Discrete Chaos and Learning Orgs LO933

Doug Seeley (100433.133@compuserve.com)
25 Apr 95 14:06:55 EDT

Replying to John Warfield in LO897...

Could You give us a synopsis of the Spreadthink argument which suggests to
You that "a single person or a group of persons can structure high-quality
models, using common modeling methods".

This claim flies in the face of our successful modelling experiences
on-going in Australia. Moreover, it seems to suggest that systems
modelling will forever remain in the domain of making interesting
meta-observations about systems behaviour, something like the way
Checkland's Soft Systems approach and TQM keeps people "talking the talk,
but never walking their talk". It appears to keep systems modelling in
the realm of academic consideration where the discussions can remain
"safe", without ever having to make an actual difference for real live
corporations and governments, and hence to our practical lives..

I state categorically that we do structure high quality models which do
make positive differences for our clients. In one recent case, the
savings brought about by a quality model which was at a modest level of
detail, saved more than 10 million dollars with a 20 thousand dollar
effort. I wonder, I we talking apples and oranges here... or is there
some kind of mythology in the Learning Org community which says that
dynamic systems modelling can never be used to support real world
decisions ??

I hope I have mis-read your meaning. Can You dis-avow me of this myth??

Unfortunately, actual decision-making, as Senge, Eli Goldratt and others
have pointed out, are too often made only on the basis of only mental
models. Mental models are usually not explicit enough to be challenged;
moreover, we are finding over and over again that unchallenged assumptions
about systems behaviour, and especially about the measurement of
performance in corporate culture (mental models) does a lot of damage to
good decision-making. Our highly visual and interactive, dynamic systems
models are explicit at all stages of the decision making process, and
hence verification can be applied against them.

The success we are having seems to be based upon our visualization
techniqes which Converge how people think about their systems, opens
people's minds up to more whole systems thinking, and provides an
effective means of challenging conventional financial measurements.

--
Dr. Doug Seeley:  compuserve 100433,133... Fax: +41  22  756  3759
	InterDynamics Pty. Ltd. (Australia) in Geneva, Switzerland
	"Integrity is not merely an ideal; it is the only reality."