In a LinkedIn article titled “There are Three Types of Clouds in Theory of Constraints” by Dr. Kelvyn Youngman, he discusses the concept of the evaporating cloud. The Theory of Constraints (TOC), is a management paradigm that views any manageable system as being limited in achieving more of its goals by a very small number of constraints.
Dr. Youngman starts the article by asking the reader how many named clouds they think there are, listing several examples such as the day-to-day conflict cloud, consolidated cloud, generic cloud, core cloud, fire-fighting cloud, dilemma cloud, inner dilemma cloud, lieutenant’s cloud, organizational interest cloud, chronic conflict cloud, the UDE cloud, Efrat’s cloud, and more. He then states that regardless of the functional names given to these clouds or the purposes they serve, there are just two kinds of structure that are configured in three ways.
The two kinds of structure he refers to are paradox and dilemma. He describes paradox as a systemic cloud that is vastly under-recognized, underrated, and misunderstood. He also mentions that he had been challenged with a synthetic case that he was not meant to be able to solve, but he solved it nonetheless. He then discusses the concept of a dilemma, which he describes as a local/local conflict that is easier to do and remember and is overrepresented in the cloud literature.
Dr. Youngman then delves into a discussion about the works of several authors, including Robert Fritz, Robert Kegan, Ron Heifetz, and Chris Mowles, and how their ideas relate to the concept of clouds in TOC. He discusses the concepts of adaptive challenges and technical challenges, and how they relate to paradox and dilemma respectively. He also discusses the concept of chronic conflict, which he describes as a mid-member between paradox and dilemma.
Throughout the article, Dr. Youngman provides detailed explanations and examples to illustrate his points, making the concepts he discusses easier to understand. He also provides references to other works for readers who want to delve deeper into the topics he discusses.
Overall, the article is a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the concept of clouds in the Theory of Constraints. It provides valuable insights into how these clouds can be understood and applied in various contexts, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in this topic.
Go to the LinkedIn article => Click here