Managers who don't know how to measure what they want settle for wanting what they can measure. — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
A problem never exists in isolation; it is surrounded by other problems in space and time. The more of the context of… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
Most corporate mission statements are worthless. They consist largely of pious platitudes such as: "We will hold ourselves to the highest standards… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
The lower the rank of managers, the more they know about fewer things. The higher the rank of managers, the less they… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
To manage a system effectively, you might focus on the interactions of the parts rather than their behavior taken separately. — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
Managers are not confronted with problems that are independent of each other, but with dynamic situations that consist of complex systems of… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
It is far better to do the right thing wrong than to do the wrong thing right. — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
Successful problem solving requires finding the right solution to the right problem. We fail more often because we solve the wrong problem… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
Most managers receive much more data (if not information) than they can possibly absorb even if they spend all of their time… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
Creativity is the ability to identify self-imposed constraints, remove them, and explore the consequences of their removal. — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
Managers who don't know how to measure what they want settle for wanting what they can measure. — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
A bureaucrat is one who has the power to say "no" but none to say "yes." — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
A problem never exists in isolation; it is surrounded by other problems in space and time. The more of the context of a problem… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
“Contrary to the impression that the educational system promulgates, there are no absolute answers to questions; the correct answer to a question depends on… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
Most corporate mission statements are worthless. They consist largely of pious platitudes such as: "We will hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
“Reality consists of sets of interacting problems, systems of problems we call “messes.” As previously noted, problems are abstractions extracted from reality by analysis.… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
“Those involved in the redesign process must know what they would do if they could do whatever they wanted. Such knowledge is essential if… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
“Cizek came to Vienna [from Leitmeritz, a small town in Bohemia, then Austrian] when he was twenty [in 1885], and entered the Academy of… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
The future is better dealt with using assumptions than forecasts. — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
“One might wonder how on earth learning came to be seen primarily a result of teaching. Until quite recently, the world’s great teachers were… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
The more efficient you are at doing the wrong thing, the wronger you become. It is much better to do the right thing wronger… — Russell L. Ackoff Copy Share Image
