About the Book

As knowledge workers, we weave other people’s thinking (and experiences) into our own. We construct recommendations that we believe have value. We try to envision what does not yet exist and bring it to life.

We also get lost in the forest of disparate opinions. We go down promising paths and find dead ends. We discover a viable path ... and almost nobody follows. We are sometimes screaming into the wind. 

Constructing something whole and actionable from abstract ideas requires creating conceptual integrity.

Unfortunately, we are truly terrible at creating or maintaining conceptual integrity … unless we are supported by practices.

Fortunately, writing is the practice of crafting conceptual integrity.

For hands-on experiences, join the SystemsCrafters Collective.

Book Summary

Each chapter contains practices and further resources.

Chapter One: Practice writing by (just) writing

The first step is a doozy: just write. Writing is a transformative practice that improves self-awareness, encourages intellectual growth, and generates conceptual integrity.

- Writing is a physical and mental practice, akin to exercise, that conditions the mind and creates structure from thoughts and sensations.

- Writing practice is not something we do (primarily) for others. It is listening to our thinking and exploring our ideas.

The Philosophy of Writing

- Writing as "the yoga of thinking," a way to engage with and better understand one's mind.

- It enables us to move beyond reactionary thinking and cultivate deeper responses or insights.

Listening to Your Mind

- Writing helps distinguish valuable thoughts from cognitive noise and emotional reactions.

- The practice, as we’ll explore it, promotes reasoning over opinion-giving and improves self-awareness.

Cultivating Conceptual Integrity

- Conceptual integrity is integrating ideas into a cohesive whole.

- Writing generates cohesion between thoughts, emotions, and experiences, creating meaning through their relationships.

The Practice of Free Writing

- Free writing is a morning practice that conditions the mind:

 - Write by hand without stopping for a set period or number of pages.

 - Focus on flow rather than content or structure.

- The practice builds self-awareness, creativity, and intellectual strength.

Overcoming Challenges in Writing

- Writing is a transformative activity, not merely a chore or task.

- Explore common barriers, such as lack of time, dislike of writing by hand, or resistance to the practice. Nevertheless, persist.

Chapter Two: Focused Writing

A sustained writing practice depends on creating dedicated focus time for writing. The benefits are many, among them are cultivating creativity, clarity, and metacognition, despite the distractions of external demands.

- Focused writing is essential for developing ideas but is often challenged by distractions and external expectations.

- The practice involves setting aside dedicated time to focus deeply, overcoming the stress of multitasking, and prioritizing immediate tasks over generative work.

The Challenges of Focus

- Distractions, internal mental noise, and external demands make it difficult to maintain sustained attention on writing.

- Prioritizing meaningful, generative work over-reactive tasks requires support and intentional effort.

Do It Anyway

- Writing during focus time connects you to your inner thoughts, allowing you to share clearer communication and make more impactful decisions.

- Focused writing trains the mind to stay present and attentive, despite distractions or the feeling of overwhelm from daily life.

The Practice of Focused Writing

- Set a timer for a manageable period (e.g., 45 minutes) to create structured, distraction-free writing sessions.

- Turn off all notifications and use tools or rituals, such as headphones or focus music, to support the practice.

- Allow flexibility to adapt sessions around your personal rhythms but maintain consistency as much as possible.

Strategies for Success

- Use visual motivators like tracking sessions on a calendar to build habits ("don't break the chain").

- Accept difficult days as part of the process, recognizing that discomfort can signal growth or new ideas.

- Find personal rituals, such as a specific writing environment or tools, to enhance focus and make the practice sustainable.

Balancing Consistency and Flexibility

- While consistency is ideal, flexibility matters. Occasional breaks are normal and sometimes beneficial.

- The key is to return to the practice and focus on progress rather than perfection.

Chapter Three: Synthesizing and Learning

Lifelong learning and synthesizing knowledge is a dynamic, social practice that involves integrating insights, building mastery, and creating impactful contributions through writing and teaching.

- Learning involves integrating one’s thinking with insights from others, fostering a deeper understanding through writing and reasoning.

- We learn when we synthesize knowledge and experience using sound judgment.

Defining Learning and Knowledge

- Learning: The practice of synthesizing information and experiences to discern and manifest sound judgments.

- Knowledge: A social activity that creates meaning by forming relationships between information and shared experiences.

The Role of Knowledge Workers

- Knowledge workers use their evolving expertise to make impactful decisions, focusing on systems improvement and understanding the broader implications of their work.

- Lifelong learning (more than specific technical skills) is essential for adapting to constantly changing technology and environments.

Practical Learning and Writing

- Learning extends beyond acquiring information to include questioning, exploring, and synthesizing various perspectives.

- Writing is both a method to learn and a medium to share synthesized knowledge with others.

Challenges of Linear Learning

- Traditional linear approaches to learning often limit deeper understanding and creativity.

- A non-linear, integrative approach is increasingly vital for navigating interconnected software systems.

Developing Mastery

- Mastery is achieved through practice, learning how to learn, and adapting insights to solve meaningful challenges.

- It involves cultivating mental flexibility and continuously improving through feedback and iteration.

Building a Support System

- Surround yourself with curious, focused individuals fosters lifelong learning.

- Engage with books, talks, podcasts, etc. 

- Creating your own learning curriculum is a core knowledge-worker skill.

Teaching as a Learning Tool

- Sharing knowledge through writing, discussions, or mentoring reinforces understanding and contributes to the collective knowledge pool.

- Effective teaching is not (necessarily) training, it is synthesizing insights and presenting them in ways that benefit others.

Chapter Four: Systemic Reasoning

Systemic reasoning is a method of inquiry. As a practice, it generates trustworthy, well-supported recommendations by integrating diverse perspectives and using sound judgment.

- Systemic reasoning supports an action, idea, or theory through integrated thinking.

- Unlike debate or persuasion, systemic reasoning aims for conceptual integrity, focusing on discovering the best solution under uncertain circumstances.

Core Principles of Systemic Reasoning

- Uncertainty is a constant, and systemic reasoning embraces this reality.

- The goal is to create a well-considered, integrated perspective that moves your circumstances in a positive direction.

Example of Systemic Reasoning

- A real-life example of systemic reasoning in technology:

 - The claim: Encapsulation rather than expansion of legacy software.

 - Supporting reasons include building an abstraction layer, the impracticality of rewriting legacy code, and alignment with industry trends.

 - The outcome: Improved engineering capabilities, quicker deployment, and alignment with modern digital needs.

Obstacles to Systemic Reasoning

- Most people are not skilled at systemic reasoning due to cognitive biases, logical fallacies, and emotional reactions.

- Developing systemic reasoning involves identifying gaps in reasoning and strengthening weak ideas through practice.

The Importance of Practice

- Practicing systemic reasoning helps identify patterns and gaps in decisions.

- Feedback and learning about cognitive biases enhance your ability to generate sound, compelling recommendations.

- Context matters: Understanding the specific circumstances is crucial for effective systemic reasoning.

Systemic Reasoning in Decision-Making

- Sound decisions depend on sound collective reasoning.

- This approach encourages collective reasoning rather than relying on authority.

Qualities of Good Judgment

- Curiosity, proactive consideration, and discernment are essential traits for quality systemic reasoning.

- Decision-making involves integrating and weighing relevant perspectives to arrive at the strongest, most relevant recommendation.

Chapter Five: Strengthening the reasons

Systemic reasoning involves strengthening the reasons that support your conclusions. We do this through iterative writing, clarifying arguments, and ensuring reliability, relevance, and cohesion.

- Iteration, clarifying, and rewriting are core activities for refining ideas and improving recommendations.

Ways to Improve Your Writing

1. Model Your Writing: Visualize its structure to enhance clarity and ensure conceptual integrity.

2. Eliminate Weak Reasons: Remove unsupported ideas and add stronger, evidence-backed reasons.

3. Avoid Generalizations: Replace sweeping claims with specific and verifiable statements.

4. Clarify Your Text: Simplify, use consistent terminology, and define ambiguous terms.

5. Use Examples: Support claims with real-world examples or analogies.

6. Identify Additional Needs: Determine research gaps, feedback requirements, and relevant perspectives.

7. Balance Emotional Tone: Avoid over- or under-expressing emotions to maintain objectivity and clarity.

Qualities of Strong Reasoning

- Reliability: Ensure all claims are accurate and verifiable.

- Relevance: Connect reasons directly to the recommendation or argument.

- Strength: Build arguments that make alternative conclusions unlikely.

- Cohesion: Ensure logical flow and connections between reasons, leading naturally to the conclusion.

Practical Tips for Cohesion

- Arrange reasons in a natural order and test their logical flow.

- Refine inferences to eliminate leaps in logic and strengthen narrative coherence.

- Evaluate reasons with the "Therefore, I recommend..." test to ensure they logically support the conclusion.

When to Stop Refining

- Prioritize practice over perfection to improve long-term reasoning and writing skills.

- Balance effort with diminishing returns depending on deadlines, stakes, and the evolving nature of the circumstance.

Chapter Six: Designing feedback loops

Designing effective feedback loops through constructive, respectful, and well-directed collaboration increases the impact of outcomes and decisions. 

- Feedback loops are crucial for improving thinking and communication, but they often fail due to unhelpful or judgmental responses.

- Our current “feedback” practices are not focused on improving systemic reasoning.

- Designing effective feedback loops is key to strengthening artifacts and fostering better collaboration.

Challenges with Feedback

- Many feedback experiences are unhelpful, overly critical, or focused on preserving the status quo.

- Poor feedback can derail thinking, waste emotional energy, and stifle meaningful contributions.

Principles for Effective Feedback Loops

1. Create Understanding: Feedback should first seek to understand and then identify areas for improvement.

2. Respect Vulnerability: Helpful feedback acknowledges the effort and risk inherent in sharing work.

3. Avoid Gatekeeping: Feedback should focus on collaboration and idea improvement, not maintaining control.

Types of Feedback to Avoid

- Opinions.

- Directive feedback that tramples the original thinking.

- Dismissive feedback that explains basic concepts instead of addressing the core challenges.

- Passive-aggressive feedback that provides endless criticism without actionable suggestions.

Best Practices for Feedback

- Ask the Right Questions: Focus on gaining a deeper understanding of the circumstances, factual accuracy, clarity, and cohesiveness.

- Choose Feedback Providers Wisely: Seek input from people who can improve the writing, the intended audience, subject matter experts, and stakeholders with diverse perspectives.

- Take What You Need: Accept feedback that improves your work and set aside unhelpful or irrelevant critiques.

Designing Feedback Loops

- Feedback loops should prioritize conceptual integrity and constructive dialogue over hierarchical approvals.

- Effective loops enable iterative learning and uncover blind spots while respecting the creator’s vision.

Chapter Seven: Model Your Thinking

Visual modeling is a complementary tool to writing, enhancing clarity, collaboration, and systemic understanding in noisy or complex circumstances.

- Visual and relational models complement writing by clarifying ideas, improving understanding, and fostering collaboration.

- Models bridge communication gaps, especially in complex systems or cross-functional settings.

Challenges of Relying Solely on Words

- Written communication alone can fail to convey the structure of ideas, relationship patterns, and the experience of diverse points of view.

- Visual modeling encourages shared understanding and helps expose gaps or blind spots in reasoning.

Benefits of Modeling

- Encourages clarity by illustrating complex relationships, in the people and in the technology system.

