The authors are charter members of the Society for Organizational Learning and The Natural Step U.S., and collaborate closely with several other organizations and associates dedicated to sustainability in business and for the globe. Mental models are those deeply ingrained assumptions and perspectives that inform the way we see our world and how we take action. In the industrial culture of the 20th century, several mental models have prevailed that do not support a sustainable future. All growth is good. The smokestack is a sign of progress.
Big families provide economic security.
We can throw trash away. Independence is the key to success. The machine is a metaphor for human existence. We are all in this together. Resources are limited.