Systems Thinking: A More Humane Way
- Tom Ogden
- Feb 27
- 2 min read
"A bad system will beat a good person every time." ~Edwards Deming
Have you ever heard, "I just can't find good people," from a business owner or manager? They are frustrated because nobody wants to work for them, or because those that do work for them always seem to have problems. Consider that maybe there's an issue with the system (environment, culture, incentives) they are trying to hire into.
Have you ever heard a director or program manager propose that if they could just hire one really good superstar, all their problems would be solved? Reflect on how many candidate superstars they have already hired and fired because they turned out to be not so super. Is there a chance here too is a system that is failing its people?
In business teams, a proper system is simple, without a lot of rules or hierarchy, where people are valued above all else, and no one is motivated by fear. People will always be smarter and more valuable than systems, so a system needs to exist to serve the people, not the other way around.
When something goes wrong, look first to the system, not the people.
When people seem to "misbehave", look first at the system that motivates their behavior.
When you find yourself overdependent on a single unfortunate "hero", consider how the system could be used to spread out the expertise and give the poor hero a break.
When teammates fail to collaborate, what in the system might be causing them to compete?
When employees hide within their workspaces, turn off their cameras or fail to communicate, think about the system environment that motivates or rewards that behavior. Is there an element of fear in the workplace?
Is experimentation and innovation encouraged and rewarded, or are there rules and hierarchies that demotivate creativity?
CONCLUSION
So long as we think our problems are "people problems", we will abrogate our responsibility to our human counterparts in favor of bad systems. People are generally good, and they want to do what's right. We just need to give them a system that enables and encourages success.
-Tom/*