Structure determines Behavior
When John D. Sterman wrote "structure determines behavior" (2000) he gave us a path in which anything could be solved, any complex situation in the world could now be seen with a new approach that could create an essential solution to leverage any system.
Why should we look for an essential solution? Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote "the essential is invisible to the eyes", and it that looks like an iceberg, where the part that is visible above the sea is an effect of the mass that is submerged in the ocean.
In other terms, the above part, the visible one is a Perceived Structure (Saeed, 2009), the one that is beneath is a Latent Structure (Saeed, 2009), the first cannot exist without the latest, the second structure is a cause for the effect (the peak of the iceberg).
When we see a problem in a business, we use several techniques to diagnose or to get to the root cause (5 why, Ishikawa Diagram, FMEA, among others) and correct it the cause of the problem, or at least try. But what happens when the solution is symptomatic? would that correct the problematic situation? is it intertwined with another situation? If the root cause isn't reached, then the problem would rise again, if the symptom is attacked, it will rise again, only when the latent structure is intervened, the system would improve, for that you would need to find a proper leverage point (Meadows, 1997), but that is another story.
Do you have a problem that comes and goes and it feels like forever that has been with you?
In other terms, the above part, the visible one is a Perceived Structure (Saeed, 2009), the one that is beneath is a Latent Structure (Saeed, 2009), the first cannot exist without the latest, the second structure is a cause for the effect (the peak of the iceberg).
When we see a problem in a business, we use several techniques to diagnose or to get to the root cause (5 why, Ishikawa Diagram, FMEA, among others) and correct it the cause of the problem, or at least try. But what happens when the solution is symptomatic? would that correct the problematic situation? is it intertwined with another situation? If the root cause isn't reached, then the problem would rise again, if the symptom is attacked, it will rise again, only when the latent structure is intervened, the system would improve, for that you would need to find a proper leverage point (Meadows, 1997), but that is another story.
Do you have a problem that comes and goes and it feels like forever that has been with you?
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