The way a system behaves is dictated by how it’s built. Causal loops within the system can reinforce or balance such behaviour. Positive feedback works because it heightens the self-esteem of a person, leading to higher motivation, leading to higher commitment, leading to higher performance, leading to higher results.

A systems thinker coaches people by reinforcing constructive behaviour and balancing destructive behaviour.

Fig. System with Reinforcing Loop

More complex systems behave through a coincidence of reinforcing and balancing loops. These systems generate complex behaviours and behavioural patterns. Understanding these patterns is the first step in understanding the underlying systems. Some behavioural patterns reoccur in several systems, independent of context. Such patterns may point to an archetypical system.

Systems thinkers can recognize different types of archetypical systems by observing the patterns, and make better decisions as what needs to be done to change its behaviour.