About me!

After 30 years of working with TOC and the TP, in all manner of organisations right around the world, it would appear that some people think I might have something to say. Currently I would describe myself as semi-retired, a writer, and essayist with a blog, a Benedictine Oblate, a coach and mentor, a spiritual director, chaplain to both Police and Fire Service but most often, husband, father and grandfather – truly wonderful. Eli once said to me that grandchildren are the gift you get for not killing your kids! I would agree with him that holding your first grandchild exceeds that of holding your first child. A legacy truly passed on.
I might also mention being an ex sailor, ex rugby player, ex academic, ex soldier as a radar engineer but they are all behind me now. It’s what lies ahead that is exciting, living life in crescendo!
Webinar 2: The power of Transition Tree
21 February 2019
When I met Oded and Jelena back in 2018 Oded observed that I was one of a very small group of people still using the Trt and yet surely as a powerful tool contained within the TP it should be more widely used – after all it has so many applications.
Where did my interest in the Trt begin?
During the Jonah Programme – the second TP example at Ashridge in 1991, I attended with many of the TOC community in the UK at the time and stayed with my friend David Marks who lived close by. When the Trt was presented we both struggled with it and so, on the way back to David’s home, we decided to think about the course we were running the following week for IBM teaching them about manufacturing. As David went through the four days of the course, working our way through the structure we had used for some time, I quickly realised that he was talking a Trt even if neither of used that structure!!!
So maybe it had some merit after all!!!
Pdf of the webinar material
The email exchange between Ted Hutchin and Celso Calia
Ted:
22 Feb 2019
Hello Celso, good to hear from you after all these years and thank you for your kind comments. I believe in the concept of inherent simplicity, a phrase used by Eli as you know and which should have remained the title of the book that eventually came out as The Choice. I try to seek this idea of inherent simplicity in all that I do and that includes using the TP for my work and my writing. Not always easy to achieve but, when I do manage, always highly rewarding!
I have sent the presentation to Jelena and Oded so you should have it fairly soon I hope but I have attached it just in case. Us old TOC hands always share our knowledge without question. I am happy to answer any questions you might have especially in helping people to learn how to use these tools. Whilst I know the Trt has fallen away, I also believe that there are some who question the use of the Cloud which I find equally strange, and slightly disturbing as I consider the Cloud to be one of the great tools for analysis but as in all the TP tools there must be great teachers as well as great practitioners.
Always happy to help if you need me
take care my friend
Ted
Celso:
25 Feb 2019
Dear Ted
First of all, thanks for sending the material of your presentation.
For 29 years I and the ones who work with me, use TP from the diagnosis of the prospect till the construction and the implementation of the solution. I certified around 300 professionals in the Jonah Program, few ones in the Jonah´s Jonah Program where I teach TrT but still, you´re right, we always neglected the TrT – unfair, I never gave real merit to it. That´s why I became interested to see your seminar. You´ve changed my mind, We will start using it to write the main procedures. There is one TrT that I like which describes, in detail, the process to build UROs. It is an old stuff. Old but brand new !! Have you seen it?
Well, let´s keep in touch. Best regards.
Celso
A letter to TOCPA from Petr Žitník with a TrT pdf
16 Apr 2019
Dear Jelena,
greetings from Prague.
I would like to thank you for your arranging of interesting TOC webinars via TOCPA website.
For example, I appreciate the recent Ted Hutchins‘ webinar considering the very useful TOC TP tool, the Transition Tree.
Very easy to use, yet very powerful tool, however a bit forgotten.
I learned TOC TP at Washington State University from dr. James Holt in his EM 526 class in 2010.
Please find enclosed one of my homeworks.
It is a PRT and some TTs summarizing The Choice book from Eli.
Petr Zitnik_THE CHOICE Highlights (PRT, TTs)_with Dr Holt appendix_for TOCPA
I would like to ask you for forwarding this file to Ted Hutchin as my „thank you“ gift for the webinar.
Of course, you can use the material for any purpose you would find useful within the frame of TOCPA or your other TOC activities.
Best regards
Petr Zitnik
Jonah
Very good session. Well done Ted
Robert Bolton
Is the lack of use of the transition tree due to the decrease in satisfaction that comes from being too certain of the outcome? That is by fully planning something out we lose the thrill of winging it?
Christophe Lambert
I was never taught TrTs but taught myself about them anyway and use them for writing books. as well as before making major moves. I agree with Ted that it is a great tool. Although I am only one person and one who might be called good at “winging it,” I am an example that challenges the assertion that people are using the tool less. Great presentation! I was relieved to be using the TrT correctly, which I had worried about.
Henry Camp
Great webinar! A Big hug to my mentor Ted, in Maindenhead, 1996!
Salvatore Longo
Love that I keep learning new things from Ted! Very well done, my friend!
Kathy Austin
Webinar 1: Inherent Simplicity of TOC/TP, A road travelled
10 October 2018
This webinar is the result of a comment I made on the TOC Practitioners Worldwide forum on Facebook. It was suggested that others might like to know a little more about my observations about using TOC/TP for organisational and personal relationships. To do that requires a little more background, and even more about my evolving use of the TP and why I find it to be an excellent tool for understanding and communication. So, something about my journey, something about my use of the TP to tell the story of those I am working with, a story they tell and I capture. And some reflections about where I am and where I might think I am heading with new ways of using the TP for understanding and communication.
Pdf of the webinar material
Webinar calendar
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