In many environments, actions seem disconnected from their outcomes.
A policy change is introduced, but its effects are unclear for months. A decision made today influences results long after the context has changed. A problem appears suddenly, even though its causes were set in motion long before.
Because the cause and the outcome are separated by time, it becomes difficult to understand what actually produced the result.
This is a common feature of complex systems: delayed consequences.
Systems Layer
A time delay occurs when there is a gap between an action within the system and the observable effect that follows.
In complex systems, many interactions involve delays because processes take time to unfold.
Pillar: Systems Language — perception.
