Systems thinkers and hurt LO19329

d.l.dwiggins@computer.org
Tue, 22 Sep 1998 09:33:59 -0700

Replying to LO19116 --

Mnr AM de Lange writes:
> Leo, hopefully you and I will not be excommunicated too. Thank you
> for showing us that in our system thinking we have to think of
> boycotts (impairing flows) if we want to deal with hurt. Do Boycotts
> really stop the hurt?

Or are boycotts instinctive, natural reactions to the hurt? There's a
recently developed idiom in America that fascinated me when I first saw
it: one raises one's hand to someone, palm out, and turns one's head
aside, saying "talk to the hand!" (because the ears ain't listenin').
This is used when the other person is saying things one doesn't want to
hear. Why? Because to face them would be painful. If this is right,
when faced with a boycott-like situation, the first question should be
"where does it hurt?"

Once a boycott is in effect, it's probably to late to resolve the
situation cleanly without a lot of pain and effort. But are there ways to
recognize (in ourselves and others) "incipient boycotts"? Are there early
warning signs that will alert us to tread carefully to avoid having the
situation proceed to that point?

-- 

Don Dwiggins "If you judge, investigate." SEI Information Technology -- Seneca d.l.dwiggins@computer.org

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