SYSTEMSARCHETYPESATAGLANCEARCHETYPEDESCRIPTIONGUIDELINESDriftingGoalsCorrectiveActionPressuretoLowerGoalSSB1GAPActualB2SooGoalSDelayIna“DriftingGoals”archetypes,agapbetweenthegoalandcurrentrealitycanberesolvedbytakingcorrectiveaction(B1)orloweringthegoal(B2).Thecriticaldifferenceisthatloweringthegoalimmediatelyclosesthegap,whereascorrectiveactionsusuallytaketime.·Driftingperformancefiguresareusuallyindicatorsthatthe“DriftingGoals”archetypeisatworkandthatrealcorrectiveactionsarenotbeingtaken.·Acriticalaspectofavoidingapotential“DriftingGoals”scenarioistodeterminewhatdrivesthesettingofthegoals.·Goalslocatedoutsidethesystemwillbelesssusceptibletodriftinggoalspressures.·EscalationThreattoAResultsofARelativetoBSB2SB1oActivitybyASA'sResultThreattoBActivitybyBB'sResultSSoSInthe“Escalation’archetypes,oneparty(A)takesactionsthatareperceivedbytheotherasathreat.Theotherparty(B)respondsinasimilarmanner,increasingthethreattoAandresultinginmorethreateningactionsbyA.Thereinforcingloopistracedoutbyfollowingtheoutlineofthefigure-8producedbythetwobalancingloops.Tobreakanescalationstructure,askthefollowingquestions:·Whatistherelativemeasurethatpitsonepartyagainsttheotherandcanyouchangeit?·Whatarethesignificantdelaysinthesystemthatmaydistortthetruenatureofthethreat?·Whatarethedeep-rootedassumptionsthatliebeneaththeactionstakeninresponsetothethreat?·FixesthatFailFixProblemSymptomUnintendedConsequenceSoSDelayB1R1Ina“FixesthatFail”situation,aproblemsymptomcriesoutforresolution.Asolutionisquicklyimplementedthatalleviatesthesymptom(B1),butthenintendedconsequencesofthe“fix”exacerbatetheproblem(R1).Overtime(right),theproblemsymptomreturnstoitspreviouslevelorbecomesworse.·Breakinga“FixesthatFail”cycleusuallyrequirestwoactions:acknowledgingthatthefixismerelyalleviatingasymptom,andmakingacommitmenttosolvetherealproblemnow.·Atwo-prongedattackofapplyingthefixandplanningoutthefundamentalsolutionwillhelpensurethatyoudon’tgetcaughtinaperpetualcycleofsolvingyesterdays“solutions.”ARCHETYPEDESCRIPTIONGUIDELINESGrowthandUnderinvestmentDemandGrowingActionPerformancePerceivedNeedstoInvestCapacityInvestmentinCapacityPerformanceStandardDelaySSSSSSoSR1B1B2oIna“GrowthandUnderinvestment”archetypes,growthapproachesalimitthatcanbeeliminatedorpushedintothefutureifcapacityinvestmentsaremade.Instead,performancestandardsareloweredtojustifyunderinvestment,leadingtolowerperformancewhichfurtherjustifiesunderinvestment.·Digintotheassumptionswhichdrivecapacityinvestmentdecisions.Ifpastperformancedominatesasaconsideration,trytobalancethatperspectivewithafreshlookatdemandandthefactorsthatdriveitsgrowth.·Ifthereisapotentialforgrowth,buildcapacityinanticipationoffuturedemand.·LimitstoSuccessEffortsPerformanceLimitingActionConstraintSSB1SSR1oIna“LimitstoSuccess”scenario,continuedeffortsinitiallyleadtoimprovedperformance.Overtime,however,thesystemencountersalimitwhichcausestheperformancetoslowdownorevendecline(B1),evenaseffortscontinuetorise.·Thearchetypeismosthelpfulwhenitisusedwellinadvanceofanyproblems,toseehowthecumulativeeffectsofcontinuedsuccessmightleadtofutureproblems.·Usethearchetypestoexplorequestionssuchas“Whatkindsofpressuresarebuildingupintheorganizationasaresultofthegrowth?”·Lookforwaystorelievepressuresorremovelimitsbeforeanorganizationalgasketblows.·ShiftingtheBurden/Addiction...
