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Quote by Russell L. Ackoff

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Russell L. Ackoff
Russell L. Ackoff

Russell L. Ackoff was a prominent theorist and scholar in the fields of management science, systems science, and decision science. His work spanned multiple disciplines, including economics, psychology, sociology, and computer science. Ackoff is known for his contributions to organizational theory, systems thinking, and strategic planning. more

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“The first step is to measure whatever can easily be measured. This is OK as far as it goes. The second step is to disregard that which can't be easily measured or to give it an arbitrary quantitative value. This is artificial and misleading. The third step is to presume that what can't be measured easily really isn't important. This is blindness. The fourth step is to say that what can't be easily measured really doesn't exist. This is suicide.”

“The old-fashioned idea of a good manager is one who is supposed to know all the answers, can solve every problem himself, and can give appropriate orders to his subordinates to carry out his plans... A good modern manager is like a good coach who leads and encourages his team in never-ending quality improvement.”

“To be effective, every knowledge worker, and especially every executive, therefore needs to dispose of time in fairly large chunks. To have small dribs and drabs of time at his disposal will not be sufficient even if the total is an impressive number of hours.”