Discussion of issues on a global scale usually mires in philosophical wishing with few feasible ideas for concrete action. That also happens with systems that are much smaller, but still too big for anyone to grasp how they work in detail, so they take on “a life of their own.” If you have worked for […]
Although obscure to most of us, the phrase “food security” is significant to those serious about global food. To them, food security denotes food adequate in quality as well as in quantity, or non-interrupted sources of nutrition on which humans can thrive, not just stay alive. Very few people today feed themselves entirely with food […]
Lean practitioners are familiar with the wonders of system simplification. Simplify a work process and the baggage needed to manage a complicated mess evaporates with it. For example, eliminate the reasons for using a warehouse, and poof; the inventory control systems for the warehouse also disappear. Why do we complicate simple processes? One reason is […]
Several recent books reflect an environmental movement broadening and shifting into a higher gear of urgency. Keeping up is becoming harder. Below is a quick rundown on three books. The first two are “think” pieces that diverge from the norm. However, for those into lean thinking, scroll down to the third one. Starting a transition […]
Axiomatic to Compression Thinking is that the world is finite; therefore for all practical purposes, all resources in it are finite. Almost all other thinking is up for grabs. Therefore we must deal with the consequences of the depletion of all kinds of natural resources, not just energy and water, plus deal with the consequences […]
Innovation is widely regarded as the key to the future. Almost everyone wants to promote innovation, but nearly all of us dislike change disrupting our life. So why must we innovate? Beyond the sheer joy of being cool, why innovate? Promoters of innovation note that more of it occurs in urban areas where a greater […]
Why should we establish local issue learning groups? They should become learning laboratories to guide us into practical systems thinking while making headway on local problems. Global problems are too big and diverse for single, actionable treatment. The global ecosystem consists of regional ecosystems that differ greatly but that interact constantly, and for humans, not […]
Most readers know the Deming Circle, Plan-Do-Check-Act, or PDCA, a problem solving logic that is often expressed in other formats like DMAIC or C4. Likewise, systems thinking is packaged in a variety of flavors but with a common theme of taking big-scope, multiple-viewpoint looks at problems and analyzing feedback loops. How they are used account […]
One of the more interesting exposes of the media business is Trust Me. I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator, by Ryan Holiday, who became fed up with the games at which he was a master well before his 30th birthday. We swim in an ocean of this stuff, so books describing propaganda techniques are […]
Uncertainty is a popular business buzzword. Western managements mostly use the term to explain reluctance to invest when the future direction of regulations and tax laws are unclear – and anywhere, not just in the United States. In places like Egypt, slipping closer and closer to general lawlessness, investors are uncertain about much more than […]
We need to question our basic educational needs. Both the quality and quantity of U.S. education are constantly under fire. District school superintendents are under pressure to do more with less funding, especially in urban areas. Lost in the clamor is that all industrial countries have steadily ramped up both their expectations and achievements in […]
Feedback from our Summer Institute in Boulder, CO led to a few changes in terminology that you will soon notice. One of those changes is the attribute of a Vigorous Learning Organization that we have called “Meta-Vision.” The term is too academic to grasp quickly, but the concept is crucial to progress. Attendees voted to […]
