Stucco is used to un-stick a mess. A mess is a situation that we don't like and whatever we do it seems to stay the same or get worse. Examples of messes could be static sales, work/home balance, a team that is not working well together.

Most of the time we get on fine by looking only at actions and outcomes. To achieve a result or an outcome we take an action or, in the face of a set of outcomes or driving conditions we take an action.

When we are in a mess we need to look more closely at the complete system within which our actions turn into outcomes and that has us choose particular actions in the face of a set of outcomes or driving conditions.

When we take an action what happens next is not always what we expect, that is because there are external forces beyond our control that intervene. For example we go to the airport to catch a flight to get somewhere at a certain time, if the flight is delayed leaving due to bad weather then we will not get the outcome we expected. A greater understanding of external forces can help us design our actions to take them into account.

Stucco is particularly valuable when:

• We are caught in a vicious circle where it seems that no matter what we do, we end up in the same place

• It feels like we are in a mess and there is a need to break free

• Actions aren't working

• There is a need to examine the beliefs and assumptions behind the actions we have taken

• There is a need to investigate what external factors are affecting our actions

• We don't know what to do next