- Helps teams align their mental models, fostering better collaboration and decision-making.

- Provides a snapshot of ideas, integrating visual elements to support written arguments.

Key Practices for Effective Modeling

1. Seek Feedback from Designers: Collaborate with visually skilled individuals to refine models and ensure clarity.

2. Practice Frequently: Create models for most artifacts to enhance your modeling skills.

3. Develop a Shared Visual Language: Use consistent shapes, colors, and styles for easier comprehension across teams.

4. Leverage Cross-Functional Collaboration: Model software systems with input from diverse roles to uncover blind spots and ensure inclusivity.

5. Use Layers for Complexity: Build multi-layered, clickable artifacts to present varying levels of detail to different audiences.

Examples of Using Models

- Representing relationships and information flow between software system components.

- Illustrating before-and-after states to clarify the impact of proposed changes.

- Developing analogies, such as visualizing initiatives as gardens that will grow over time, to contextualize and simplify abstract ideas.

Tips for Improving Modeling Skills

- Combine visual consistency (colors, shapes, fonts) with meaningful content to make models intuitive and engaging.

- Use tools like Miro or Figjam boards to enable interactive and collaborative modeling sessions.

- Continuously iterate on your visual style and integrate feedback for improvement.

Chapter Eight: Adapting and Expanding Your Artifacts

Adapt systemic reasoning into multiple tailored artifacts to suit diverse audiences and circumstances while maintaining conceptual integrity.

- Expanding systemic reasoning involves crafting multiple artifacts that present the same idea from various perspectives.

- Artifacts rarely exist in isolation; they are interconnected and should be adapted to suit different audiences and contexts.

The Need for Multiple Artifacts

- A single artifact is often insufficient for conveying complex ideas; complementary artifacts tailored to different audiences enhance understanding and impact.

- Examples include user journeys, financial summaries, prototypes, system models, and narratives that contextualize recommendations.

Principles for Repackaging Ideas

- Explore the "lenses" through which different stakeholders view a recommendation, such as technical feasibility, financial implications, or user experience.

- Adapt artifacts without diluting their integrity, considering the unique needs and concerns of each audience.

Types of Supporting Artifacts

1. Collaborative Models: Created with cross-functional teams to understand software systems and workflows, fostering shared understanding and alignment.

2. Summaries: Condense ideas into brief, potent overviews tailored to specific audiences.

3. Pitch Decks: Visually engaging slides that narrate systemic reasoning in an interactive and entertaining format.

4. Prototypes: Tangible representations of recommendations that demonstrate value and usability.

5. System Models: Detailed diagrams showing relationships and flows within a software system, linked to the code for deeper exploration.

6. Spreadsheets: Numerical representations of costs, metrics, and return on investment, effectively communicating financial reality.

7. Case Studies: Stories or examples that illustrate the practical application and benefits of the proposed ideas.

Iterative Nature of Systemic Reasoning

- Systemic reasoning is a dynamic process of continuous learning and adaptation. Artifacts evolve as circumstances and understanding change. Make your repositories dynamic too.

- Ensure artifacts align with the overarching mission because the world around it constantly impacts this mission.

Summary of Practices and Resources

Includes ways to continue getting support for your practice.

About the Author

Diana Montalion

Diana is a software engineer, systems architect, and team leader. She has 20+ years of experience delivering information systems for organizations like Stanford, The Gates Foundation, the World Monuments Fund, Teach For All, The Economist, and The Wikimedia Foundation. She is the founder of Mentrix Group and the author of Learning Systems Thinking: Essential Non-linear Skills and Practices for Software Professionals, published by O'Reilly.

Before she began her tech career, Diana was a writer, actor, bookseller, and teacher of creative endeavors. She "quit" writing to focus on software, only to discover that success in technology depended on her communication skills, in ways she could never have imagined.

Diana is the founder of Mentrix, where she designs technology systems and teaches workshops on systems thinking.