SoPK as a system**

[David Kerridge <dfk@mwfree.net>]

Following a comment by Bill Scherkenbach under the title
"Re: Variation & SoPK" Jim comments:

>Moderator's Note:  Perhaps the last statement here will help us move
>in a coherent direction - SoPK *is* a system - interrelated - viewed
>as a whole - but maybe not 25% for each of the 4 components... Thots?

I wish I knew how WED would have answered this, but here is how it
seems to me.

Faced with any problem, whether theoretical or practical, we may well
find that one aspect of the SoPK most readily *suggests* a solution.
Since we are individuals, and learn in different ways, this starting point
may be different for each of us. By an "aspect" of SoPK I mean not
necessarily a single component, but any interaction between components.

But suppose we thought we had a good way to reduce variation -
only it would harm people. Or suppose the effects would be good
locally, but bad for the system as a whole. We must also ask "Does
it really work?" - in other words, can we be sure that we will get
the effect we predict?

We have now brought in *all* the aspects of the SoPK. And suppose
that the new idea is good in one direction, but not in others. We
should reject it, except possibly as an emergency measure.

In the long term, we must not trade off one advantage against
another, but must seek ways to improve the system in all
possible ways - on each of the four dimensions of Profound
Knowledge.

The remarkable thing that WED has demonstrated is that there
really are solutions which, in the long term, are good for everyone,
and good in all ways.

This is the root of all transformation. No more compromises,
no more trade-offs. A revolutionary insight, because it is
almost an article of faith to most managers that everything is
a trade-off.

 "You can't improve quality without increasing costs".
 "You can't be humane without being inefficient"

...and so on. All wrong - but all so "obvious" that they are accepted
without question every day. And when we are under pressure,
we are liable to slip back into the old "common sense" ways of
thinking. Most "quick fixes" are based on trade-offs.

So my answer is that we must separate the answer into two
parts:

1 The way we first approach a problem may be different
    for each individual.

2 The solutions we finally adopt must represent 100% application
   of every aspect of the SoPK.

Best wishes
David
dfk@mwfree.net
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