I managed to make a little dent with my series of posts on #SocioTechnical principles of the day, and though it was due to do something similar, but this time in the context of modern organisations (especially #agile ones) and the modern version of #STS, known as Emery's #OpenSystemsTheory ( #OST).
April 7, 2026 at 10:21 AM
I managed to make a little dent with my series of posts on #SocioTechnical principles of the day, and though it was due to do something similar, but this time in the context of modern organisations (especially #agile ones) and the modern version of #STS, known as Emery's #OpenSystemsTheory ( #OST).
"Moving from the command-and-control model to the product model is not only a change in competencies and concepts, but it represents a fundamental cultural change." — @martycagan.bsky.social
In #OpenSystemsTheory this is the radical shift from DP1 to DP2, from autocracy to participative democracy.
In #OpenSystemsTheory this is the radical shift from DP1 to DP2, from autocracy to participative democracy.
January 4, 2025 at 3:19 PM
"Moving from the command-and-control model to the product model is not only a change in competencies and concepts, but it represents a fundamental cultural change." — @martycagan.bsky.social
In #OpenSystemsTheory this is the radical shift from DP1 to DP2, from autocracy to participative democracy.
In #OpenSystemsTheory this is the radical shift from DP1 to DP2, from autocracy to participative democracy.
Or, in my view, we are still inn the bureaucratic hangover from the industrial days.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
June 22, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Or, in my view, we are still inn the bureaucratic hangover from the industrial days.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
"System: A set of entities that are interdependent with respect to the principle governing the set i.e. the system principle. The system principle is not sui generis to the set but defines a special relation of interdependence between the set and its environment."
–Fred Emery
#OpenSystemsTheory
–Fred Emery
#OpenSystemsTheory
www.socialsciencethatactuallyworks.com
November 22, 2024 at 11:22 PM
"System: A set of entities that are interdependent with respect to the principle governing the set i.e. the system principle. The system principle is not sui generis to the set but defines a special relation of interdependence between the set and its environment."
–Fred Emery
#OpenSystemsTheory
–Fred Emery
#OpenSystemsTheory
Recording of my intro talk on systems thinking at @javazone.bsky.social earlier today. In Norwegian this time. The longer English version will be available from DDD Europe soon, I hope.
vimeo.com/1115921379
#systemsThinking #OpenSystemsTheory #JavaZone
vimeo.com/1115921379
#systemsThinking #OpenSystemsTheory #JavaZone
See The Forest For The Trees - Trond Hjorteland
This is "See The Forest For The Trees - Trond Hjorteland" by JavaZone on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
vimeo.com
September 4, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Recording of my intro talk on systems thinking at @javazone.bsky.social earlier today. In Norwegian this time. The longer English version will be available from DDD Europe soon, I hope.
vimeo.com/1115921379
#systemsThinking #OpenSystemsTheory #JavaZone
vimeo.com/1115921379
#systemsThinking #OpenSystemsTheory #JavaZone
The series is becoming a book. 63 entries organised by where the dysfunction shows up, with essays on the most common objections. Foreword by Merrelyn Emery, who has spent fifty years advancing this work.
Launching 3 July!
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Launching 3 July!
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Organisational Dysfunctions
A catalogue of organisational dysfunctions explained through Open Systems Theory. For everyone who has felt the friction of broken structures but lacked the language for it.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
June 21, 2026 at 4:28 PM
The series is becoming a book. 63 entries organised by where the dysfunction shows up, with essays on the most common objections. Foreword by Merrelyn Emery, who has spent fifty years advancing this work.
Launching 3 July!
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Launching 3 July!
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
May 1, 2026 at 11:37 AM
...but most still reside in management outside, in the existing bureaucratic DP1 organisation. The retrospective and the learning it ought to provide are mostly ineffective.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #agile #orgDesign
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #agile #orgDesign
April 9, 2026 at 8:58 AM
...but most still reside in management outside, in the existing bureaucratic DP1 organisation. The retrospective and the learning it ought to provide are mostly ineffective.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #agile #orgDesign
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #agile #orgDesign
No need for either storming or norming; the teams jump right to performing after forming.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
April 13, 2026 at 7:11 AM
No need for either storming or norming; the teams jump right to performing after forming.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
Intermezzo:
The Organisational Dysfunction of the Day series is becoming a book. 63+ dysfunctions explained through Open Systems Theory — why they keep happening and what the structure underneath them is. Launching July 2026. Follow along on Leanpub.
#opensystemstheory #sociotechnical #agile
The Organisational Dysfunction of the Day series is becoming a book. 63+ dysfunctions explained through Open Systems Theory — why they keep happening and what the structure underneath them is. Launching July 2026. Follow along on Leanpub.
#opensystemstheory #sociotechnical #agile
Organisational Dysfunctions
A catalogue of organisational dysfunctions explained through Open Systems Theory. For everyone who has felt the friction of broken structures but lacked the language for it.
leanpub.com
June 2, 2026 at 10:37 AM
Intermezzo:
The Organisational Dysfunction of the Day series is becoming a book. 63+ dysfunctions explained through Open Systems Theory — why they keep happening and what the structure underneath them is. Launching July 2026. Follow along on Leanpub.
