Purpose of this Expert System

To be effective, a leader must consider all five systems, not just one in isolation, and develop a plan that treats organizational health holistically. This involves:

1) gathering data on symptoms;

2) tracing each to root cause; and

3) planning a well-paced, properly sequenced series of organizational changes.

In that key second step, it is critically important to trace each issue to the right systems, that is, the right root causes. Treating a symptom by changing the wrong system creates more problems than it solves.

This expert system is designed to help identify the right root causes. It is not a clairvoyant "answer book." Every organization is unique, and must be carefully analyzed by the leaders who best know it (perhaps with the guidance of an NDMA expert). The purpose of this system is only to:

* demonstrate the concept of root-cause analysis,

* give leaders practice in thinking about systemic root causes, and

* provide thought-starters for discussion within a leadership team.

This tool is not intended to stand alone. It a companion to the paperback book, RoadMap. We strongly encourage you to read the book before any serious use of this expert system.