Many decisions require deciding whose preferences should influence these decisions. In some situations, there may be one ultimate decision maker, although this is very rare in public-private ecosystems. Success usually depends an understanding all stakeholders. Human-centered design addresses the values, concerns, and perceptions of all stakeholders in designing, developing, deploying, and operating products, services, and […]
When and how do organizational change initiatives make a real and lasting difference? When there is shared recognition of existing and/or emerging value deficiencies, which requires a shared understanding of the nature of value and how the organization creates value. When there is shared agreement on the range of change alternatives that have potential to […]
People who are advantaged by the status quo tend to be averse to changing it. Consequently, those who are favored in this way tend to herald its merits and distain the alternatives. Why wouldn’t we continue the policies and strategies that generously rewarded them in the past. As leader of an organization needing to entertain […]
For many years, my research related to design, operations, and maintenance of national security and space systems. Over the past two decades, I have added healthcare delivery, higher education, urban systems, as well as energy and transportation. These complex ecosystems interact in myriad ways. In particular, they interact in terms of claims on societal resources. […]
There are many complex contexts that involve a wide range of stakeholders with a broad array of ideas for improving the context of interest. Such contexts can range from neighborhoods to wards to cities to states and countries. I am involved in one right now with 200+ ideas; a few years ago, I played a […]
Within much of engineering, and particularly, operations research, the goal is often the “best” decision that maximizes or minimizes a well-defined criterion or objective function. One can then, for example, employ mathematical programming to calculate the lowest cost routes for delivery trucks. Often one can even mathematically prove that these routes are best. Over the […]
