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Everything is a system—and some systems are markets. A market is also a system. This is why it's important to know how to think in systems, and about psycholog
by calinet6 11y ago
Everything is a system—and some systems are markets. A market is also a system.
This is why it's important to know how to think in systems, and about psychology, statistics, variation, knowledge and everything else that influences systems—if you want to work in one.
There's more to most systems than just incentives. They are a small part of what goes on.
- harigov 11y agoCan you recommend some books on this? I have been trying to learn to think in systems, and find that to be the most useful skill to have.
- dmourati 11y agoSystems Thinking, Third Edition: Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture
- calinet6 11y agoI agree! Donella Meadows is one of the most articulate writers and thinkers on systems. She is the easiest to learn the basics from: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603580557 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603580557 Same person, shorter, free, and condensed format: http://www.donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/ http://www.donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/ Same author again, the final chapter from the book above: http://www.donellameadows.org/archives/dancing-with-systems/ http://www.donellameadows.org/archives/dancing-with-systems/ And if you only get one book on how to apply it to business, it's this one: http://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Handbook-Making-Things-Getting/dp/0070580286 http://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Handbook-Making-Things-Getting... A more recent applied-systems-thinking manual for organizations that I've found hits home with more traditional managers (very useful): http://www.amazon.com/The-High-Velocity-Edge-Operational-Competition/dp/0071741410 http://www.amazon.com/The-High-Velocity-Edge-Operational-Com... Another good one that's a bit long-winded, but another set of applied examples: http://www.amazon.com/The-Fifth-Discipline-Practice-Organization/dp/0385517254 http://www.amazon.com/The-Fifth-Discipline-Practice-Organiza... Senge, in the foreward of that book, gives almost all credit to W. Edwards Deming—who is the originator of many of the ideas of organizational systems thinking and how it integrates with Management. So, if you want to go deeper, Deming's book "Out of the Crisis" is a good tome.
- ansy 11y agoIf you want something more academic I recommend Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations by Robert Austin [1]. There is a sample that is a pretty good introduction as well [2]. This was the only book worth reading when I was researching metrics for our team at work. TL;DR: Don't use performance metrics for human beings. You almost certainly won't get what you want, and you'll probably get nasty side effects instead. [1] http://www.amazon.com/Measuring-Managing-Performance-Organizations-Robert/dp/0932633366 http://www.amazon.com/Measuring-Managing-Performance-Organiz... [2] http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780133492071/samplepages/0133492079.pdf http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780133492071/samplepa...