FEEDBACK LOOPS

Understanding feedback loops to positively influence things like our sleep, energy levels, capacity to listen, the environment and teams and organisations.

Maria van der Schoot- 30 September 2020

For the full blog, including visual images - click here.

Written blog, below:

Reinforcing feedback loops mean that there is a continuous system that keeps itself running without needing to feed it.

Meadows (2008) wrote: “A reinforcing feedback loop enhances the direction of change it imposes on it.”

Ultimately, this results in exponential growth. Depending on what you look at, this can be either beneficial or not. For example, money in the bank, corona, population or sustainable practices.

These reinforcing feedback loops can be found in any aspect of life, whether you focus on business, sustainability, human well-being, technology, science or any other aspect you are looking at. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, look at image 1.

Image 1. The Sustainability Movement (see blog attached), depicts how increased awareness of environmental degradation, influences the behaviour of our society. And because the behaviour changes, organisations need to meet the change in demand and values of the new status quo.

The organisational change ensures to communicate this with the outside world. Therefore, there is an increase in the awareness of environmental degradation.

Image 2. Reinforcing Energy Levels (see blog attached), shows a similar situation, but here the example is within your personal well-being. If you are low on energy, you most likely have problems concentrating. When it is hard to concentrate, you are not as effective and therefore need to work harder which decreases your energy.

Some refer to these reinforcing loops as virtuous or vicious circles. The alternative to a reinforcing feedback loop is a balancing feedback loop. Within a balancing feedback loop there is a certain medium that is maintained.

Every time when the medium is out of balance the feedback loop ensures to get it in balance again. “A Balancing feedback loop opposes whatever direction of change is imposed on the system” (Meadows, 2008).

Take your level of energy again. Our level of energy cannot be maintained in a healthy way if it would only be increasing. One day there will be a stop and we will need to recharge. Therefore, in order to maintain a healthy energy level, we will need a balancing feedback loop.


Image 3. Balancing Energy Levels (see blog attached), shows how our energy levels can operate within a balancing feedback loop. For example, when you are fully rested, you have a greater working capacity which makes you more tired. The lower energy level ensures you will sleep better which gives you energy to work again.

“Why do we want to understand these feedback loops?”

The above describes examples that are merely simplifications of bigger systems. You, as the system-thinker, can decide how many elements you want to consider and with which level of complexity you want to engage in.

However, regardless of the level of complexity, understanding a feedback loop increases the understanding of the system and influences the decision-making process.  

 Understanding the systems in our own functioning enhances our ability to cope with dysfunctional elements.

Without a system-thinking perspective we would solely aim for getting more rest when tired.

However, within the above provided examples (see blog attached for visuals), it is becoming apparent that there are multiple elements that can influence the deficiencies. Instead of taking more rest, the answers might lay in decreasing the working capacity instead.

Adjusting the different elements within the system will eventually lead to achieving a self-sufficient mechanism. Making these feedback loops self-sufficient creates greater resilience in our functioning and development. Meaning that when an external element disrupts a system, it can recover by itself. This allows us to slowly add levels of complexity and increases our understanding of how the different elements influence one another.  

Increased complexity

Image 4. Internal Map (see blog attached), depicts an extra layer of complexity.

Here it shows that if we value one another, we increase our ability to listen, which increases our understanding and gives a fuller picture of our internal map.

The fuller picture increases our ability to value another person.

However, when a believe gets challenged, we lessen our ability to listen, which decreases the alignment in a conversation and increases conflict. The conflict ensures that more beliefs get challenged. Both are reinforcing loops.

The image in the blog attached shows that when you increase your ability to listen you can increase your understanding. Therefore, if we find ourselves in the negative reinforcing feedback loop, we can now see that if we can change our believes, decrease conflict or find more alignment in a conversation, we will be able to improve our ability to listen.  

We have now identified the options to increase a desired outcome; ability to listen.

Next, we could add a feedback loop to increase personal sovereignty, self-leadership or awareness.

Slowly, we are able to take charge of our map and discover our potential to achieve our desired outcomes.

Links:
Visualizing the systems behind our designs - The UX Collective by Justin Farrugia

Reinforcing and Balancing Loops: Building Blocks of Dynamic Systems - The System Thinker by Daniel Kim

Thinking in Systems - Donella H. Meadows

What are climate change feedback loops? - The Guardian