Designs for action shall be put into practice in the knowledge and positive acceptance that feedback may result in their amendment.
Decisions, decisions: as we saw in the last episode, 150 per week per ministry, each spouting its share of paperwork like a photocopier out of control, swamping its surroundings with verbiage, utterly lacking in practical intent, and for anyone trying to see if the system works in any meaningful way – bewildering in its senselessness.
But who are the people who make these decisions? And what do they know, really? And what are they expecting to come of them? Contemplating these questions quickly draws one to the conclusion that we are watching a pantomime, a Punch and Judy show, that exists to conceal the pointless governmental machine that is out of control.
This principle does two things: it reframes these empty “decisions” in their ideal and realistic intent – to bring about beneficial change, as designs for action. And in being realistic, it is realistic about how plans – designs – need to be course-corrected on contact with reality: they need to evolve.
Talking points:
- First and second order cybernetics: Dashboards, and people within the control system
- Running the country: the pantomime and the possibilities
- We would fail if we were politicians too
- The risks of ineptitude: London as an instrument of Russian power
- Market liberalisation as a decision – out of sight, out of mind
- Financial crisis – absence of feedback!
- Design authority in context: how to prevent ships sinking?
- The spirit of improvement and learning, the operating principles
- Every design for action is an experiment
- Failure inquiries – here to learn, not to blame.
- Root causes and purpose: Why is government here?
- The promise of systems thinking: living in paradise, sufficiency
- The four main benefits of feedback
- The fundamental importance of good feedback
- Systems sensibility
- Factfulness: opinions based on strong supporting facts
- 7 psychological sins of investing
- Psychological defensiveness
- Labour and smoking: a day out
- Presumption and personal experience
Links:
Dr. Fiona Hill on The Rachman Review:
Stein Ringen (youtube/RSA):
The Roslings on Factfulness (TED talk)
Steven Pinker on the world getting better (TED talk)
Falsifiability – Karl Popper (wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsifiability
Also available to listen to on
Apple Podcasts // Google Podcasts // Soundcloud // Spotify // Stitcher // Acast
