Resumen de Black box thinking: the surprising truth about success, by Matthew Syed

Dick Stroud

• This book review examines 'Black box thinking: the surprising truth about success' by Matthew Syed. 'Black box thinking' looks at the very different ways that various people and organisations can respond to failure; in particular, comparing the aviation industry's process of compiling data after any accident with healthcare's tendency to deny responsibility for any failures. Healthcare is defined by Syed as a 'closed loop' where failure does not lead to progress, whereas aviation is an 'open loop' that systematically analyses failure to ensure it is not repeated. Individuals, like the industries discussed, also benefit from admitting their mistakes and trying to learn from them. The book investigates organisational cultures where failure is used to drive progress through case studies such as James Dyson, Unilever, and Team Sky.