Myron Tribus

improve performance system goals individual defeat

Perversity Principle:

"If you try to improve the performance of a system of people, machines, and procedures by setting numerical goals for the improvement of individual parts of the system, the system will defeat your efforts and you will pay a price where you least expect it."

—Myron Tribus (1921-2016)

manage understand lead

"You can manage what you do not understand; but you cannot lead it."

—Myron Tribus (1921-2016)

engineering science design new devices processes systems

"The central activity of engineering, as distinguished from science, is the design of new devices, processes and systems."

—Myron Tribus (1921-2016)

quality education learning pleasure joy

"Quality in education is what makes learning a pleasure and a joy."

—Myron Tribus (1921-2016)

knowledge know-how sterile academic pejorative sense

"Knowledge without know-how is sterile. We use the word academic in a pejorative sense to identify this limitation."

—Myron Tribus (1921-2016)

teacher test student bored education cease score grade external

"When teachers are forced to teach to the test, students get bored and genuine education ceases, no matter what the test scores may say… The examination as a test of the past is of no value for increased learning ability. Like all external motivators, it can produce a short term effect, but examinations for the purpose of grading the past do not hook a student on learning for life."

—Myron Tribus (1921-2016)

difference teaching learning dog whistle

"David Langford, illustrates the difference between teaching and

learning in a little story. He says, 'You know, last Wednesday I

taught my dog to whistle. I really did. I taught him to whistle. It

was hard work. I really went at it very hard. But I taught him to

whistle. Of course, he didn't learn, but I taught.'"

—Myron Tribus (1921-2016)