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Entries Tagged as 'General Systems Thinking'

Find It Later, Pay More

February 23rd, 2026 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips An old saying remains true: the later we find a mistake, the more expensive it is to fix. The later we find a mistake, the more expensive it is to fix. That is an old saying. It is still true. The saying is most-often attributed to Barry Boehm as he described it […]

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Tags: Change · Error · Expectations · General Systems Thinking · Mistakes · Systems

It All Comes Down to the Bathroom

January 5th, 2026 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips This current AI boom all comes down to the cost of providing bathrooms for people. Or so it seems. I think we are over thinking the idea of what we think about these chattering bots. Folks, the chatbot is just software running on a computer. Yes, some of that software makes me […]

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Tags: Artificial Intelligence · General Systems Thinking · Money · People · Systems

Coming Back to It

October 2nd, 2025 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips One of the great habits of highly effective persons and organizations is that they “come back to it.” “We will come back to it when we have the time,” an oft-repeated but seldom completed phrase of the well intentioned. Sigh. We will come back to this. How many times have I heard […]

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Tags: Commitment · General Systems Thinking · Patience · Time · Work

This Will Smear the Lens, But…

September 29th, 2025 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Sometimes a solution is bad in the long term, but it is exactly what is needed in the short term. Sitting here in the coffee shop (no names, but their logo is green), I managed to drop a speck on butter on the lens of my reading glasses. I grab the paper […]

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Tags: Alternatives · Concepts · General Systems Thinking · Patience · Time · Urgent

AI,Jobs, and Poor Decisions

July 17th, 2025 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Replace people with AI? Cut human jobs? Deciders at companies are deciding these things. It is unfortunate, but deciders at companies have a history of choosing poorly. Replace people and their jobs with AI. Think of the benefits. Save money. Better the bottom line. And remove some of those pesky people whose […]

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Tags: Artificial Intelligence · Change · Choose · Decide · General Systems Thinking · Jobs · Management · People · Systems

Ornamental or Practical

May 1st, 2025 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Ornamental objects are preserved. Practical objects are frayed and discarded. It is easy to confuse the two. Ever see a coffee pot from the 1940s? Except in old photo collections, I haven’t. Ever see a coffee service made of silver and engraved by a master craftsman? Yes I have. Museums are full […]

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Tags: Appearances · Authentic · Context · General Systems Thinking · Practice · Thinking

Remember Carbon Nanotubes?

March 3rd, 2025 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Every generation seems to have its magic technology just about to burst on the scene and doing something wonderful and financially rewarding. Most of the time, nothing happens. Back in the early years of this century, carbon nanotubes were the thing to discuss. We were to build computers thinner than a piece […]

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Tags: General Systems Thinking · History · Technology · Thinking

Gap Analysis: Beware

February 6th, 2025 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Analyzing the gap between what we have and what we need is a good practice. Beware, however, that it doesn’t stop people from thinking and focus them on the same old thing. “Gap analysis is a systematic method used to identify the differences between an organization’s current state and its desired future […]

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Tags: Analysis · General Systems Thinking · Requirements · Research · Resources · Systems · Thinking

One or Both Hands in My Pockets

January 2nd, 2025 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips There are times when a good thing to do is put one or both hands in my pockets before doing something else. In the late 1970s (yes, I am that old), a college professor was working with us know-nothing students in an electrical engineering lab. The experiment of the week involved a […]

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Tags: Adults · Choose · Education · Engineering · Error · General Systems Thinking · Systems

Half of What You See, None of What You Hear

December 2nd, 2024 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips This is an old saying told to me many, many years ago. It is true today more than ever. Recent “reports” tell me that some Federal agencies are arresting folks who are merely trying to help their neighbors. And I hear of nice folks pointing guns at other Americans who are temporary […]

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Tags: Choose · Clarity · Expectations · General Systems Thinking · Information · Learning · Listening