Practical Technology

So now, after much ink spilled in part 1 , let's talk about ways you can use this model .   On the left, our list of levers from the previous post.  On the right, scaled to show the relationship between effectiveness, effort, and human interaction. There are a number of different ways to use it, though a small group setting will naturally be more effective. As with most things, understanding the premise and intent matters. Premise:  An understanding of system leverage points provides insights into how we work, what we prioritize, how we react to failure. Intent: Exposure to a new way of framing things Building shared understanding Exposure to how others see differently when we look at the same thing Reconsider the systemic impact your ideas might have Reconsider the risk vs. effort of your current understanding To maximize opportunity to learn, remember to start the exercise by asking yourself two questions : Am I willing to learn?  Am I willing to be influenced...

System levers and concept material drawn directly from:  Thinking in Systems: A primer .  What follows will make sense if you have a systems view of the world.  Reading the above book will certainly kick that off, but I'll do my best to illustrate the concepts for you.  You can self-audit yourself for a systems view with the following questions: Do I value the success of my own team over the success of the organization? ( really, truly, deep down... ) In the context of teamwork - are things great inside my team, but not so great when working outside of it? If you are honest with yourself and answered yes to either of those questions ( or don't have a problem with those statements ), you have or live or work within a silo paradigm.  It's almost inevitably the case, so don't feel bad - much management literature has been written trying to address this problem.  Thankfully, the good news is out there, for those who want to find it. If we look at the practical...