The Theory of Constraints, or ‘constraints management’ focuses efforts on finding and exploiting the true leverage points of a system for maximum effectiveness.

Theory of Constraints Basics

At its heart, the Theory of Constraints (TOC) searches for the fundamental constraints of a system… its root causes…

“A system’s constraint is nothing more than what we feel to be expressed by these words: anything that limits a system from achieving higher performance versus its goal.â” (Goldratt 1988, p. 453, 1990, p. 4)

In this way, TOC allows us to target critical leverage points, or bottlenecks, within the system at hand.

See Theory of Constraints Cartoon Demonstration.

Understand the TOC theory distinction between Strategy versus Tactics. And see how does strategy and tactics differ.

“The TOC approach epitomises systems thinking: a philosophy that recognises that the whole is much more than the sum of its parts, and that a complex web of interrelationships exist within the system.” (Mabin and Balderstone 2003, p. 570)

TOC Tools

TOC employs logical thinking through several core toc tools:

Current Reality Trees

The Current Reality Tree allows you to deduce the core constraints of your life, business or marketing projects.

Future Reality Trees

to come

Conflict Clouds

to come

Pre-requisite Trees

to come

Transition Trees

to come

Strategy & Tactics Trees

But sometimes the cold calculated logic of CRTs and FRTs is not enough…

What about the intuitive, the inspired, the new paradigm, the disruptive innovation…

Deductive discovery is necessary, but not sufficient. Inductive discovery can lead to new possibilities more quickly.

For this, we can work with the Strategy & Tactics Tree, which takes an aspirational approach to whatever the situation.

See TOC Strategy and Tactic Trees.

Visit the Systems Thinking page or up to the Your Mind Control section main page.

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