10 AXIOMS FOR INVESTIGATORS
for improving investigator's performance
© 1979-2018 by Ludwig Benner, Jr. .All rights reserved.

  1. If you can't flow chart it, you don't understand it. (W G Johnson)

  2. Everyone and everything always have to be someplace, doing something, during the occurrence. (L Benner)

  3. Always expect everyone to act in what they perceive to be their own best interests, and you'll never be disappointed. (W G Meeker)

  4. Conditions (static or dynamic) don't change unless acted on by some person, object or energy, so track change-agents. (derived from Newton's 1st law

  5. Things react predictably without thinking during occurrences and tell all – but only if you can "read or hear" what they "tell"! (derived from Woods & Sweginnis )

  6. Observer [witness] has it; you need it; and observer [witness] doesn't have to give it to you. (L Benner, derived from observations during many interviews)

  7. No test plan, no test! (L Benner, derived from observed mistkes)

  8. Passive voice and abstractions cover up uncompleted investigations. (derived from S.I Hayakawa)

  9. Experienced judgment recycles yesterday's problems. (W G Johnson)

  10. Alleged "cause(s)" or cause factors, root causes, proximate causes or other causes of an occurrence mask illusions of knowledge. (derived from D. Boorstein)