Theory of Constraints Handbook - James Cox Iii [499]
FIGURE 25-5 Example of “and” connector.
FIGURE 25-6 A simple cause-and-effect tree.
When I say “fundamental assumptions,” I mean that these are two entities that TOC takes as “facts.” With just these two assumptions as our guide, we can bring to light three more very important pieces of the foundation on which all of the powerful TOC applications are based, and on which your use of the TP will be most productive and beneficial:
1. People are good.
2. Every conflict can be removed.
3. There is always a win-win solution.
Please refer to Fig. 25-7, which is a small cause-and-effect tree that illustrates how these three basic elements of TOC are derived.
Start at “the bottom” of the tree, at Entity 1, which summarizes the essence of the concept of inherent simplicity. When we couple that with Entity 2, the definition of “conflict,” it becomes obvious that “conflict” is not a natural state, and thus must be man-made (Entity 5, given the definition of “man-made” in Entity 4). Now go to the left side of the tree. Again, we start with the summary of the concept of inherent simplicity in Entity 1. If you agree that human beings are actually part of nature (Entity 6), then it would become obvious also that our natural state as human beings is, as described in Entity 7, harmonious—consonant with the rest of nature, in harmony with ourselves and other people. It is no wonder, then, that Goldratt insists, “people are good” (Entity 8). Entity 11 states that people have the innate ability to think logically. When we combine this with what we have by now established—that people are naturally harmonious and conflicts are man-made—we have no choice but to recognize that people have the innate ability to eliminate conflicts (Entity 9) and the innate ability to create harmonious solutions (Entity 12). The result of these are the TOC premises (verbalized in Entities 10 and 13) that “every conflict can be removed” and “there is always a win-win solution.” I encourage you to study this tree, and to use it for practicing your own use of cause-and-effect logic. Would you add or modify any entities? Are the causalities solid? What tests would you conduct to verify the entities or validate the causalities represented? If you agree with the tree, what else stems from it? Can it help you to explain any of your own life experiences?
FIGURE 25-7 Deriving the three basic elements of TOC.
We are at a crucial point in your TOC TP education. We have logically derived some fundamental concepts that TOC views as “facts,” which formulate basic principles guiding the use of the TOC TP tools:
1. The concept of inherent simplicity: Nature is simple and consonant (harmonious) to itself.
2. People are good.
3. People have the innate ability to think logically.
4. Every conflict can be removed.
5. There is always a win-win solution.
I guarantee that your use of TOC will be much more fruitful if you use these five principles to guide your way. It is also likely that you are not so convinced that they are “facts.” I would ask you, then, to simply agree that they are a possibility. Once you agree that they are a possibility, and you consider just the possibility when you go about your daily problem solving, then I have little doubt your use of the TP will be worthwhile for you.
The last of the human freedoms: to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
—Viktor Frankl
The rest of the chapter is devoted to teaching you the various “standard” TOC TP. We start with tools that can be used to help you become more productive on a day-to-day basis, and then we move into the tools that are used in a “full analysis”—the systematic approach to answering the three questions of change. Please note that all of the “standard” TP are simply applications of what we have covered thus far in this chapter. If you read no further, and simply put into practice what we have covered up to this point, you would have the ability to derive the tools yourself when the need arises.