Silo Effect

     While talking to a co-worker about business' and what would happen if the pool (somehow) became a huge business with multiple pools, hot tubs, and an incredibly large fitness center. He then told me about the silo effect and how in the end it could end out very badly. The silo effect refers to a lack of communication and different management groups going towards different goals instead of working together. Thinking about this later, I realized that this is one way a system can fail. If it grows to fast and too big, then there can be different goals within the system. Add in a lack of communication and you have a failed system, or a system close to failure.

Röyksopp - Remind Me

Hello all, while looking for different music videos I stumbled upon this one and could not stop thinking about all the different systems within this woman's life working together. It is a good video (plus I really enjoy the music), hope you all enjoy it also.

What intrigued you the most about this video?

Grounded Cognition

Hey everyone, I found this great video online that really helped me to understand more about grounded cognition. I personally found it a little difficult to follow the reading without going to other resources to help me out. Hopefully this will help you out too!

Video about Grounded Cognition

Failing Systems

     I am (as of yesterday) very sick, because of it I have not be very productive. Due to this 'unproductive-ness' I have been thinking a lot of how systems are connected with each other. My body as a system directly corresponds to my life as  a system. Then there is everything involved with my life (but I won't get into that now), if my system were to fail from lack of resistance (from being sick for example) and another system was not put into place then my cat (whom I care for about a lot) will (after a while of not being fed or cared after) no longer be a system any more either.

(Kolzak)

     Things like that are very interesting to think about sometimes. How when one systems fails, other system can be effect, and how many other systems fail because of it.

Systems All Around Us

     Within this world there are so many systems around us that most people fail to notice. Working at a pool it is easy to see how all the different elements/parts come together to make sure that the pool functions and can work properly. Within this system you need to have the  the cashier who takes the money from the people who choose to use the pool and makes sure those that come in are able to use the pool, life guards to make sure that those that use the pool are safe, a maintenance crew to ensure the pool chemicals are at the ideal percentage and that the pool area is clean to keep it a safe environment. Of course the pool could not stay open unless the public has a need to use the facility.
~System: The pool.
~Parts/Elements: The different jobs needed.
~Interconnections (rules): The people that work there need to work together in order to ensure that everything works correctly. Users of the pool must follow the set pool rules so that the employees can do their job.
~Function: To be open for use.

Quote

I very much enjoyed this quote, "A system generally goes on being itself, changing only slowly if at all, even with complete substitutions of its elements - as long as its interconnections and purposes remain intact".
Page 16, Thinking in System b y D. H. Meadows

Questions

Questions:

-Can a system exist even if the purpose is unknown or very vague?

-What starts a reinforced feedback loop?

-Do systems start by the need of a simple purpose/ function or is there more to it?

-Can a system exist without rules even if there is a set purpose/function and the goal is met?

-Can a system without rules met its goals?