REPLY How to promote good work (SD6589)

[SDMAIL David Rees]

Posted by  "David Rees" <david.rees at hpls.co.nz>

As someone from 'down South' I find this UK-US debate slightly amusing and
see it as reflecting personal biases and experiences rather than anything
substantial.  If the Boston group are really that closed how come they are
so open about making their work publically available.  The recent HIA videos
being just the latest example - where Bobby Milstein, John Sterman, Jack
Homer and George Richardson have giving wonderful presentations that I will
return to and continue to learn from for some time yet. Every single contact
I have made to leaders in the field, on both sides of the Atlantic has been
responded to with respect and helpfulness. The accessibility and willingness
of the leaders in our field to be helpful is something that people like me,
out on the fringe, treasure and thank them all for.

Yes let us debate the future of SD and what can be done to develop it
further, but can we shift from rhetoric to substance please and avoid
artificial polarities between consultants and academics.  Yes there are real
issues; for me one is the seemingly limited knowledge SD people have of the
broader systems sciences especially the extensive European systems field
which has so much to offer our particular discipline. Although, as George
Richardson's reply to my earlier post points out, the knowledge of this work
is not so absent as I may have implied.

The diversity of the SD community and people's willingness to share their
experience is what I value most.  I make my living as a consultant, do a
little teaching at Universities and SD sits at the core of what I do. I
encounter everyday the challenges of trying to make it understandable and
useful while trying to hold on to the rigour of the field, for without that
we become just another fad. Without the openness and support of these
leaders it would have been impossible for me, in this far flung part of the
world, to develop the capability I have while still being excited about how
much there is still yet to learn.

It is not popularity that I want for this field but influence. Unfortunately
these two concepts often become muddled.

Regards

David
Posted by  "David Rees" <david.rees at hpls.co.nz>
posting date  Fri, 7 Sep 2007 11:06:13 +1200