Biography: Steve is the Founder and CEO of the Haines Centre for Strategic Management; a Strategic Alliance of Master Consultants with offices in over 25 countries and growing. www.HainesCentre.com. His Systems Thinking Foundation for his firm has resulted in the creation of over 400 products, sold in his www.SystemsThinkingPress.com publishing.

Title: Systems Thinking Generates Progress: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract: In this presentation, Steve will take you on both a historical tour of the origins of Systems Thinking and then update you on the glorious future that Systems Thinking has in the 21st Century.

His Past View of Systems Thinking goes all the way back to Ludwig Von Bertalanffy and the origins of Systems Thinking in Vienna, Austria, a Center of the World 100 years ago.  The research of the Society for General Systems Theory and Research that Ludwig formed in 1954 with three Nobel Prize Winners and Margaret Mead.  Their goal was to find the Unity of Science of Living Systems (which they did).

At present, Systems Thinking is the result of this 50 years of scientific research by this General Systems Research, growing in popularity and understanding in Western Society as it has moved into the mainstream of business through Strategic Thinking and Planning.  However, in the Eastern Society of China, India and the like, Systems Thinking is something that is much more readily understood, accepted and a part of their daily life; a competitive advantage in today’s global economy.

However, the future of Systems Thinking is one of the most optimistic views of the future in these tough economic times.  How we think, is how we plan, is how we act—and if we are smart enough to learn to internalize Systems Thinking, the world will be a better place.