Dear Systems Thinker,Just got back from St. Andrews. Home of the "Old Course" where the game of golf was born. The town has a great history too. The St. Andrews Castle, Cathedral and the Firth of Forth. I immersed myself in history - golf and Scottish.
I was taken by the story of Witch Lake where in the 1600s accused witches had their thumbs tied to their big toes and were thrown off a cliff into the Lake. If the accused floated, they were pulled out and burned at the stake. But if they drowned they were innocent!
The world has a history of doing some pretty ridiculous things based on assumption and superstition. Our modern day service designs I believe will be the focus of jokes for generations to come. Design assumptions abound and perpetuated by tradition rather than knowledge.
A potential remedy could be a trip to St. Andrews for a jump off the cliff for every time a manager makes an assumption. Or maybe a medieval stick in the eye. Certainly would change behavior in a coercive way. We could call it tactical coercion.
Actually, nothing of the sort needs to happen. Changing thinking requires a normative experience to change thinking. That is why the Vanguard Method requires a pull from those willing to take a fresh look for a better way. No burning at the stake required!
