More Than Bricks in the Wall: Organizational Perspectives for Sustainable Success : A Tribute to Professor Dr. Gilbert Probst

Peter Gomez, University of St. Gallen Gilbert Spiderman Those were the days … when Gilbert Probst presented his innumerable lectures on systems thinking to executives wearing a T-shirt showing a spidernet; the serious and respected professor impersonating the famous Spiderman? Far from it! Systems thinking translated in German means “Vernetztes Denken”, in clumsy English “Thinking in Networks” – just like the spiderweb. A more precise term would be “Thinking in Circles”, but Gilbert was always looking for good effects – and this with great success, the executives loved it. Gilbert and myself were a good team in the 80s and 90s of the last century. In the form of team teaching we introduced literally thousands of executives and students to the secrets of systems thinking. Somehow like Simon & Garfunkel - he was Art Garfunkel, the front man, I performed the background vocals as did Paul Simon. It took us a long time to develop our product to perfection.