Tag: volume 11
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Paper Fold: An Exercise in Exponential Growth
The behaviors of all ecological and human systems result from cause-and-effect links that make up reinforcing (positive) or balancing (negative) feedback loops. Generally speaking,…
Encouraging the “Epidemic” Spread of Change
Why did the crime rate in New York City drop so dramatically starting in 1993? How is it that some products—such as Hush Puppies…
Saline Schools: Sustainable Structures, Sustainable Futures
The year was 1988. The Saline School District, in Saline, Michigan, had endured a contentious teacher’s union strike back in 1985, followed by a…
Conflicting Goals: Structural Tension at Its Worst
Susan is a task manager in an international development bank who finds herself ceaselessly pulled between satisfying client expectations on individual country projects and…
Learning and Performing
Dear Editor, This note is triggered by the article in Volume 11 Number 5 entitled, “Quality vs. Perfectionism: When Does Our Push for Excellence Become…
Quality vs. Perfectionism: When Does Our Push for Excellence Become Dysfunctional?
Ever since Dr. Deming taught us about the potential power in focusing on quality, the pressure and expectation for each person to constantly improve…
Spread Good Practice by Walking in My Shoes, Not Treading on My Toes
For a time, members of my work team called me a “laggard” because I preferred not to use a laptop and LCD projector in…
Reconciling Local and Global Goals: A Systemic View of the Organizational Map
Connections among the main actors in any system are complex; they include factors such as whether the parties are suppliers or customers in the…
A New Kind of Organization Based on Purpose and Principle
What do the Internet, Alcoholics Anonymous, and VISA International all have in common? You can find them just about anywhere on earth. They have…
Large-Scale Corporate Change from the Inside Out
Ssmall and large companies alike face serious obstacles when trying to shift the way they do things. But for big organizations, initiating and sustaining…