Heuristics for Managing Messes

Abstract

There are no ironclad rules or procedures for guaranteeing the complete and perfect management, resolution, and/or treatment of messes. If there were, we would not be dealing with messes. In this chapter, we present a list of “systems heuristics” which are tools and “rules for experimentation” that enable the discovery of problems and more importantly the questioning of our deep-seated assumptions about ourselves and the nature of messes with which we deal. We proceed in two steps. First, we list the heuristics as briefly as we can. Second, we illustrate them based on one of the most important messes of our time, to which business schools have contributed significantly: the Great Financial Mess/Crisis.