Applying systems thinking

I can't help it: I was trained to apply critical thinking when faced with complex problems. But I also enjoy figuring out how complex things work and how to make them work better. I'll start this chapter with a real-life story of how I used systems thinking to discover and help resolve a series of design problems affecting an advanced manufacturing facility. But bear with me for a moment while I first describe the educational, business, and technical training that allowed me to look at the situation differently than the engineers who were designing and developing the manufacturing plant, its equipment, and its processes.

Benefitting from interdisciplinary studies

The charter of the U.S. Naval Academy is to prepare young Navy and Marine Corps officers for leadership roles in military combat, spanning a diverse set of highly technical disciplines. As a result, every midshipman receives a multidisciplinary education that includes subjects from...