Thinking for a Change: Putting the TOC Thinking Processes to Use

by Lisa J. Scheinkopf

The book begins with an overview of the constraint-based perspective on systems and organizations, commonly referred to as the theory of constraints or synchronous management. The first section will guide you through the fundamental principles and processes that are the backbone of the thinking process application tools.The second section contains the step-by-step guidelines for each of the five thinking process application tools. These tools utilize sufficient cause thinking and necessary condition thinking. Third section introduces two ways that two or more of the thinking process application tools are combined, providing robust processes for the understanding and communicating problems and solutions.This book can be used as a field guide to learning the five thinking process application tools as needed, based on their own particular issues. You will have a full understanding of the theory and practical application of these powerful processes, including when and when not to use each tool. The total benefit is not just to apply the thinking process, but to develop intuition and have the ability to combine logic and intuition in the same thinking process.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 26, 1999

Reviews

[Bjoern Rochel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent introduction to Goldratt's logical thinking process (LTP). Contains very detailed instructions on how to apply each tool, but the order in which the tools are introduced for me were confusing (because they're interrelated and contain cross references).

Only in the last 5 percent she elaborated how the tools fit together and relate to each other. Changing the order in how the tools are introduced would make life for the reader easier in my opinion.

I'll come back to this one and compare to Dettmer's (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...) after I've read that one.

[Suhrob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately as TOC thinking process textbook this is not very good:

Scheinkopf is not very didactic and it simply floods you with all the super-detailed descriptions, so if you are learning the method for the first time, it is hard to see the forest from the trees.

The sequencing of the trees is also very odd and not helpful for students in my opinion.

For a practitioner that wants to have a one-stop reference book this is fine, but overall somewhat disappointing.

Too much time spent on redundant detail and not enough on synthesis and the bigger picture.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding read, clarifies and simplifies. I was able to create some real breakthroughs solutions in a life defining crisis I faced awhile back by using the TOC thinking tools I learned from an online program.

After reading Lisa's book, I realized how muddled and rudimentary my understanding of the thinking tools created by Eli Goldratt were even after reading The Goal, and a couple of his other books.

I'm looking forward to applying my new found clarity to my current big challenges.

[Klaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far I head only read the Flying Logic version of this. I need to review how good that document was but this one really explained a lot of the Theory of Constraints thinking. I wanted to look up some details but ended up reading it completely.

Good if you want to use the ToC diagrams. Some good thinking for all diagrams. Insides int ToC. Recommendable.

[David Whittington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good content (ToC thinking tools are great!), but somewhat tedious presentation.

[Jack Vinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review posted to my blog: http://blog.jackvinson.com/archives/2...

[Harish Chawla]

Good overview of the TOC Thinking Processes.