Learning to See the (w)Holes

Abstract

Business managers are faced with complex decisions involving a wide range of issues – technical, social, environmental, and financial – and their interaction. Our education system focuses heavily on presenting structured problems and teaching students to apply a set of tools or methods to solve these problems. Yet the most difficult thing to teach is the defining of the problem itself. Unlike a jigsaw puzzle, in which the overall picture and the individual pieces are clearly defined, real-life business problems require managers to see the ‘big picture’ and define the dilemma. If they cannot see the ‘whole’, they cannot see the ‘holes' where information is lacking. The boundaries of the problem are too often based on what managers know, not on what they need to know. This paper reviews the roots of holistic systems thinking in the work of philosophers, psychologists and physical scientists. It looks at the extent to which the ability to see and develop models of whole systems is a natural skill of some people rather than a learned skill. It reviews efforts to measure the capability in individuals and the psychological influences on holistic thinking. It then discusses alternative ways in which the capability to see the (w)holes can be developed.