Archetypes in Action

Senge, Ross, Smith, Roberts, & Kleiner (1994) noted:

At its broadest level, systems thinking encompasses a large and fairly amorphous body of methods, tools, and principles, all oriented to looking at the interrelatedness of forces, and seeing them as part of a common process..that behavior of all systems follows certain common principles, the nature of which are being discovered and articulated. (p. 89)

Systems archetypes are observed in all types of systems, including organizations. Understanding systems archetypes in organizations may be helpful in intervening or taking corrective action. For example, the escalation archetype helps you to understand conflict or competition in all sorts of social systems, such as the U.S. Congress, educational institutions, corporations, and even families. Interventions, or even the avoidance of problems, are found in the study of the structure of systems archetypes, which contribute to leadership or management applications. The key idea about these archetypes is that they are found in all kinds of systems, not just social systems.

To prepare for this Discussion, review the resources and select an organization with which you are familiar. Consider one archetype within that organization and the challenges that it may present.

Post an explanation of the archetype selected and how you were able to recognize this archetype. Then, explain the challenges this archetype presents to the organization. Finally, describe an intervention you, as a leader or manager, might use to address those challenges.

Resources
Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Doubleday.
Chapter 5, "A Shift of Mind" (pp. 68-91)
Chapter 6, "Nature's Templates: Identifying the Patterns That Control Events" (pp. 92-112)
Appendix 2, "Systems Archetypes" (pp. 389-400)