Roads to Rome

Cognitive Systems Engineering – Academic Enterprise or Field of Practice?? See John Flach’s Linkedin Post. Note Do

A shark?!

Sometimes we are so concentrated, focussing on doing what we are doing, that we forget the context in which we are working.

Hindsight has 20/20 vision

Hindsight often leads to plausible causal narratives to explain known outcomes. However, these narratives typically trivialize

7th Principle: Emerging properties

Think of all the different ways an organization might “serve the interests of its members.” Do some ways lead to m

6th Principle: A Biological metaphor better describes systems

Institutions sometimes treat people as if they are just bricks in a wall. The unique skills and contributions of individuals m

5th Principle – Variety kills variety

Is there a stop on the tram line that will lead to easy access to the carousel? Sometimes following the tracks of a a fixed pl

4th principle – Nature is a web

Nature is a web – where everything is connected to everything else. A change in one part of a system has consequences fo

3rd Principle – Systems are Open

Systems theorists make the distinction between closed and open systems. However, I think the idea of a closed-system is a fict

2nd Principle: Systems change continuously

“You can’t step in the same river twice” Heraclitus. And borrowing an analogy from William James – man

Changing Perspective

It continues to amaze me that a terrestrial animal can learn to manipulate a throttle, stick and rudders to soar through the s

1st Principle: Systems do not exist

“Systems thinking involves applying various models to represent complex interactions, but general systems theorists also

Quietly flapping her wings

Even the little things count … You count in ways that you can’t even imagine. See: John Flach’s LinkedIn pos