About this Presentation
Throughout Eli Goldratt's career, his goal was to teach the world to think clearly. The book 'The Choice' illustrates how and why clear thinking is crucial for anyone seeking a full life. However, thinking clearly alone is not enough. If our thinking is based on incorrect facts, our conclusions will also be wrong, even if the logic is perfect. This is similar to a great factory fed with shoddy raw materials – it will be challenging to produce good finished goods. Hans Rosling, a Swedish physician dedicated to International Public Health issues and a famous lecturer on public health matters, was one of the most popular and prolific TED presenters. In his final work, 'Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think,' Rosling was shocked by the volume and breadth of wrong facts used by many important organizations (WHO, IMF, UN, etc.) and their personnel in decision-making. He not only updates essential facts about the world's situation but also presents ten reasons why we tend not to base our thinking on current and correct facts. Combining Rosling's techniques to scrutinize the facts we use and Goldratt's techniques to scrutinize our thinking based on these facts, we can aspire to real effective thinking. In this presentation, Humberto covers the basis of Goldratt's view on thinking and science, introduces Rosling's work, lays out the ten obstacles to clear thinking, and provides strategies to overcome them. Finally, the presentation explores some of the farther-reaching implications of the synergy of these two giants.
What Will You Learn
To help you get the most value from this session, we’ve highlighted a few key points. These takeaways capture the main ideas and practical insights from the presentation, making it easier for you to review, reflect, and apply what you’ve learned.
The speaker discusses the importance of clear thinking and its implications. They also touch on the concept of factfulness, which is a summary of Hunt Crosley's work.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of combining resources and purposeful thinking. They also discuss the concept of dramatic bias, explaining that humans have a natural tendency to lean towards the pessimistic or dramatic side due to survival mechanisms.
The speaker conducts a quick survey to test the audience's world view and understanding of certain global issues. The results reveal a general pessimistic bias.
Instructor(s)
Humberto R. Baptista
Humberto R. Baptista is a strategic thinker, innovator, and Synergist, serving as CEO of Vectis Solutions. A recipient of the TOCICO Lifetime Achievement Award (2019), he has spent decades shaping how organizations think, decide, and perform. Humberto was a strategic advisor to Neogrid, a member of the TOCICO Board of Directors, and a senior figure in the Goldratt Group. He has led major Viable Vision transformations across sectors—from consumer goods and retail to manufacturing, services, and large-scale projects—delivering tangible, systemic breakthroughs. As a global educator, he has trained hundreds of TOC Viable Vision Application Experts and Project Leaders. Humberto is the creator of the Comprehensive Management methodology, designed to connect local actions with global consequences in real-world business systems. His current focus includes Comprehensive Management, TOC Principles, S&T-based implementations, advanced TOC Finance, and applying TOC to complex domains like retail, government, health, and education.
Ms Alka Wadhwa
Alka Wadhwa is an experienced consultant and process improvement expert with over 24 years of expertise in the Theory of Constraints (TOC), Lean Six Sigma, and organizational performance optimization. She has successfully led projects in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing, driving significant improvements such as a 67% boost in hospital operations and a 140% increase in outpatient visits.
Previously, Alka Wadhwa spent 17+ years at GE Global Research Center, where she led initiatives to enhance various GE businesses through advanced technologies, process redesign, and system optimization. Founder of Better Solutions Consulting, LLC, she specializes in using TOC, Six Sigma, and data analytics to streamline operations and build high-performance teams.
Her work has earned her multiple accolades, including the Empire State Award of Excellence in healthcare.
Dr Gary Wadhwa
Dr. Gary Wadhwa is a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon with extensive experience in the field. He completed his Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery training at Montefiore Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY, and has served as an Attending at prestigious institutions like St. Peters Hospitals, Ellis Hospital, and Beth Israel Hospital in NY. With a career spanning over two decades, he was the former CEO and President of a group specialty practice in NY from 1994 to 2015. Dr. Wadhwa holds an MBA from UT at Knoxville, TN, and has undergone additional training in System Dynamics at MIT, Health System Management at Harvard Business School, and Entrepreneurship and healthcare innovations at Columbia Business School. Committed to expanding access to Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery care, he is currently engaged in a meaningful project to provide healthcare services to underserved populations in inner city and rural areas through non-profit Community Health Centers.