Words That Don't Mean What You Think They Mean: SYSTEMIC vs. SYSTEMATIC

Jeevan Sivasubramaniam Posted by Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, Managing Director, Editorial, Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.



Systematic means arranged or carried out according to a plan or method. That's why you can take a systematic approach to profit-building or saving for your company.

Systemic means belonging to or affecting the system as a whole. Poor financial planning could be systemic to your organization. It's not done according to plan--it actually impacts your plans more than anything.