The key to understanding is asking why. Whys make us wise!
We must ask what is causing this behaviour pattern I am observing.
Why has obesity been increasing in the UK?
What makes this vary ie go up and down?
What helps this to improve? What gets in the way?
How do these things inter-relate?

ST gives us a way of capturing these interactions in a cause and effect map. These maps help us to develop a deeper understanding the cause and effect structures driving the behaviour patterns we are observing.

See the section titled “Language of systems” below.

Choose

If we want to influence the behaviour pattern we need to do something differently and so we must choose. This is the next stage in the cycle.