A significant symptom of unrecognised paradoxes, i.e. thinking in unambiguousness, is the structural overload of decision-makers and organisations. If it is not recognised that deciding in the field does not result in compatible poles, then it obviously follows that the opposite should be implemented at the same time: assertive and team-orientated, customer-orientated and cost-conscious, global …
To understand how systems sustain and change, one needs a knowledge of certain, basic aspects of system-theory thinking. Important concepts, which are a necessary ‘background’ to this meta-theoretical attempt, are presented in the surroundings of this circle and they give explanations which are generally as comprehensible as possible.
How is consultancy possible? No coach can change the thoughts and feelings of his clients by thinking and feeling inside them! No team developer can change the relationship patterns of a team he does not belong to and no organisational consultant can alter the decision-making patterns by way of the guiding processes. If one cannot …
Consultation can also take place without anything changing in the decision-making patterns of the client. This is often the case. We call such consultations ‘Consultancy Symbioses’. They come in two forms: Form I is recognisable by the fact that clients do what the consultant wants/suggests. In form II it is exactly the opposite. For this …
Consultancy can also take place without anything being changed in the decision-making patterns of the client. This is often the case. We call such consultations ‘Consultancy Symbioses’. They arise in two forms: Form II is recognisable from the consultant doing what the client wants or suggests. With form I it is exactly the opposite. For …
Membership has a double effect on an organisation, as well as on the person who becomes or is a member. Membership brings about uncertainty on both sides. Will the employee remain or not, will he be dismissed or not? Membership in organisations always means that one finds oneself in the (job) market and that past …
One concept which is just as important, as well as being frequently misunderstood, is the second-order observer. Often it is understood that a second observer observes, WHAT another (first) observer observes, “I see that you have chosen a cream cake from the baker’s!”. However, this is only a further first-order observation (= WHAT). A second-order …
If someone knows something, considers something as true, considers something desirable, he will not necessarily also occupy himself with how and in which respect this makes him blind. Quite the opposite, the usual assumption of every-day thinking is that the more one knows, the smaller will be the area of not knowing. But exactly this …
Systems must be capable of processing events which they experience as disruptions, irritation, disappointment or surprises. Thus, disruptions are always that, which the respective system processes as such. Such disrupting events can be attributed to the external environment as well as the internal environment. How do systems process their disruptions? How do systems cope with …
Systems cannot be symmetric. Otherwise they would not be distinguishable from anything! The phenomenon of symmetry breaking is found in physics (for example, the left/right spin in elementary particles), in chemistry (dissipative structures) or in mathematics (laws of form). Two sides are required and the choice of one of the two sides, so that stability …