Using the Feedback Loop Model for Actions, you can apply Goldratt’s “Thinking Process” (which is explained best in Dettmer’s book) to help understand why undesired results are occurring.

Setting a correct Vision is a large topic by itself and for this discussion the focus is on the impact of beliefs on action. So let’s assume a vision has been selected that is truly aligned to needs and doesn’t violate physical laws! If this the case, then the root cause of ineffective actions is not due to the vision. Building a Current Reality Tree diagram can then leave it out.

How do ineffective actions manifest themselves? The Gap between our Vision and Results doesn’t close (it might even get worse). Referring to the loop model, since the vision is fixed, the gap is driven by results. The results depend on Actions, so this is the place to start with the Current Reality Tree (CRT).

Working backwards from ineffective actions (the undesirable effect or UDE), the contributing causes may include wrong goals, bad habits, or constraints in the environment (that are beyond your control). Not all of these may be issues, so interpret the arrows leading into ineffective actions as an ‘OR’ condition (that’s why the typical CRT ellipse depicting a logical ‘AND’ is missing). The two legs that are within the scope of your control (goals and habits) have their causes (plans and behaviors). Rather than tracing back through the all other steps, the diagram has been collapsed to show only beliefs. These have be broken up into two pieces around desire and self; there are other ways one might break out types of beliefs. Since limiting beliefs often involve self beliefs, this approach was chosen. The diagram also illustrates how conflicts between beliefs could lead to the undesirable effect (and cognitive dissonance). Note that there are stronger and weaker influences from these beliefs on plans and behaviors.

So here is the simplified Current Reality Tree:

In an actual analysis, each box in the diagram might be split into several parts, each containing details specific to the particular ineffective action. For example, more than one habit might contribute the ineffective action and each of these may be the result of a different behavior.

 

The most critical part of the feedback loop model for action is Assessment: evaluating how your needs are being met based on your experience and using that judgement to form your vision and beliefs.

Vision is imagining the ideal life that fulfills what you want. A vision serves as a target to move towards [1], increasing the chances that you’ll achieve what you want by helping keep a focus – rather than just drifting through life. As the feedback model shows, vision is the input to a control loop that tries to use planning and action to minimize the gaps between reality and vision. Note that thinking in terms of a feedback model is aligned with Scott Adam’s advice to follow systems over goals. Keep in mind that success depends on strategy and execution. There are usually many strategies available to form good plans, but our beliefs play a large role in how we take action to execute these plans.

We tend to form our Beliefs with little rational judgement as to whether a particular belief may actually be true – especially early in our lives. In fact, there are strong reinforcements from confirmation bias to ignore evidence that a belief we are forming may not be true. We may end up reinforcing the limiting belief that prevented moving toward the vision, since confirmation bias will cause us to accept failure as evidence that the limiting belief is true.Without critical thinking around our beliefs, we are susceptible to accepting limiting beliefs that prevent us from taking proper action.

The combination of a rationally formed vision and irrationally formed beliefs can lead us to cognitive dissonance. Holding ideas and beliefs that are in conflict will lead us to try to find consistency either constructively (resolve the conflict) or destructively (ignore the conflict). In order to resolve the cognitive dissonance, additional limiting beliefs may be piled on until we again have a consistent world view [2].

Unfortunately, we often go through this process unconscionably and end up blind to beliefs that may be blocking our progress. This is why it is important to examine our assessment process, strive for critical thinking, and “mind our steps”.

 

Reference

[1] http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/create-a-vision-for-the-life-you-want.html

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance#Reducing