# Rubber Band Demo **URL:** \ **Category:** CSG2006\ **Created:** [September 29, 2006, 12:43pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/rubber-band-demo/10084 "2006-09-29T12:43:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1

**Author:** ![Fred\_Nickols1](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@Fred\_Nickols1](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Fred_Nickols1)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 12:43pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/rubber-band-demo/10084/1 "2006-09-29T12:43:40Z")

[From Fred Nickols (2006.09.29.0817 EDT)] -- I made my presentation on Wednesday of this week and the rubber band demo went well. I say it "went well" because it went down as I had planned and, more important, the plant managers "got it." As one of them said in the follow-on discussion, "It seems intuitively right." "It", of course, is the variation of the PCT model that I've been using for some time now. So, what follows is a little bit about the demo and a little bit about what was called "The 'H'" Model in the presentation. For the demo, I first used a marker to place several dots a couple of inches apart roughly in the center of an easel sheet. The "subject" and I had practiced the demo the night before - mainly to relieve his concerns. The subject was previously instructed to pick a dot - but not tell me which dot - and then keep the knot positioned over the selected dot. The "knot" was actually a small flat washer with two rubber bands attached. I used the washer to make the "knot" more visible to the participants. The subject and I then took our ends of the rubber bands in hand and he took his initial position. When he said "OK," I then began to move my end of the rubber band - very slowly and deliberately - first horizontally and then in vertical arcs. Next I moved my end very rapidly in large movements. Then I ceased movement and he restored the knot over the selected dot. I asked him if he was "on target" so to speak. At which point I released my end of the rubber band. We hadn't practiced that. I said, "Now what?" and he said, "I've lost control." The post demo discussion focused on what the participants observed, what they thought the subject was trying to do/accomplish. I also used the discussion to introduce the "H" model and to make several key points which you all can no doubt guess: - we vary our behavior in response to disturbances so as to hold results constant - there is, then, an initial achievement aspect as well as a maintenance aspect - disturbances can overwhelm our ability to control - there is a null or zero error state at which no action is required from the demo I went into an explanation of what I told them was the "H" model (for Human behavior), derived from the PCT of William Powers. The H Model is crudely shown below: G D > \> > \> > \> > d i | o-----\>A-----\>o > \> > \> > \> > \> P------------\>C Next time around I'll probably call it the Goalpost Model. 🙂 I ran through the H Model in the following sequence: - people (including managers) try to control certain conditions (C) - they hold goals (G) in relation to C - if their perceptions (P) indicate a discrepancy (d) between C and G, they take action (A) - their actions are not willy-nilly; they're purposeful, which is to say their actions constitute an intervention (i) - the state of C at any given point in time is the integral of their Actions or interventions and any disturbances (D) introduced by other actors or factors I leaned heavily on the notion that people, including themselves, are "living control systems" and we spent a little time discussing the importance of "goal alignment" - that is, of making sure employees and managers are on the same page regarding the results to be achieved. In any event, I got in plugs for PCT, "living control systems" and Bill Powers' books. And I got paid for doing it. Yea! Oh...the presentation was titled "The Plant Manager as Interventionist." Seemed about right to me... Regards, Fred Nickols "Assistance at a Distance" nickols@att.net www.nickols.us ---

**Author:** ![Richard\_Marken2](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/edb3f5/32.png) [@Richard\_Marken2](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Richard_Marken2)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 3:51pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/rubber-band-demo/10084/2 "2006-09-29T15:51:27Z")

