Diagrams of Causal Chain. Recall, first, that less is more. Start small and simple; add additional elements to the story if needed—present part of the plot. The number of elements in a loop will be dependent on the needs of the story and the individuals using the diagram. A concise explanation may be sufficient to encourage conversation and provide a new way of seeing a problem. In other cases, you can need more loops to explain causal relationships.
Keep in mind also that people always assume that a diagram will contain all possible variables in a story; this is not generally true. In other cases, external factors do not change, change very slowly, or are irrelevant to the problem. You can complicate things unnecessarily by sharing this information, especially those that you have little or no control over. Many of the most successful loops show links or interactions between parts of the organization or program that the community has not previously identified.
Ultimately, don’t ask if a loop is “right.” Ask yourself then if the loop correctly represents the narrative the community wants to tell. Loops are brief explanations of what we consider to be a current reality; they are “correct” enough if they represent that viewpoint.
