System Thinking is a project management concept that focuses on knowing how the different parts and processes of a project relate to each other and how they all work together to make the project a success.
Under this concept, project managers are expected to look at the whole project and see how all of its parts fit together. To do this, you need to understand the project’s complicated systems and processes and be able to analyse and improve them to meet project goals.
In PMBOK 7, the System Thinking theory of project management is about knowing and optimising how the different parts and processes of a project work together and depend on each other, and how they all add to the project’s general results.
Under this concept, project managers are expected to look at the whole project and see how all of its parts fit together. To do this, you need to understand the project’s complicated systems and processes and be able to analyse and improve them to meet project goals.
For system thought to work well in project management, you need a number of skills and abilities, such as:
1. Systems analysis: Project managers need to be able to look at the different systems and processes that make up a project and figure out how they work together and depend on each other.
Risk management: To be a good system thinker, you need to know the risks that can affect the project and be able to handle them in a planned and organised way.
3.Continual improvement: Project managers must be able to find places where the project could be better and come up with plans to keep making the project better.
4. Collaboration: For system thought to work well, project team members, partners, and other project players must work together to improve the project’s different systems and processes.
5. Innovation: Project managers must be open to new and different ideas and be ready to try out new ways of doing things and techniques to improve the performance of their projects.
The System Thinking principle in PMBOK 7 acknowledges that projects are complicated systems with many parts and processes that rely on each other, and that knowing and optimising these systems is key to the success of a project. By looking at the whole project and how it fits together, project managers can find and deal with problems, keep improving project performance, and get better results.
Reference (12 Principles of Project Management)
Stewards act in a responsible way to make sure that tasks are done with honesty, care, and trustworthiness while following both internal and external rules. They show that they care about how the projects they fund affect people’s lives, the environment, and the economy as a whole.
People with a wide range of skills, knowledge, and experience make up project teams. When people on a project team work together, they can reach a common goal more quickly and effectively than if they worked alone.
Engage stakeholders in a proactive way and to the extent that is needed to help the project succeed and keep customers happy.
Evaluate and change a project’s alignment with business goals and the expected benefits and value on a regular basis.
Recognize, evaluate, and respond to the changing conditions inside and outside of the project as a whole to improve project performance.
Show and change your leadership skills to meet the needs of both yourself and your team.
Design the project development approach based on the project’s goals, stakeholders, governance, and environment, using “just enough” process to get the desired result while maximising value, controlling costs, and improving speed.
Keep your attention on quality so that you can make deliverables that meet the project’s goals and match the needs, uses, and acceptance requirements set by the right stakeholders.
Evaluate and deal with the complexity of the project on a regular basis so that approaches and plans can help the project team get through the project life cycle.
Evaluate your exposure to risk, both opportunities and threats, on a regular basis to get the most out of the good and the least out of the bad for the project and its results.
Build flexibility and toughness into the way the organisation and project team work to help the project deal with change, bounce back from setbacks, and move forward.
Prepare those who will be affected to adopt and keep up with new and different behaviours and processes that will be needed to move from the current state to the future state that the project outcomes will create.