[From Rick Marken (2006.09.29.0850)] That sounds great, Fred. There is good advice in your description of doing the rubber band demo for all of us would-be teachers of PCT. I'll save this one to my "Teaching PCT" folder. Thanks Best Rick PS. Today I start teaching an undergraduate Statistics course at Ucla (to a class of 250 students). I wish I could get people to pay me for teaching PCT but I gotta take what I can get, before the revolution;-) > **···** > > --- > > > [From Fred Nickols (2006.09.29.0817 EDT)] -- > > > > I made my presentation on Wednesday of this week and the rubber band demo > > went well. I say it "went well" because it went down as I had planned and, > > more important, the plant managers "got it." As one of them said in the > > follow-on discussion, "It seems intuitively right." "It", of course, is the > > variation of the PCT model that I've been using for some time now. So, what > > follows is a little bit about the demo and a little bit about what was > > called "The 'H'" Model in the presentation. > > > > For the demo, I first used a marker to place several dots a couple of inches > > apart roughly in the center of an easel sheet. The "subject" and I had > > practiced the demo the night before - mainly to relieve his concerns. > > > > The subject was previously instructed to pick a dot - but not tell me which > > dot - and then keep the knot positioned over the selected dot. The "knot" > > was actually a small flat washer with two rubber bands attached. I used the > > washer to make the "knot" more visible to the participants. > > > > The subject and I then took our ends of the rubber bands in hand and he took > > his initial position. When he said "OK," I then began to move my end of the > > rubber band - very slowly and deliberately - first horizontally and then in > > vertical arcs. Next I moved my end very rapidly in large movements. Then I > > ceased movement and he restored the knot over the selected dot. I asked him > > if he was "on target" so to speak. At which point I released my end of the > > rubber band. We hadn't practiced that. I said, "Now what?" and he said, > > "I've lost control." > > > > The post demo discussion focused on what the participants observed, what > > they thought the subject was trying to do/accomplish. I also used the > > discussion to introduce the "H" model and to make several key points which > > you all can no doubt guess: > > > > - we vary our behavior in response to disturbances so as to hold results > > constant > > - there is, then, an initial achievement aspect as well as a maintenance > > aspect > > - disturbances can overwhelm our ability to control > > - there is a null or zero error state at which no action is required > > > > From the demo I went into an explanation of what I told them was the "H" > > model (for Human behavior), derived from the PCT of William Powers. The H > > Model is crudely shown below: > > > > G D > > \> \> > > \> d i | > > o-----\>A-----\>o > > \> \> > > P------------\>C > > > > Next time around I'll probably call it the Goalpost Model. 🙂 > > > > I ran through the H Model in the following sequence: > > > > - people (including managers) try to control certain conditions (C) > > - they hold goals (G) in relation to C > > - if their perceptions (P) indicate a discrepancy (d) between C and G, they > > take action (A) > > - their actions are not willy-nilly; they're purposeful, which is to say > > their actions constitute an intervention (i) > > - the state of C at any given point in time is the integral of their > > Actions or interventions and any disturbances (D) introduced by other actors > > or factors > > > > I leaned heavily on the notion that people, including themselves, are > > "living control systems" and we spent a little time discussing the > > importance of "goal alignment" - that is, of making sure employees and > > managers are on the same page regarding the results to be achieved. > > > > In any event, I got in plugs for PCT, "living control systems" and Bill > > Powers' books. And I got paid for doing it. Yea! > > > > Oh...the presentation was titled "The Plant Manager as Interventionist." > > Seemed about right to me... > > > > Regards, > > > > Fred Nickols > > "Assistance at a Distance" > > nickols@att.net > > www.nickols.us > > Richard S. Marken Consulting > marken@mindreadings.com > Home 310 474-0313 > Cell 310 729-1400 ---

**Author:** ![Bill\_Powers1](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bill\_Powers1](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Bill_Powers1)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/rubber-band-demo/10084/3 "2006-09-29T21:29:54Z")

[ From Bill Powers (2006.09.29.1525 MDT)] Fred Nickols (2006.09.29.0817 EDT) -- Glad it went well. In the diagram, I presume you meant for the arrow between P and C to go the other way (from C to P). Also, I've found that a lower-case v works for a down arrow, and a caret (^) for an up arrow (sort of). > ^ > \> v | Best, Bill P. ---

**Author:** ![Fred\_Nickols1](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@Fred\_Nickols1](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Fred_Nickols1)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/rubber-band-demo/10084/4 "2006-09-29T21:34:03Z")

[From Fred Nickols (2006.09.29.1733)] -- You are correct, Bill. I meant for the arrow to run from C to P. In the diagram I used during the presentation, I had it correct. > **···** > > -- > Regards, > > Fred Nickols > Senior Consultant > Distance Consulting > nickols@att.net > www.nickols.us > > "Assistance at A Distance" > > -------------- Original message ---------------------- > From: Bill Powers \ > > > [ > > From Bill Powers (2006.09.29.1525 MDT)] > > > > Fred Nickols (2006.09.29.0817 EDT) -- > > > > Glad it went well. In the diagram, I presume you meant for the arrow > > between P and C to go the other way (from C to P). Also, I've found > > that a lower-case v works for a down arrow, and a caret (^) for an up > > arrow (sort of). > > > > \> ^ > > \> \> > > v | > > > > Best, > > > > Bill P.