The Systems Thinking Playbook

A digital inventory of 30 experiential exercises by Linda Booth Sweeney & Dennis Meadows.

Systems thinking is notoriously difficult to teach through lectures alone. It is a mindset that must be experienced. Use these "micro-worlds" to expose mental models, delayed feedback, and structural limits.

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Organisation by Learning Discipline

Based on Peter Senge's Five Disciplines, this matrix helps you select the right game for the specific "muscle" you wish to build in your team.

Systems Thinking Mental Models Team Learning Shared Vision Personal Mastery
Group Juggle Mind Grooving I Group Juggle Squaring Circle Pendulum
Warped Juggle Mind Grooving II Moon Ball Moon Ball Arm Folding
Harvest Thumb Wrestling Community Maze Harvest Belief Release
Space for Living Hands Down Living Loops Thumb Wrestling Community Maze
Frames Paper Fold Touch Base Web of Life Squaring Circle
1-2-3 GO! Five Easy Pieces Avalanche Avalanche Hands Down

Facilitation & Debrief Guide

Universal Debrief Process

Never end a game with just "That was fun!" Use this 5-step ladder:

  1. The Event: Describe observable actions. "Who did what?"
  2. The Trends: What patterns did you notice over time?
  3. The Why: What structures (rules, delays) created those patterns?
  4. The Transfer: How does this mirror our real workplace system?
  5. The Action: What are the leverage points for change?

Facilitation Principles

  • Interventions, Not Events: Use games as 10–50 minute "labs" to punctuate lectures.
  • The "Trojan Horse": Use games gently to reveal default mental models (competition, passivity).
  • The "Fail" is the Win: Do not rescue the group immediately. The collapse is the learning moment.