If systems could be mean, they’d say, “I told you so” when we hit the holes.

And lastly, I like what Bob has to say about infinity and finite systems. There needs to be flexibility and slack on the hard and the soft stuff too.

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Wow, seriously how does it feel not to eat any sugar? What about carrot juice? That’s super sugary, and it hits like a brick – especially if you’re not used to it.

Inquiring minds want to know! :)

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I worked for 5 years in a classroom for kids with emotional and behavior disorders (yes, there is disorder for everything, I know). Anyway, it was in a high school but was self-contained, which meant the kids didn’t go to other classes until they had achieved the third of five levels. This classroom and everything that went on in it was all based on a system. You do X and Y follows every time. You do Y and you know you will be able to Z.

Some kids who had never experienced success before, did for the first time. Others of course couldn’t go with it, at least right then, but even some of those eventually did and had success.

When someone thought something wasn’t fair, it wasn’t me or the other teachers, it was the system. That’s just how the program works, sorry. It wasn’t personal, and that way it didn’t become a personal issue with the kids; they just dealt with it.

Systems can do that for us, make it so we don’t have to take things personal. There is great freedom in that and it allows us to relax and focus on what we bring to the table as an individual. It’s ironic, but the rules and regs can give us incredible freedom when we let them.

@Bob — excrement happens! Yes, allow for flexing. That’s lovely. I’m so not done thinking about what all this stuff means. :-)

@Fi — yeah, I think it makes so much sense that we know and still don’t do. That exact point where the thing we know we want and need still isn’t happening tends to be the most interesting part, even if it is also the most stuck! It’s totally frustrating and at the same time I’m fascinated by it.

Any finite system of rules for an infinite system will be incomplete, inconsistent, or both.

Therefore, systems and processes and automation can only take you so far. Eventually, you have to trust in the good people around you to make helpful or even wise decisions, and live with the times those decisions aren’t (I normally say, “Excrement happens” at such times, which can solicit a smile even in times of stress).

Its nice when systems are designed to fail – I’ve done this typically by making sure the people running the system know cold the reasons for the system and the range of freedom available within it. And by not over-designing the system up front – allow for flexing.

Anyway, just some more thoughts for what they’re worth – I agree with you, I think this is an important and fertile area for more thought.

Have fun! – Bob

(Can I do it again, can I, huh huh? FIRST!)

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