The following examines the intersection of faith and systems design for decision making

The operating system (OS) of an organization is the fountainhead of its culture. This is amplified in relationally driven systems such as non-profits, hospitality, food service, etc. The selection criteria for an OS are fairly broad and the impact of those criteria will have long term consequences.

Everyone has a system, even if they don’t realize it. From Wall Street to Main Street, the OS often develops after incorporation as a product of the leader’s philosophy and experience. Which means in most cases the OS is chosen by accident.

Planned or unplanned, these systems are not fixed. People are complicated and their lives influence our systems on a daily basis. The degree of influence varies and if left ungoverned the system will evolve beyond comprehension. This is usually described as mission drift.

Two contrasting approaches to an OS are:*

Step by Step (SBS): Technical Process Focused
Top Down (TD): Goal Centered (aka: assessment based or object orientation)

In theory these two share the same problem, but the decision-making process is fundamentally different. SBS begins with the problem and works forward. TD begins with the goal and works backward. The differentiation is illustrated below.

*Gibson, John. 2017. How To Do Systems Analysis. John Whiley and Sons, Inc.

If “keeping your options open” is preferred, then SBS is the way to go. Buckle up because the possibilities are endless! However, if there is clarity on success, then finding the right path requires starting with the goal and working backwards. This model is accepted as best practice across multiple industries. However, before we can apply it to our spiritual development, we must first answer the question of “Truth.” Is there a fixed absolute truth? If no, then cast your bread upon the waters of SBS. If yes, then that truth (rather than experience) should be our starting point. This is illustrated below in Jesus’ framework for talking with God.

Everybody has temptation. If we believe a morality exist, then resisting that temptation is good. But to what end? If the goal is just avoidance, then we have a world of options and SBS is our playground. However, if the goal is to know our creator as a Father, then our choices narrow. Consider the two alternatives:

SBS Option: I am tempted to yell at my spouse. As an alternative I can: leave, drive fast, drink alcohol, exercise, ask questions, serve, be passive, ridicule, etc. Some of these appear productive and some don’t. Each step leads to a new set of variables.
TD option: I am tempted to yell at my spouse. As an alternative I can: consider how the love from my Father in Heaven should impact my temptation to yell.

Of course we should avoid yelling at our spouse. But if our OS is the Lord’s Prayer then my primary concern is not avoiding anger, but embracing sonship (a theology of God as Father). Both SBS and TD accomplish the same immediate result. But who cares about not yelling if ridicule is the result. In a TD OS where you are going will govern what you do, but the reverse is not a given in a SBS OS.

The final thread is the intersection of the two. Can the truths of the Lord’s Prayer influence our bookkeeping, sales goals, hiring process, point of sale system, HOA, civic engagement, political view, etc.? YES! In fact, it is more than plausible, it is essential. Spiritual growth is not about behavior modification, but learning to submit to our divine calling in ALL areas of life. That divine calling begins with “Our Father”.

Operations Design and The Lord’s Prayer

Is Work Bad or Good?