#opensystemstheory #sociotechnical #agile
The Organisational Dysfunction of the Day series is becoming a book. 63+ dysfunctions explained through Open Systems Theory — why they keep happening and what the structure underneath them is. Launching July 2026. Follow along on Leanpub.
#opensystemstheory #sociotechnical #agile
...it is not a formal position of power. It is a participative democracy through and through.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
April 17, 2026 at 4:14 PM
...it is not a formal position of power. It is a participative democracy through and through.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
Clocked in at 97 dysfunctions, which is a nice place to end. The material didn't run out, but I think I managed to finish saying what needed to be said.
This is the last planned update.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
This is the last planned update.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Organisational Dysfunctions
A catalogue of organisational dysfunctions explained through Open Systems Theory. For everyone who has felt the friction of broken structures but lacked the language for it.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Clocked in at 97 dysfunctions, which is a nice place to end. The material didn't run out, but I think I managed to finish saying what needed to be said.
This is the last planned update.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
This is the last planned update.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
v1.1 is planned for September, ahead of KanDDDinsky in October. New entries, more essays, and further updates to the theoretical framework. The series keeps going, and so will the book.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Organisational Dysfunctions
A catalogue of organisational dysfunctions explained through Open Systems Theory. For everyone who has felt the friction of broken structures but lacked the language for it.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
July 18, 2026 at 9:12 AM
v1.1 is planned for September, ahead of KanDDDinsky in October. New entries, more essays, and further updates to the theoretical framework. The series keeps going, and so will the book.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Ny bloggpost, denne gang på norsk og på de nye Capra-sidene våre. Temaet denne gangen er en utfordring mange kanskje kjenner til, nemlig at #TeamTopologies ikke nødvendigvis gir ønsket effekt. Jeg bruker #OpenSystemsTheory til å gi en forklaring på hvorfor.
www.capraconsulting.no/vare-histori...
www.capraconsulting.no/vare-histori...
Historie fra Capra: Team Topologies er et godt kart. Terrenget er en annen sak.
Trond Hjorteland: Capra reorganiserte seg med Team Topologies. Ledergruppen ble oppløst. Selvstyrende team overtok. Engasjementet økte.,
www.capraconsulting.no
August 18, 2026 at 10:27 AM
Ny bloggpost, denne gang på norsk og på de nye Capra-sidene våre. Temaet denne gangen er en utfordring mange kanskje kjenner til, nemlig at #TeamTopologies ikke nødvendigvis gir ønsket effekt. Jeg bruker #OpenSystemsTheory til å gi en forklaring på hvorfor.
www.capraconsulting.no/vare-histori...
www.capraconsulting.no/vare-histori...
If you work somewhere other than software and keep recognising what is described here, that is not a coincidence.
🚀 Check out the book launching on 3 July. Follow on Leanpub if you want to be notified.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
🚀 Check out the book launching on 3 July. Follow on Leanpub if you want to be notified.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Organisational Dysfunctions
A catalogue of organisational dysfunctions explained through Open Systems Theory. For everyone who has felt the friction of broken structures but lacked the language for it.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
June 28, 2026 at 3:02 PM
If you work somewhere other than software and keep recognising what is described here, that is not a coincidence.
🚀 Check out the book launching on 3 July. Follow on Leanpub if you want to be notified.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
🚀 Check out the book launching on 3 July. Follow on Leanpub if you want to be notified.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Sigurd even made an open version for anyone who wants it: github.com/sorensensig/...
If you build something on top of this work, I would love to hear about it.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
If you build something on top of this work, I would love to hear about it.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
GitHub - sorensensig/organisational-dysfunction: 59 organisational dysfunctions (Trond Hjorteland's series) as a Claude skill via open sociotechnical systems theory, with an autoresearch-style eval lo...
59 organisational dysfunctions (Trond Hjorteland's series) as a Claude skill via open sociotechnical systems theory, with an autoresearch-style eval loop. - sorensensig/organisational-dysfunction
github.com
July 1, 2026 at 12:05 PM
Sigurd even made an open version for anyone who wants it: github.com/sorensensig/...
If you build something on top of this work, I would love to hear about it.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
If you build something on top of this work, I would love to hear about it.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
— "OST neglects the individual", why that objection is wrong, and where the individual actually sits in a theory built around groups and structural outputs.
The dysfunctions are back tomorrow. New entries will make their way into v1.1 of the book.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
The dysfunctions are back tomorrow. New entries will make their way into v1.1 of the book.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Trond Hjorteland (@trondhjort@hachyderm.io)
"OST neglects the individual." The objection is straightforward: OST talks about design principles, structural outputs, and groups. Where does the individual go? What about personal ambition, the driv...
hachyderm.io
August 2, 2026 at 6:20 PM
— "OST neglects the individual", why that objection is wrong, and where the individual actually sits in a theory built around groups and structural outputs.
The dysfunctions are back tomorrow. New entries will make their way into v1.1 of the book.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
The dysfunctions are back tomorrow. New entries will make their way into v1.1 of the book.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Merrelyn Emery just released a retrospective on the infamous '65 causal texture paper, showing how impactful it has been to our understanding of systems and their environment.
