documents and files took over the floor area, dirty coffee mugs were left on the desk

and Tshepo was talking loudly over the phone the whole day long. Thandi felt that she

couldn$$t concentrate on her work anymore. Talking to Tshepo to ask him to talk less

$$STADIO Assignment $2024$ Semester $1$ LDR$500$ Leadership V

Page $5$ of $6$

Principles of systems thinking

loudly and to clean up his mess, fell on deaf ears. His viewpoint was that it is part of

his job. When she complained about the situation with the marketing manager, she

was told to make it work. There is no other office available. She can wear earplugs to

deafen the sound and focus on her work. And if the mess in the office bothers her,

she can clean it up herself.

About the same time that Thandi tried to clean up the office and wear earplugs, other

problems started to crop up$.$ Tshepo moved into the office during summer and was

mostly outside of the office during lunch times, but now that winter is approaching the

office became a place where all Tshepo$$s friends would gather during lunch time. After

lunch, it was expected of her to clean up all the coffee mugs and lunch boxes that

were left behind. The situation became unbearable for Thandi. The whole situation

was de$-$motivating her. Then one day, to everybody$$s surprise, she resigned with

immediate effect. Management knew that they were going to lose customers because

she was very effective in her work and relationships with the customers.

The Human Resources manager made an appointment with Thandi to try and

convince her to rethink her decision. Thandi explained the situation objectively

without blaming anyone. She knew to blame the marketing manager, will only cause

division between the departments. The decision was taken that the office will be

divided with dry walling. Thandi will have her own office again.

Source: S van Zweel

$2\mathrm{.}1$ List and explain the $11$ principles of systems thinking. Apply them to the above

scenario by using examples from the case study. $(22)$

The global environment has become increasingly complex and uncertain. Systems

thinking views a system as a whole $$ one complex unit comprised of many

interconnected parts. This is in contrast with conventional models of thinking that view

systems as collections of individuals, and as a result, often misunderstand how the

different individuals influence and interact with one another.

$2\mathrm{.}2$ Explain the greateToday$$s problems arise from yesterday$$s solutions.

The more you push forward, the more you push back.

Before it gets worse, the behavior improves.

The easy way out usually brings us back to the inside of the problem.

The cure may be worse than the disease.

Faster is slower.

Cause and effect are not closely related in time and space.

Small changes can produce big results, but the areas where the best effects can occur are often the least obvious.

They can eat the cake, but not immediately.

Dividing an elephant in two does not give two elephants.

There is no blame to attribute.st strengths of systems thinking.