TP Application Paper
Write a comprehensive paper that applies the TP tools to professional, scientific, or technical services (PSTS), educational or other service you are familiar with using either the "snowflake" or the "three-cloud" method as described in the text.
The paper should included at a minimum a (1) CRT (2) EC, and one of the following (3) FRT with NBR; or TRT with PRT; or an S&T. In the narrative of the paper, describe the problem, situation, or system, how it was selected, the logic used or applied, the procedure, and the TP outputs.
Select a service problem, situation, process, or issue to apply the TP tools. Explain the rationale for its selection.
Use either the snowflake or three-cloud method as described in Chapter 25 on the text. Walk the reader through the steps used using narrative, figures, and tables (as needed). Use APA formatting for the entire document. Make sure the tables and figures are formatted per APA.
Include the one or more Current Reality Trees (CRTs) to describe the current situation.
Include one or more Evaporating Clouds to describe the generic or core conflict.
Include one of the following:
• Future Reality Tree (FRT) with injections.(Use Negative Branch Reservation (NBR) as needed.)
• Prerequisite Tree (PRT) with a Transition Tree (TRT)
• Strategy and Tactics (S&T) Tree. See the example in Appendix A of Chapter 31.
Evaluate the entire tool set using the Categories of Legitimate Reservation (CLRs).
Provide a summary of the process and an interpretation the results or expected benefits.
The primary goals of this assignment:
1. Does the paper demonstrate that you have a developed knowledge of TOC and the Thinking Process tools?
2. Does the paper achieve its intended purpose to apply the theory in detail to a real experiential case?
TP Application Paper Common Problems
Common problems found on previously submitted assignments.
1. Read the assignment instructions carefully. Turn in a complete assignment. Students generally lose points needlessly because they omit major parts of the assignment. Re-read my instructions on the Grading and Assignment Info before you hit submit. Meeting the requirements is the minimum standard.
2. Use the logic. Many students use improper or misuse the prescribed logic of the tool. Each TP tool demands proper use of either sufficient cause (CRT) or necessary condition logic (EC). This will become more important as you progress in the course. The best approach to testing logic is to use if-then statement (sufficiency) OR in order to...I must...(necessity) for each entity relationship. This is what I do to test your logic, so you should too.
3. Construct the tool properly. The CRT should flow from causes to effects. It is easier to read from the bottom up. Don't forget that the CRT can also utilize "logical and" connectors. For the EC, the flow is from necessary condition to the objective. Place the arrows in the correct direction.
4. Make your assumptions transparent. This is particularly important with the EC. Every connection should have at least one assumption (p. 746). Check the validity of your assumptions. Pages 742-746 provide a solid method for this.
5. Use the categories of legitimate reservation to check for errors in thinking. You may need to utilize someone else in this process. I guarantee you will not find lapses in your logic if you are the only one reviewing this. The tools are meant to communicate and verbalize problems. They are not just academic exercises.
6. Use negative branch reservation to identify potential unintended consequences, if needed. It really makes a difference in the thinking and makes the problem much clearer.
7. The biggest error most students make is to have a preconceived solution in mind before starting the process. In fact, some students never define the problem, only the solution, which really does not help the process. The TOC approach is to understand first "what to change."
The TP Application Paper 1 assignment DOES NOT ask you to define a solution--that is part of TP tools paper 2. Yet, some students immediately wanted to define a solution (even to the point of including it as part of the UDEs) and then build their diagrams around that. You must understand the problem first. (Remember the first layer of resistance?). Don't be like everyone else who has an unsupported opinion about how to a solve problem. Those people have not thought about it enough, but you should be able think it through using this approach.
8. Learn how to write in the technical genre. Make your papers professional looking. You are in graduate school. Meeting the requirements will only be enough to earn a C and that is not acceptable. Buy the APA Manual 6th edition. You will use it for every class in the program.
Last, always proofread your work more than once and use both the grammar and spell checker. That is what I do when I read your papers. There is no excuse if I catch silly errors. Not making stupid mistakes is what sets you apart from everyone else in the workplace. You should be able to write an error-free paper using APA format.