Category: Articles
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Shifting the Burden: The “Helen Keller” Loops
Most of us know the story of Helen Keller and have probably sympathized with her and her parents, whose actions to protect their handicapped daughter…
ithink®: The Visual Thinking Tool
We live in an age of spreadsheets. From tracking expenses to projecting future revenue streams, spreadsheet software packages have become an invaluable tool for many…
Bringing “Background Analysis” to Foreground of Energy Policy
In this article, Donella Meadows shows how computer models — products of structural thinking — can help bring clarity to a complex issue. As she…
Tragedy of the Commons: All for One and None for All
In this issue we return to our coverage of systems archetypes — dynamic structures that are found repeatedly in diverse settings. In future issues, we…
How Do You Know If Your Organization Is Learning?
Over the past year, since the publication of The Fifth Discipline, there has been a lot of activity and inquiry around the topic of how…
If People Are Assets, Why Do We Treat Them Like Expenses?
There is a lot of talk in the business community about “people being our most important assets.” It sounds like a good idea — recognizing…
Growth and Underinvestment: Is Your Company Playing with a Wooden Racket?
Do you recall the first time you picked up a tennis racket? Perhaps it was an old wooden racket you found in your garage, or…
The Do’s and Don’ts of Systems Thinking on the Job
So you’ve taken a systems thinking course — or maybe you’ve read a few issues of The Systems Thinker — and now you want to…
Service Quality Excellence: Mastering the “Moments of Truth”
In recent years, Total Quality Management (TQM) has moved from a manufacturing improvement process to one that can enhance all company operations. While the ’80s…
An Organizational View from the Bottom Up
New World Dictionary defines “manage” as “to train (a horse) to go through its paces, to manipulate, control the behavior and or movement of.” “Support”…