"Fifty Years On: The Far Reaching Consequences of The Causal Texture of Organizational Environments
#OpenSystemsTheory
"Fifty Years On: The Far Reaching Consequences of The Causal Texture of Organizational Environments
#OpenSystemsTheory
www.socialsciencethatactuallyworks.com
July 8, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Merrelyn Emery just released a retrospective on the infamous '65 causal texture paper, showing how impactful it has been to our understanding of systems and their environment.
"Fifty Years On: The Far Reaching Consequences of The Causal Texture of Organizational Environments
#OpenSystemsTheory
"Fifty Years On: The Far Reaching Consequences of The Causal Texture of Organizational Environments
#OpenSystemsTheory
Diagnosis before treatment. Most organisations skip the first step.
For anyone who has ever sat in a meeting and known exactly why it was failing, but not had the language for it.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
For anyone who has ever sat in a meeting and known exactly why it was failing, but not had the language for it.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Organisational Dysfunctions
A catalogue of organisational dysfunctions explained through Open Systems Theory. For everyone who has felt the friction of broken structures but lacked the language for it.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
July 3, 2026 at 6:05 AM
Diagnosis before treatment. Most organisations skip the first step.
For anyone who has ever sat in a meeting and known exactly why it was failing, but not had the language for it.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
For anyone who has ever sat in a meeting and known exactly why it was failing, but not had the language for it.
www.organisationaldysfunctions.com
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign
Recording, slides, chat and even meeting minutes from my session at the #STS Roundtable's Making Work Worth Doing Series are available:
"Real World Examples: Designing Workshops Using #OpenSystemsTheory"
stsroundtable.com/webinars/mak...
"Real World Examples: Designing Workshops Using #OpenSystemsTheory"
stsroundtable.com/webinars/mak...
Making Work Worth Doing - Real World Examples: Designing Workshops Using Open Systems Theory - 23 April, 2026 - STS Roundtable
Making Work Worth Doing Series CReal World Examples: Designing Workshops Using Open Systems Theory Session Date: April 23 , 10:30-11:30 Pacific Time Trond Hjorteland, our host fo...
stsroundtable.com
May 6, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Recording, slides, chat and even meeting minutes from my session at the #STS Roundtable's Making Work Worth Doing Series are available:
"Real World Examples: Designing Workshops Using #OpenSystemsTheory"
stsroundtable.com/webinars/mak...
"Real World Examples: Designing Workshops Using #OpenSystemsTheory"
stsroundtable.com/webinars/mak...
...in all parts of the organisation who do, someone the people trust and can relate to. This is what middle management ought to be doing: making the company strategy relevant and actionable for people.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
April 20, 2026 at 7:44 AM
...in all parts of the organisation who do, someone the people trust and can relate to. This is what middle management ought to be doing: making the company strategy relevant and actionable for people.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
job, variety, support and respect, meaningfulness, and career path, they will not only enjoy work, be engaged and produce better results; they will also get a better quality of life.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
April 16, 2026 at 3:09 PM
job, variety, support and respect, meaningfulness, and career path, they will not only enjoy work, be engaged and produce better results; they will also get a better quality of life.
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
#OpenSystemsTheory #SocioTechnical #OrgDesign #agile
I had a chat with Claude, as one does these days, and asked what a good argument could be made for #OpenSystemsTheory that could catch the ears of top management, and the response was quite nice:
April 13, 2026 at 4:17 PM
I had a chat with Claude, as one does these days, and asked what a good argument could be made for #OpenSystemsTheory that could catch the ears of top management, and the response was quite nice:
Always go for DP2 in workshops, regardless of how you are organised otherwise.
hashtag#OpenSystemsTheory hashtag#SocioTechnical hashtag#OrgDesign
hashtag#OpenSystemsTheory hashtag#SocioTechnical hashtag#OrgDesign
April 10, 2026 at 8:13 AM
Always go for DP2 in workshops, regardless of how you are organised otherwise.
hashtag#OpenSystemsTheory hashtag#SocioTechnical hashtag#OrgDesign
hashtag#OpenSystemsTheory hashtag#SocioTechnical hashtag#OrgDesign
Fun being on Laksh's Cyb3rSyn Labs podcast talking about #SocioTechnical systems and #OpenSystemsTheory.
"Tune in to learn how to evolve your management practices and drive better organizational outcomes."
www.cyb3rsyn.com/p/from-mecha...
"Tune in to learn how to evolve your management practices and drive better organizational outcomes."
www.cyb3rsyn.com/p/from-mecha...
From Mechanical to Sociotechnical
Cyb3rSyn Labs Podcast - Episode 15
www.cyb3rsyn.com
July 27, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Fun being on Laksh's Cyb3rSyn Labs podcast talking about #SocioTechnical systems and #OpenSystemsTheory.
"Tune in to learn how to evolve your management practices and drive better organizational outcomes."
www.cyb3rsyn.com/p/from-mecha...
"Tune in to learn how to evolve your management practices and drive better organizational outcomes."
www.cyb3rsyn.com/p/from-mecha...