22 Quotes by Russell L. Ackoff

Our ability to solve problem is limited by our conception of what is feasible.

Successful problem solving requires finding the right solution to the right problem. We fail more often because we solve the wrong problem than because we get the wrong solution to the right problem.

The objective of education is learning, not teaching.

The more efficient you are at doing the wrong thing, the wronger you become. It is much better to do the right thing wronger than the wrong thing righter. If you do the right thing wrong and correct it, you get better.

It is far better to do the right thing wrong than to do the wrong thing right.

No problem stays solved in a dynamic environment.

A problem never exists in isolation; it is surrounded by other problems in space and time. The more of the context of a problem that a scientist can comprehend, the greater are his chances of finding a truly adequate solution.

To manage a system effectively, you might focus on the interactions of the parts rather than their behavior taken separately.

Creativity is the ability to identify self-imposed constraints, remove them, and explore the consequences of their removal.