By Tish Robinson

Imagine you belong to a small golf club. You have lost members in the recession, and as a result, revenues are down. The board gets together to think up ways to increase revenues, and decides that affordability may be an issue. They come up with an idea to attract new members--a new, lower-priced membership for people who only play on weekdays.

What do you think happens? The new option does bring in some new members, but too many of the current members--the cheaper, more frugal portion of the membership--trade down from full membership to weekdays only. The net result is an even steeper fall in revenues. Guess what additional actions they are considering a year later? Yet another class of membership! . . .

Systems Thinking in Action:
Because Sustainable Success Doesn't Just Happen
October 31-November 2, 2011
Westin Seattle Hotel
Seattle, Washington

Are you ready to build capacity for sustainable success? Our one- and two-day pre- and post-conference workshops with leading experts in the field will give you the tools you need to improve your organization's performance:

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

Facilitation Tools for Organizational Learning
Sat./Sun., October 29-30;
8:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Rebecca Niles, Systems Thinking Collaborative
Learn more... | Order#PRE01, $1195

By Deborah Gilburg

The notion of perfection has been on my mind a lot lately. While working with a group that is feeling the pressure and uncertainty of the challenges it is confronting, I notice the discussions seem to swirl around a notion, unspoken but heard by all: "Whatever we do, it better be the right answer--we can't afford to fail!"

The climate in the room is marked by stretches of tension balanced by gusts of laughter that both recharge our energy and distract us from noticing what's at the core. In some ways, it is easier not to act, to poke holes at every suggestion, to discard new ideas as farfetched, to resist changes with comments that reinforce the collective fear that sits just below the surface.