The Logical Thinking Process: A Systems Approach to Complex Problem Solving

by H. William Dettmer · 2007
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The second and renamed edition of Goldratt's Theory of Constraints. Reworked Theory of Constraints presented in a more structured and systematic way. Books The Goal and It's Not Luck nicely provide a fictional essence of the theory.

Excerpts

W Edwards Deming maintained that real quality improvement isn’t possible without profound knowledge.

  1. Anyone can make a decision, given enough facts.
  2. A good manager can make a decision without enough facts.
  3. A perfect manager can operate in perfect ignorance.

— Spencer’s Laws of Data

Average managers are concerned with methods, opinions, and precedents. Good managers are concerned with solving problems.

— Unknown

The major difference between rats and people is that rats learn from experience.

— B. F. Skinner

The CLR constitute a framework of eight specific tests, or proofs, used to verify cause-and- effect logic. The eight proofs consist of:

  1. Clarity
  2. Entity existence
  3. Causality existence
  4. Cause insufficiency
  5. Additional cause
  6. Cause-effect reversal
  7. Predicted effect existence 8. Tautology

In the Lerner and Lowe Broadway musical play Paint Your Wagon, part of a verse from the title song says: Where am I going? I don’t know. When will I be there? I ain’t certain. All that I know is I am on my way.