Human systems

[Dudley.Chewning@barksdale.af.mil]

Bob stated in 2001 #22 "Maybe the way in which the people in the Deming
community view "systems" is inadequate.  How has the DEN or the Deming
Institute furthered thinking of systems?  For me the view of systems is
stuck in the materiel and information domains and doesn't address how people
really interact in the system - via their commitments."


I think the human part of the system is inside each product or service, we
just don't see the system that includes how the people interact, we have a
tendency to focus on the end product and call it a thing. Not too long ago,
when craftsman were popular, people would say that this is a "Jones wagon",
knowing Mr. Jones was the man behind the quality.

Human systems (communications/commitments) can be assessed the same way a
product is measured, I recently presented to the annual American Association
of Marriage and Family Therapist conference, describing such a process. The
process included a survey and the use of a control chart to help therapist
identify the family (communication) process, and when and if a change
occurred due to the special cause called "therapy". This process is designed
to help family therapist correct dysfunctional family systems. This process
can assist organizational human systems assessments/improvement, also.

People often focus on the behavior of the family without realizing there is
a system behind their behavior. Of course this all begins to sound like a
system is a system. The systems theory is the bases for family therapy, just
add a little psychology, theory, and top it off with variation and you have
"continual improvement in the family". 

Now what is the operational definition of "family/organization"?  

Dudley Chewning, dchewning@aol.com