Wading into risky waters?

Risk can often seem like a straightforward, black-and-white concept: it’s something that might happen, with a probability at

Russel Ackoff – Navy training

Russ Ackoff´s navy training

Systems do not exist..?

“There doesn’t seem to be much value in claiming something doesn’t exist” my son said when I told him that sys

The tangled mess of corporate Project Management

Corporate projects reflect the complexity of our interconnected world. Mistakes like relying on external managers, siloed oper

The purpose of a system is….

…. the value it provides? The widely accepted definition of a system’s purpose was coined by Stafford Beer (2001)

Project Management, as easy as ….. Apple Pie?

You know what's funny? Whenever I bake an apple pie, it always turns out to be a great. Then why is it so difficult to have a

Planning …. backwards?

If you carry an umbrella, do you expect the weather to take notice, perhaps refraining from raining or, on the contrary, ensur

Dealing with problems…

Russell Ackoff (Re-Creating the Corporation, 1999) outlines four fundamental ways to treat a problem: absolution, resolution,

So, what is a system?

Working with John Flach & Adam Walls on the system thinking cartoons (e.g. see here) I re-emerged myself in the topic. Hav

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