Common sense … has the very curious property of being more correct retrospectively than prospectively. It seems to me that one of the principal criteria to be applied to successful science is that its results are almost always obvious retrospectively;… — 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 than because we get the wrong solution to the right problem. — 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
![“Cizek came to Vienna [from Leitmeritz, a small town in Bohemia, then Austrian] when he was twenty [in 1885], and entered the Academy of Fine Arts. He lodged with a poor family, where, fortunately, there were children. These children saw him painting and drawing, and they wanted, as Cizek has so…” quote by Russell L. Ackoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5d1/russell-l-ackoff-12928_art_cizek-came-to-vienna-from-leitmeritz-a-s_694148.jpg)
