Means to an end

Systems thinking changes the way we process information in the world. Instead of seeing the output from a system and judging it based on that information alone, we look deeper. We want to understand the depths of the system.

The surface of the system contains what we interact with on a regular basis. These are the outputs, the events. They occur and grab our attention.

But below the surface lies the structure of the system. That structure is what determines the events. When we see events without the structure, we lose sight of the meaning behind these events.

It leads most people to only value the end result. They see everything as a means to an end. Everything that is done is being done to reach that final output.

This can be dangerous. We often act in a way that creates unnecessary struggle because we can’t see the full system. We don’t realize that the actions we take have consequences. There are very real connections between our behaviors and the future impact of those behaviors.

We go through life creating ripples. Those ripples create future disturbances. Those disturbances might be even more impactful than the outcome we are shooting for.

Here is an example. I used to work with a very ambitious young man. He worked hard and wanted more money for his efforts. Every chance he had he would pressure his boss to give him more. At reviews he was never satisfied with the raise. It didn’t matter what the number was, he knew that he wanted more.

He would negotiate aggressively each year. This resulted in the perception that he is difficult to work with and would never be happy working there. Because of his ambition, he was doing a good job and providing value to the company.

One year, he was applying for a big promotion. He was qualified but the perception remained that he would not stay in the role for long and would be unhappy regardless of how much he was paid. They ended up going with another employee for the role who they viewed as more stable and willing to put in the time in that role to see it through.

This is an example where the “means to an end” approach cost more than it provided. By being content and working ambitiously without the aggressive negotiation, he would have furthered his career. He could have taken on more responsibility, creating financial benefit by doing it.

But at the time, he felt that he needed to do anything possible to raise the amount of money he was paid. He took the approach that it was him versus the company. This might be fine from time to time, but when constantly taken, it paints him as a disgruntled worker that will never be happy working there.

But we all do this. We make shortsighted decisions. We say we want more savings but instead of investing our bonus we spend it on a new doodad. We say we want six-pack abs but we go out for the pizza instead of eating healthy at home.

It is easy to get caught up in chasing the end result but the steps we take are important. They are not just annoying boxes we have to check to get what we want. When we see everything as a means to an end, we discount the value of those steps that will take us where we want to go. It might be fine for bit, but in time will lead to consequences. Those consequences could pull you further away, not closer to what you want.