What is Causal Loop Diagrams?

A causal loop diagram is a visual map of a system that shows the variables involved and the causal links between them, marked with polarities that show whether one variable increases or decreases another, and grouped into the reinforcing and balancing loops that drive the system's overall behavior.

Building a causal loop diagram with a team is often as valuable as the diagram itself, because the process forces people to make their assumptions about cause and effect explicit and visible, which frequently reveals disagreements or blind spots that a purely verbal discussion would have left buried.

Related reading: Going beyond the basics: using causal loops and system dynamics to solve complex problems.