In the last of this series on Prof. Karl E. Weick we present his thinking on causal loop thinking. All in preparation for those who are joining us on the free workshop series on Weick and HROing in June: https://safetyrisk.net/free-workshops-june-weick-and-hroing/

You can register for a place here: admin@spor.com.au

Weick’s love of loops is one of the inspirations for SPoR iCue mapping (https://safetyrisk.net/icue-methodology-a-video/). In iCue mapping, we record a range of ‘cues’ visually and verbally and this complements any risk assessment.

Weick (p.76) states:

The tactic of using arrows and plus and minus signs is simply a means to portray situations of complex interdependence in such a way that one can then ask better questions about these situations.

He also states (p.86)

Most mangers get into trouble because they fail to think in circles. … If you take loops seriously, for example, then you realize that some very sacred ideas such as self-power and self-determination are fictions.

Weick presents his ideas on looping through his ideas of enacting, interacting, double interacting and loose coupling. He takes his ideas of looing from Maruyama.

In consideration of circular/loopy thinking he lists a range of issues that need to be considered in any ‘assembly’ of organising, these are:

• Effort: select those cycles whose completion requires the least effort.
• Frequency: select those cycles that have occurred most frequently in the past.
• Success: select those cycles that have been most successful in removing equivocality.
• Permanence: select those cycles that will produce the most stable change in the input.
• Duration: select those cycles that can be completed in the shortest period of time.
• Availability: select those cycles that are not currently engaged in other activities.
• Personnel: select those cycles that are manned by more experienced people.
• Relevance: select those cycles that most closely resemble the assumed content of the input.
• Reward: select those cycles that the members regard as most rewarding.
• Disturbance: select those cycles that will cause the least disruption in the ongoing system.
• Uncertainty: select those cycles that communicate conclusions rather than premises.
• Obligations: select those cycles that incur the fewest future obligations.
• Precedent: select those cycles that set the fewest precedents.
• Absorption: select those cycles that absorb the activities of the greatest number of people.
• Enhancement: select those cycles that enhance the input.
• Mutilation: select those cycles that do the least damage to the input.

In particular, Weick completely disregards and rejects linear thinking (pp. 227ff) which is adored by safety in the swiss-cheese and related methods adopted from James Reason. Indeed, Weick asserts that we don’t live in a linear world and argues that the best way to capture the complexities of being and organising is only through looping.

In SPoR, we use causal looping in the way we interact with others and call this ‘iCue Engagement’. It takes a few months to learn how to do iCue intuitively but once learned it is a most powerful method for the creation of understanding and insight. We have explained the iCue method in many of our books.

Dr Nippin Anand explains iCue very well here: https://safetyrisk.net/understanding-icue-a-visual-verbal-semiotic-method-for-tackling-risk/

If you want to join the free workshops on Weick, you can register here: admin@spor.com.au