Demystifying the Viable Systems Model as a tool for organisational analysis

Stafford Beer’s Viable Systems Model provides a unique and exceptionally useful approach to organisational analysis. It has not, however, had the impact that it deserves. One reason for its under-employment is that many, not familiar with the model’s cybernetic basis and terminology, have found Beer’s original ideas difficult to follow. This paper provides a ‘user friendly’ guide to enable a wider audience to grasp and use this particularly insightful tool.