Today’s post features my conversation with Dr. Michael C. Jackson, discussing his professional journey and the evolution of Systems Thinking.
Mike is Emeritus Professor at the University of Hull and the author of several books including the recently published Critical Systems Thinking: A Practitioner's Guide - he is nothing short of a rock star in the world of Systems Thinking.
As a Silicon Valley insider rebelling against mainstream management practices, it was an absolute honor for me to host Dr. Michael C. Jackson on the Cyb3rSyn Labs Podcast.
This episode is EPIC (no pun intended 🙂) - a MUST WATCH Silicon Valley executives!
Systems thinking not only erases the boundaries between the points of view that define the sciences and professions, it also erases the boundary between science and the humanities.
Podcast Video
Members of the Cyb3rSyn Community can watch/discuss the podcast episode on the www.cyb3rsynlabs.com portal or the mobile app (iOS and Android). The video is also on YouTube here 👇🏾
Key Insights and My Reflections
In this episode, Mike reflects on his personal connections with legendary figures like Russell Ackoff, Peter Checkland and others, illustrating how their mentorship shaped his worldview.
He explains that his motivation for writing stems from a desire to reunify a fractured discipline, moving beyond warring factions of cyberneticians and systems engineers toward a pluralistic approach. The conversation explores the history of systems thinking, acknowledging past failures in social engineering while highlighting its modern relevance in navigating complex organizational challenges.
Mike also emphasizes the necessity of linking theory and practice through action research to prevent systems ideas from becoming superficial management fads. He also makes the case that a systems perspective is essential to ensure technology serves as a humanistic friend rather than a mechanistic tool of oppression.
Here are the key insights and my reflections…
The Birth of Critical Systems Thinking
Why Hard Systems Fail in Soft Reality?
The Need for Action Research
Technology as a Friend, Not a Mechanistic Overlord
Appendix - Book/Paper References