REPLY Getting a Good Problem Statement (SD6576)

[system-dynamics at vensim.com]

Posted by  Jim Hines [mailto:jim at ventanasystems.com]

Jean-Jacques Laublé writes

>> I prefer plain text [to express the problem definition]

No doubt an undiagnosed dyslexia is to blame, but I'm anti-text when it
comes to problem statements.

After a few years teaching an SD Applications course, I dropped the step of
writing a text problem statement (a step that had come immediately after
getting reference modes) and ultimately banned text problem statements
altogether.  The reason: text statements seemed to prevent students from
describing problems dynamically.  In contrast, students could be positively
eloquent when simply speaking spontaneously about the reference modes.

Prior to teaching that course, my consulting experience had made me
suspicious of text problem statements.  The sheer time that a group of
managers could spend word-smithing a problem statement amazed me.  If we
already had reference modes, the time was wasted; worse, if we **didn't**
already have reference modes, creating a text-based definition seemed to get
us started down the wrong path.  The only saving grace: Word-smithing is
sufficiently slow that we didn't get very far down the wrong path.

Note:  I am anti-text, but proudly pro-Laublé.

Jim Hines
jim at ventanasystems.com
Posted by  Jim Hines [mailto:jim at ventanasystems.com]
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