Ventana software support forum

Hey, that's a good idea. A spreadsheet substitute.

It's funny that no books really address selling.

if "hard systems modeling" is more popular, it's probably because "hard systems management" ie "industrial management theories" are more popular than decentralized theories of management (where any discussions, much less discussions around models would be seen as valuab...

>they hardly apply the feedback thinking to dynamic issues other than hard systems modeling. I wonder why... I think the uses are entirely different. That is clear in almost every book that I've read, but it's not spelled out as being an important distinction. One is a "communication tool"...

Thanks. This is what I mean. There are plenty of SD modelers in the engineering field. People model steering and tracking systems, automatic systems etc. Most of what is discussed here is Sterman, Forrester's use...and that is a specific use of SD directed towards increasing understanding. It has to...

I'm perplexed.

The question is "How do you sell modeling in a formal systems thinking context". Managers HAVE plenty of "models" that are banging data together and programming where the reality get lost in the analysis. Compared to all of the programming, a simple Sterman/Forrester model looks ...

I think the gov and education are the best customers. Most jobs I find want Modelers with advanced degrees in a bunch of other data stuff that don't mesh.

[Edited on 6-22-2010 by Barry]

Heck...searching jobs for simulations, models, system dynamics, systems thinking...etc...there are hardly none.

[Edited on 6-20-2010 by Barry]

[Edited on 6-29-2010 by Barry]

At an iSee conference, an the model facilitator for an oil pricing model used Checkland's approach (looking at "messes") to formulate causal loops, and THEN turned those loops into stocks and flows, and simulated the outcomes.

>is it possible to use system dynamics to study the impact of leadership on organizational commitment and job satisfaction I will tell you how I would make a simple one, but so many OTHER factors effect commitment BESIDES leadership, that it would be a wrong assumption to say that a good leader woul...

What are YOUR questions? Is it "How can I raise the number of students?" or "What types of things influence enrollment?"

Could you say that a management model turns answers into questions? Conclusive answers are an issue, like "the answer to a dirty river is to clean it up" obscures questions like "what's causing the pollution?"

Models are garbage in - garbage out. I think they need grounding in some other writings. The Jackson / Flood books are good. They look at lots the pros and cons of 20 or 30 systems theories.

[Edited on 6-13-2010 by Barry]

This is how I worked through that myself. A model just says "If these structures and decision rules (in the model) are correct, THEN this is what will happen". The only thing that the structures can be tested against is reality, as in "is this river really flowing?". Am I missing...

Run a simulation that addresses a management challenge in an interesting way? (I haven't had much luck, so speaking hypothetically) Managers have PRESSING issues, and don't seem to have time for eventual issues. Much more thought needs to go into how to sell Models. Much more thought. I hope that th...

What aspects do you want to model? The technology of how to create bioenergy?, or the ecological/economic effects? (biofuel may deplete land that was used for food production, and may have an effect of increasing world hunger) There's an MIT model on this page that gives insight into the Economic ch...

I heard a word that makes a good case for Dynamic Modeling. Naive Realism is a term that refers to the belief (conviction) that everything is exactly the way that it appears. Systems Thinking can bring Naive Realism into question. also I heard someone else say that many policy issues are divided int...

This page has a concise list of value propositions for systems thinking.

http://www.pegasuscom.com/whystview.html

I haven't read much about interviewing. You may have to make them up.

Has anyone worked with Bohm's dialogue? Bohm's work is, I think, complementary to SD. Senge was influenced by Bohm. I've been watching some videos of Bohm dialogues, and the approach seems very helpful. I still think that many in the SD field are operating with many underlieing assumptions and contr...

I would purchase some slides from the "Learning Fables" series from Pegasus Communications.

http://www.pegasuscom.com/fables.html

No doubt it was worth the money. Those guys are great. Maybe I can find the videos online. The MIT Open Courseware of their SD course is online for free, and there are some nice MIT video lectures for other subjects.

This question is answered very nicely in a book that I will continue to reference. Creative Holism for Managers This book was invaluable for me. As I see it (my opinion), SSM is designed to be helpful in areas where people have different perspectives, purposes, and problem definitions. Sterman's app...

.....and the 1 week MIT course. A little pricey though.

I've learned several tricks...oh, that's how I can represent this....that I could share in a few minutes. Took me months. My brother advanced a year on the banjo after one lesson...a little learning by osmosis. I'm practicing also. The choices for classes are still 2 day or 4 years. Still looking fo...