DENNISWRIGHT
onel.f
the_fifth_discipline_part_2.pptxThe Fifth Discipline: The Cornerstone Of The Learning Organization
The Laws Of The Fifth Discipline
Ever have a bump in you carpet?
Sales are off. Why?
Why are drug related crimes up?
Solutions that merely shift problems to another part of the system are often undetected.
Why?
Those who “solve” the first problem are different from those that inherit the new problem.
1. Today’s Problems Come From Yesterday’s “Solutions”
Ever read Orwell’s “Animal Farm”?
The horse Boxer always had the same answer to any difficulty
I will work harder
At first it’s inspirational
Gradually this backfires in subtle ways
The harder he worked, the more work there was to do
2. The Harder You Push, The Harder The System Pushes Back
Managers will “use” and manipulate people for personal gain
This blinds others from seeing what’s happening as well
“Compensating Feedback”
When well intentioned interventions bring responses from the system that offset the interventions
2. The Harder You Push, The Harder The System Pushes Back cont.
The more effort you expend trying to improve something, it seems the more effort is required
Such as?
Low income housing
Food aid overseas
Marketing campaigns
Smoking
The “mama’s boy”
2. The Harder You Push, The Harder The System Pushes Back cont.
So we push the system harder
Glorifying the suffering of having to work so hard
Blinding ourselves to how we’re contributing to the problem
2. The Harder You Push, The Harder The System Pushes Back cont.
Compensating Feedback usually involves a delay
Time lag between short term benefit and long term disbenefit
“Political Decision Making”
Counterproductive; not based on intrinsic merits of alternative courses of actions
Looking good
Pleasing the boss
Building your own power base
3. Behavior Grows Better Before It Grows Worse
The key word is????
3. Behavior Grows Better Before It Grows Worse cont.
Eventually
THIS is why systemic problems are so hard to recognize
Initial improvement
Maybe the problem even disappears
Months? Years? The problem will return, or a new one will replace it
And by this time someone new is in charge
So here we go again…
3. Behavior Grows Better Before It Grows Worse cont.
So there was this drunk…
We find comfort applying familiar solutions to problems
Pushing harder on familiar solutions while the fundamental problem persists, or worsens
BFH
“What we need here is a bigger hammer!” syndrome
4. The Easy Way Usually Leads Back In
Sometimes the familiar solution is not only ineffective; it’s addictive and dangerous
Alcoholism
Simple social drinking used as a cure for low self esteem or work stress
The consequence is more and more of the “solution” in non systemic solutions
Think “Shifting The Burden”
Government intervention programs
Mama’s boys
Ability to do math
Writing
5. The Cure Can Be Worse Than The Disease
In business we bring in “consultants”
Over time the intervener's power grows, be it a drug, alcohol, military budget over an economy
Any long term solution must “strengthen the ability of the system to shoulder it’s own burdens”
Instead of offloading HR issues to the HR department, maybe you should….?
Learn how to deal with people!
5. The Cure Can Be Worse Than The Disease cont.
Give me a “for instance”…
The tortoise and the hare
All systems have optimal rates of growth
And it’s FAR less that ASAP!
When growth becomes excessive…
The system slows down
These Systems Laws can become an excuse for inaction!
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
Don’t do “nothing”; Do something different. Think of the System as a whole
6. Faster Is Slower
The “effect” is easily seen
Drug abuse, unemployment, starving children, falling orders, sagging profits
The “cause” may not be anything close to the effect!
7. Cause And Effect Are Not Closely Related In Time And Space
| If there’s a problem with: | Fix: |
| Manufacturing Line | Manufacturing |
| Meeting Sales Targets | Sales Incentives or Promotions |
| Inadequate Housing | Build More Houses |
| Inadequate Food | Get More food |
In the Beer Game players eventually discover the problem lies…
Correct; within ourselves
The first step is to let go of the notion that cause and effect are close in time and space.
7. Cause And Effect Are Not Closely Related In Time And Space
- - But The Areas Of Highest Leverage Are Often The Least Obvious
Systems Thinking teaches us that… actually, you tell me…
The most obvious solutions don’t work. At best they improve matters in the short run, only to make things worse in the long run
But there’s another side
8. Small Changes Can Produce Big Results --
- - But The Areas Of Highest Leverage Are Often The Least Obvious
Small well focused actions can sometime produce significant improvements, IF they’re in the right place.
LEVERAGE
The hard part is that high-leverage changes are usually highly nonobvious
Not close in time and space
8. Small Changes Can Produce Big Results --
- - But The Areas Of Highest Leverage Are Often The Least Obvious
What are trim tabs?
Airplane flaps?
8. Small Changes Can Produce Big Results --
Very unobvious… yet EXTREMELY effective!
8. Small Changes Can Produce Big Results --
Think “structure” rather than “events”.
Sometimes, the problem really isn’t
It’s all in the view
Better/quicker/cheaper… pick 2
Basic improvements in work processes can…
Remember the delay found in system results and inputs?
You CAN have each
9. You CAN Have Your Cake And Eat It Too - But Not At Once
You have to wait for one to catch up while you work on the other
Initially, quality and costs may both go up
But they will catch up to the system
Anyone ever diet? Join a gym?
Real “leverage” lies I seeing how to improve both, or the overall SYSTEM, over time
9. You CAN Have Your Cake And Eat It Too - But Not At Once
Does not produce two small elephants
Three blind men approach an elephant…
The first grabs an ear
The second grabs the trunk
The third a leg
The Principle Of The System Boundary
The interactions than must be examined are those most important to the issue at hand. Regardless of the organizational boundaries.
10. Dividing An Elephant In Half…
Does not produce two small elephants
Why is this principle difficult to practice in organizations?
Rigid internal divisions
Leaving problems behind for someone else to clean up
Most companies, people, do divide the elephant in half… The result is?
10. Dividing An Elephant In Half…
Stop thinking of whom, or what, to blame
There is no “outside”, no “someone else”
You and the cause of your problems are part of a single system
The “cure” lies in the relationship with your “enemy”
Who’s the enemy?
Not “you” in total, just our way of thinking
11. There Is No Blame
