Standing on the Shoulder of Giants Looking for Fundamental Principles of Human Effectiveness

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Eli Goldratt proposed a six-step process to stand on the shoulders of giants and make progress:

  1. Identify a “giant”. Intuition will guide you to an important enough subject for you.
  2. Identify the enormity of the area not addressed by the giant. Reality gives the signals that so much more can be done. You are aiming for a broader, not a more confined, area than what was addressed by the giant.
  3. Get on the giant’s shoulders. Gain the historical perspective – understand the giant’s solution better than he did.
  4. Identify the conceptual difference between the reality that was improved so dramatically by the giant and the area untouched.
  5. Identify the wrong assumption.
  6. Conduct the full analysis to determine the core problem, solution, etc.

In looking for fundamental principles of human effectiveness, I identify Dr Stephen R Covey as the giant on whose shoulders I wish to stand and look more broadly at the concept of principles. Step 1 was easy enough.

According to my understanding of Dr Covey’s work on human effectiveness, human effectiveness is based on the concept that principles are in control.

Most readers of his work brush over the concept of principles to get to practices – which, I believe, is not what he intended. Step 3 is nearly impossible – I will fudge it until I make it.

People have bought into the seven habits of highly effective people without necessarily buying into the concept of principles. Mainly because the word principle is used for a host of non-principle matters. Step 4 is the gist of my endeavour.

The assumption that I aim to address is the assumption that people know how to go from principles to their everyday lives. People might be seen as rational beings but are not logical beings. Step 5 is easy enough.

Dr Goldratt and the TOC contributors provided us with logical thinking tools to gain that knowledge. Therefore, I build on the assumption that one can build on fundamental principles towards effectiveness. The development of the logical thinking processes leads me to think that we can make progress in understanding human effectiveness. Some more of Step 5.

[1] Standing on the Shoulders of Giants – Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt (tocico.org)

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