|
xii the book is going to develop, with your intimate collaboration, a Model of the Viable System
xiii One of the main reasons why so many problems are intractable, is that they are formulated in such a way as to defeat any solution.
We go on trying the solutions that have always failed to work in the past, instead of attempting to pose the problems in a different and solvable way.
p.1 An organization is viable if it can survive in a particular sort of environment.
p.2 So remember:
a model is neither true nor false: it is more or less useful.
p.8 Let's remember that a viable system is capable of independent existence... ... within a specified environment.
p.21 What is going on is the MANAGEMENT OF COMPLEXITY.
p.21 Variety is a measure of complexity, because it counts the number of possible states of a system.
p.23 HIGH VARIETY is necessarily cut down, or attenuated, to the number of possible states that the receiving entity can actually handle.
p.26 This is for certain: you cannot repeal
THE LAW OF REQUISITE VARIETY
- which says that only variety can absorb variety.
p.27 LOW VARIETY is necessarily enhanced, or amplified, to the number of possible states that the receiving entity needs if it is to remain regulated.
p.29 We are seeking balance through requisite variety.
Therefore:
- many management strategies are mixed between adjustments to amplifiers and attenuators... we need only to be satisfied that as the dynamic interaction between entities unfolds, we have made provision that no entity will be swamped... by the proliferation of another's variety.
- In view of this, the problem of measurement is minimal. We find ourselves... looking for assurances that counter-balanced varieties are roughly equal...
- The problem of management itself, which is that of regulating an immense proliferation of variety, is less horrific once the underlying homeostatic regulators are perceived, properly designed, and allowed to absorb the variety of each others' entities.
This is the essence of VIABILITY.
p.30 The First Principle of Organization... what the Principle is saying is that viable systems... are basically self-organizing.
p.31 The function of management is emerging, as it finally must be understood, as a subset of the viable system - and not as some hierarchic overlord.
p.123 It is certain, however, that the variety reductions involved are enormous; and that whatever we do by way of attenuation will run us into major risks, stemming from the resulting skimpiness of variety - and the paucity of information defining that variety. [JLJ - not really - Beer misses the fact that richly detailed cues can be obtained which hint that we are stretching to meet demand or bucking under pressure. We act, much as a race car driver listening to the screech of his tires in the turn - the sound tells him how much more he can push his car before sliding out.]
p.124 Years ago, having formulated a theory supposing that good chess players can recognize patterns, and thereby instantly discard huge tracts of variety, I had a series of discussions with one of the grandfathers... of cybernetics... Warren McCulloch's reply, however, declared that there was no way of recognizing the pattern, whether expertly or inexpertly, without considering and grading every possible move. [JLJ - my opinion is that humans use action information dynamics to construct symbols, which compete against each other to capture attention, effectively but indirectly determining "maybe" moves. We now must consider the typical consequences of the maybe moves in order to determine the adaptive capacity to mobilize coercion.]
p.126 managing an enterprise is far more complicated than chess. [JLJ - not too sure about that]
p.127 Botvinnik's conclusion is this: until the 'depth' picture resolves itself at a level where one can legitimately take a decision, the proper course is to strengthen oneself.
|
