10 laws of big systems

10 laws of big systems, from John Gall (1975)

1. New systems mean new problems.

2. Systems don't go away, and since they occupy space, our landscape is now littered with the bleached bones and rotting carcasses of old attempted solutions to our problems.

3. You’re always inside a system. The only question is: Which?

4. A trance-like state, a suspension of normal mental activity, is induced by membership within a System.

5. Systems don’t work for you or for me. They work for their own goals.

6. Systems are seductive.

7. Avoid unnecessary systems. Do it with an existing system if you can. Do it with a small system if you can.

8. The message sent is not necessarily the message received.

9. Loose systems last longer and function better.

10. Avoid uphill configurations. Systems run best when designed to run downhill.

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John Gall shares many more pithy laws in Systemantics: How Systems Work and Especially How They Fail (1975)

I expand on John Gall’s ideas in chapter 35 of my book, Hit Reverse: New Ideas From Old Books

Thank you for your time!