According to the science of cybernetics, which deals with the topic of control in every kind of system (mechanical, electronic, biological, human, economic, and so on), there is a natural law that governs the capacity of a control system to work. It says that the control must be capable of generating as much "variety" as the situation to be controlled.

It is terribly important to appreciate that some things remain obscure to the bitter end.

Instead of trying to specify a system in full detail, specify it only somewhat. You can then ride on the dynamics of the system in the direction you want to go.

Certain management policies-stretching of credit resources, for example-may lead to great progress in good conditions; but, like the Grand Prix car in comparison with the Land Rover, they may not be robust enough to survive when the going gets tough.

Too close a view may interfere with one's grasp of an overall problem or concept.

There is, then, a logical priority about the arrangements, and logic has nothing to do with time.

A stochastic process is about the results of convolving probabilities-which is just what management is about, as well.