Theory of Constraints Handbook - James Cox Iii [498]
Think about how many decisions are made every day based on assumptions of cause and effect. If the group of 40 is any indicator—and I have no reason to believe they are an exception to the general population—I cannot help but think how many decisions are wrong. People are hurt and organizations do not improve, due to our carelessness in the use of “because.” The only difference between using cause-effect thinking in a situation like the lamp and a situation in which the direction of an organization is set is the decision to really check the assumptions that would drive a given course of action.
When you develop the habit of using cause-effect, using it to make the tough decisions will be as natural as using it to figure out why the lamp does not turn on. I cannot stress the importance of practicing—of exercising your brain muscle to think clearly, and to regularly map the cause-effect statements you use, hear, and read (the sentences you use that contain the word “because”). This is the best preparation you can do for when you need to reach for the TP to make the big improvements you care about. By incorporating into your daily practice the use of the basics that I introduce in the next section, you will have everything you need to use—and even develop for yourself—the TOC TP.
Basic Terms and Mapping Protocol
Cause and effect are two sides of one fact.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
An entity is the description of an element of the situation. An entity can be an effect or a cause. Keeping in mind our desire to think and communicate clearly, entities are stated as simple and complete sentences. As we make our way through the various application tools, we will identify special types of entities. Note that an entity is not a statement of cause-effect, which is a description of the cause-and-effect relationship between at least two entities.
An arrow is used to illustrate a cause-effect relationship between two entities. It is the graphical representation of the word “because.” The entity at the pointed end of the arrow is the effect, and the entity at the nonpointed end of the arrow is the cause (see Fig. 25-3).
An And Connector3 is an ellipse or a straight line across the cause-and-effect arrows used to illustrate a “logical and” relationship between multiple entities that together form a single cause for an effect. All entities that are “captured” by the “and connector” are required as causes for the effect to occur. To better understand “logical and,” see Fig. 25-4.
Entity B is an effect of both entities A and C. Neither Entity A nor Entity C can cause Entity B alone, both must exist. Moreover, when both exist, Entity B is an inevitable result. Let us use a simple example. It is your friend’s birthday, and you, along with a group of his other friends, have decided to make a surprise party to celebrate the occasion. You are all gathered in his home, and the big moment arrives. He opens the door, walks in, and you all jump up and shout, SURPRISE! Is he surprised? Yes, but only if he was not expecting the party. See Fig. 25-5 for an illustration of the cause-effect involved. Note that if either of the two causal entities did not exist, he would not be surprised by any one of them.
Figure 25-6 illustrates a simple cause-effect tree. There are 12 entities and 8 cause-effect relationships. Of the 12 entities, 5 are causes only, 2 are effects only, and 5 are both causes and effects. Can you identify the entities, causes, effects, and cause-effect relationships depicted in the tree?4
We have already established two of the fundamental assumptions of TOC: the concept of inherent simplicity and that anybody can think like a scientist if they choose to do so.
FIGURE 25-3 Entities.
FIGURE 25-4