Three Hidden Properties That Make Systems Impossible to Control (But Easy to Influence)

When I introduce people to systemic work, I often encounter a curious phenomenon. Many nod along, thinking they understand what a "system" is. After all, we use the word daily in phrases like "healthcare system" and "operating system." However, the systemic understanding of a system is simpler and more profound than most people initially realize.

This misalignment often leads to confusion later on. For example, someone might say, "I tried that systemic approach, but it didn't work," when, in fact, they were still operating from a mechanical or analytical understanding of systems.

So, let's clarify: What exactly is a system in the context of systemic work?

A living network of connections

In systemic work, a system is a web of connections that forms a whole with unique characteristics. More specifically, a system has three essential qualities:

1. A system has its own characteristics.

A system is more than just the sum of its parts. Its unique properties emerge from the relationships between the elements, not the elements themselves.

Think of water. Hydrogen and oxygen are gases at room temperature; however, when they are combined in a specific way (H₂O), they form a liquid with entirely new properties. The "wetness" of water isn't found in hydrogen or oxygen — it emerges from their relationship.

Similarly, a team isn't just a collection of individuals with certain skills. Rather, it's a living entity with its own culture, memory, patterns, and qualities that emerge from the relationships between its members.

I once worked with two organizations in the same sector that had nearly identical structures, processes, and employee backgrounds. Yet one had a palpable atmosphere of trust and innovation, while the other felt tense and conservative. These characteristics belonged to the systems themselves, not to any individual within them.

2. A system transcends time and space

This is where systemic understanding diverges most dramatically from common conceptions. In systemic work, we recognize that systems aren't limited by physical or temporal boundaries.

A family system, for example, includes not only the people currently living in a household but also ancestors whose patterns continue to influence the present. Similarly, a corporate system encompasses not only current employees but also founders, previous employees, and competitors who have shaped the organization's identity.

This might sound abstract, but consider a simple example. Have you ever joined a new team and somehow "known" which topics were off-limits, even before anyone told you? Have you ever felt the lingering presence of an influential predecessor in your role, even if you never met them?

These experiences reflect how systems transcend the ordinary boundaries of time and place. Events from decades ago can remain active in a system's memory and influence current behavior without anyone realizing it consciously.

3. A system is always part of larger systems

No system exists in isolation. Each system is nested within larger systems and contains smaller systems within it.

For example, a team exists within a department, which exists within an organization, which exists within an industry, which exists within an economy, and so on. Similarly, an individual exists within a family, which exists within a community, which exists within a culture.

This nesting creates complex interactions between systems at different levels. Changes in one system ripple through connected systems. This is why interventions that seem sensible at one level sometimes produce unexpected consequences at another.

These three characteristics—emergent properties, transcendence of time and space, and nested relationships—give systems their distinct nature and explain why working with them requires approaches that go beyond conventional analysis and problem solving.

Why This Understanding Matters

When we mistake a system for a mere collection of parts, we miss the most powerful leverage points for change. Here's why this deeper understanding matters:

1. It explains persistent patterns

Have you ever wondered why some organizations face the same problems year after year despite changing personnel, processes, and leadership? Or why some teams seem to recreate the same dynamics regardless of who joins or leaves?

These patterns exist because they belong to the system itself, not any individual within it. Systems contain invisible forces—loyalties, balances, and exclusions—that continuously recreate certain patterns, regardless of who occupies specific roles.

Understanding this helps us stop blaming individuals for what are essentially systemic patterns. It shifts our focus from "Who's causing this problem?" to "What in the system is creating this pattern?"

2. It reveals hidden connections

When we recognize that systems transcend time and space, we can identify connections that would otherwise remain invisible.

For example, I worked with a healthcare organization that repeatedly hired brilliant innovators who left within a year, frustrated and burned out. Through a systemic lens, we discovered that the organization's founder had been forced out after introducing radical innovations. The system was unconsciously maintaining loyalty to the founder by attracting innovators who couldn't succeed — a pattern invisible to conventional analysis.

Seeing these hidden connections allows us to address the actual sources of stuck patterns rather than just their symptoms.

3. It expands our intervention options

When we understand systems as living networks of connections rather than mechanical assemblies of parts, we discover new possibilities for intervention.

Instead of forcing change through restructuring, retraining, or replacing individuals, which often triggers system resistance, we can work with the system's inherent properties.

• Acknowledging what has been excluded

• Restoring proper order and balance

• Identifying and honoring hidden loyalties

Recognizing the purpose served by current patterns.

These approaches often create effortless movement where force previously failed.

How to Recognize a System

Given these characteristics, how can you tell if you're dealing with a system rather than just a group or collection? Look for these indicators:

1. Persistent patterns

Systems maintain certain patterns regardless of personnel changes. If the same dynamics keep appearing despite turnover, you're likely dealing with system properties rather than individual behaviors.

2. Emotional Fields

Systems generate distinct emotional environments. When you enter a space and immediately sense the atmosphere—tension, excitement, or heaviness—you're sensing the system's field.

3. Unwritten Rules

Every system has implicit rules that its members follow without being consciously aware of them. When newcomers are told, "That's just not how we do things here," without a clear explanation, they are encountering system boundaries.

4. Resistance to Logical Solutions

When sensible solutions repeatedly fail or encounter mysterious resistance, you're likely bumping against system forces that aren't being acknowledged.

5. Divided Loyalties

When people feel torn between conflicting imperatives that can't be resolved through ordinary prioritization, system loyalties are often at play.

A Simple Test for System Awareness

Here's a quick way to check your understanding of systems: Consider a team or organization you're familiar with. Can you identify:

• Characteristics that persist regardless of who's on the team?

• Influences from the organization's history that are still active today?

• How are larger systems (industry, culture, etc.) shaping what happens within this system?

• Patterns that resist change despite logical interventions?

If you can recognize these elements, then you are beginning to see through a systemic lens.

Moving from Theory to Practice

Understanding what a system truly is is just the first step in systemic work. The real power lies in learning to work with systems rather than against them.

In future posts, I'll explore how to:

• Read system signals and patterns

• Identify where systems are stuck

• Create interventions that honor system properties

• Facilitate movement where force has failed

All of these approaches, however, build on this fundamental understanding: A system is not merely a collection of parts; it is a living web of connections with its own characteristics. This web transcends the ordinary boundaries of time and space and is always connected to larger wholes.

When we truly grasp this perspective, we begin to see the world differently. Problems that seemed intractable suddenly reveal new possibilities. Behaviors that seemed irrational suddenly make perfect sense. Change that previously required enormous effort sometimes happens with surprising ease.

What systems are you part of? Can you identify characteristics belonging to those systems rather than to any individual within them?