Steven Holden

Dr. Lawrence
MCHE 4000
22 August 2016
How to Make Toast
Tom Wujec has given a lecture on how we can compare problem solving to making toast.
First he asks his subjects to draw the process of making toast. This resulted in people making a
node and link diagrams that were on average between 4 and 8 nodes long. Creating this system
model gives a visual representation of taking a large problem and breaking it down into smaller
components. Next he has the individuals create a diagram of making toast on sticky notes. This
drawing had far more nodes. They began rearranging and adding sticky notes to create a more
complex and in depth analysis of the system. Lastly, he took the students and put them in a group
together. They used team collaboration to create an even more complex and refined systems
model. The final product is a large complex systems model that takes into consideration all the
individuals points of view. They also incorporated additional organization to manage
contradictions and redundancies. He uses this to show that you can break down any problem the
same way and improve businesses.
Upon graduation, I want to work in the U.S. Army. My top preference would be to work
as engineering officer. Incorporating this idea would be simple given a broad spectrum of
problems that an engineering officer faces. For example, if the goal is to build a bridge across a
crevasse, having everyone complete a visual brain storm would present many different ideas. The
visual aid would also allow the individuals to better explain their ideas. Once everyone has their
own plan assembled, the first step would be getting together as a group to determine which

design is most effective for the mission at hand. Once a method is determined, everyone could
aid in finding flaws in the plan, as well as aiding in potential solutions and ways to make the
design better. The final product would be a systems model describing the design of a bridge that
integrates a wide range of experience and knowledge.