My phenomenal journey started in the early 1960s. I was studying mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley when Professor Walter B. Henning, the world's authority in middle-Persian studies, chose me to help him develop a program in middle-Persian culture. That experience re-formed my understanding of culture and its significance in shaping human systems. After two years of working with Henning, I knew I could not be merely a mechanical engineer anymore. Fortunately, Berkeley was experimenting at the time with systems engineering. After enrolling in an introductory program in cybernetics, information theory, and systems design, I was advised to join IBM if I wanted to pursue this line further.

I was lucky. IBM gave me the opportunity I was hoping for. After five years and 1,800 hours of formal training at IBM education centers, I was on the path to becoming a systems engineer. But it was 20 years of association and finally a partnership with Russ Ackoff — and all that it takes to appreciate his tough, uncompromising standards — that made me a systems designer.

I have practiced iterative design in a variety of contexts and cultures, including Indian tribes in America, Japan, and South Africa. I have even survived a revolution. But in all cases, I have had the luxury of choosing my clients and working only for those I liked. As a result, each case has a special meaning for me and a particular place in shaping my professional life.

Over the years, I have learned more from my clients than I have taught them. Selecting among them has not been easy. For example, eight years with ALCOA (Aluminum Company of America) was a phenomenal learning experience, as challenging as consulting work can be. The challenge at Material Science Group (MSG), headed by Charlie Ligon, was to create five new startup businesses using technologies developed in the ALCOA lab. Charlie was a demanding, respected leader and a great friend. Ken Blevins (president of ALCOA Electronic Packaging) and John Star (president of ALCOA Separation Company) were hardworking, committed, and competent managers. Accepting me as one of their own, they gave me the opportunity to experience firsthand the frustrations, emotional ups and downs, and challenges of creating a high-tech startup business in a conventional, incompatible environment. The experience taught me why the platform for managing a technology business ought to be different from the platform established to manage product businesses.

Working with Clark Equipment Company and Gary Bella, president of the Industrial Truck Division, I learned not to underestimate the value of distribution channels and realized that effective management of the markets requires a distinct platform.

Jerry Goods, president of Super Fresh, and Wendell Young, president of the Clerical Workers Union, with their courage reconfirmed how powerful a shared image of a desired future could be.

I have selected to review in more detail the designs of the Oneida Nation, Butterworth Health System, Commonwealth Energy Systems, Marriott Corporation, and Carrier Corporation for the following reasons: