"We are largely devoted to doing the wrong thing right. That’s very unfortunate because the righter you do the wrong thing, the wronger you become. When we do the right thing wrong, we make a mistake that when detected allows us to improve. So the distinction is absolutely critical and we are a society absolutely drowning in the efficiency concerning the pursuit of the wrong ends.” - Russell Ackoff
"Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception, rather than mistakes of logic.” - Edward de Bono
How an imbalance in our reasoning leads us to focus less on the context – the whole – and more on specific solutions – the parts.
Rather than stepping back to look at the whole context within which an issue exists and being able to live with the tensions and contradictions required to formulate the best way forward given the overall context, we more often simply focus on the “pain point” that we have and rush to find a specific solution to that.
Most of us are continuing on within the box of our linear institutional structures – trying to do the right thing within that context – which are ultimately based upon a set of simplifying assumptions that make them the wrong vehicle in this world of complexity. Very few are stepping outside and looking at this new context with a fresh perspective so as to re-question what is the best way to proceed given the changes underway.
Multidimensionality odes of thinking enables us to balance analytic inquiry with a synthetic holistic vision, not just separating and differentiating but also properly integrating, new ways of organizing that balance the constraints and possibilities.
"We are largely devoted to doing the wrong thing right. That’s very unfortunate because the righter you do the wrong thing, the wronger you become. When we do the right thing wrong, we make a mistake that when detected allows us to improve. So the distinction is absolutely critical and we are a society absolutely drowning in the efficiency concerning the pursuit of the wrong ends.” - Russell Ackoff
"Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception, rather than mistakes of logic.” - Edward de Bono
How an imbalance in our reasoning leads us to focus less on the context – the whole – and more on specific solutions – the parts.
Rather than stepping back to look at the whole context within which an issue exists and being able to live with the tensions and contradictions required to formulate the best way forward given the overall context, we more often simply focus on the “pain point” that we have and rush to find a specific solution to that.
Most of us are continuing on within the box of our linear institutional structures – trying to do the right thing within that context – which are ultimately based upon a set of simplifying assumptions that make them the wrong vehicle in this world of complexity. Very few are stepping outside and looking at this new context with a fresh perspective so as to re-question what is the best way to proceed given the changes underway.
Multidimensionality odes of thinking enables us to balance analytic inquiry with a synthetic holistic vision, not just separating and differentiating but also properly integrating, new ways of organizing that balance the constraints and possibilities.
https://www.systemsinnovation.network/posts/complexity-the-elephant-in-the-room-45561562