The Art of Manliness #517: What Big-Time Catastrophes Can Teach Us About How to Improve the Systems of Our Lives
Jun 17, 2019
In this engaging dialogue, Chris Clearfield and Andras Tilcsik, co-authors of "Meltdown," explore how major disasters, from financial crashes to nuclear meltdowns, can inform better decision-making in our lives. They discuss the distinction between complicated and complex systems, shedding light on vulnerabilities that lead to failures. The guests share compelling anecdotes, like a Starbucks social media misstep, and emphasize the need for diverse perspectives and a blameless culture to strengthen organizational resilience and improve everyday systems.
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Origin of Research
- Chris Clearfield's interest in system failures stemmed from observing the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
- This interest grew as he learned to fly and studied plane crashes and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Perrow's Complexity and Coupling
- Charles Perrow's study of Three Mile Island revealed that small errors can combine to cause large meltdowns in complex, tightly coupled systems.
- These systems are complex due to interconnected parts and tight coupling because they lack slack.
Starbucks Campaign Fiasco
- Starbucks' #spreadthecheer campaign backfired when negative tweets appeared on in-store screens.
- The campaign highlighted how social media's complexity and tight coupling can amplify small issues.
