When we attempt to employ systems approaches to confront real organisational problems, it becomes clear that a significant barrier to systemic intervention is the contingent nature of much action in these organisations. Because the actors (professionals, managers and consultants) are situated within a constraining cultural environment, they adopt action strategies which are reactive to this environment and which relate to normative assumptions about it (Dudley and Hassall, 1995 and 1996). Action and reaction to particular events in the immediate environment is a natural coping strategy. Doing "what we usually do" has the advantage of reducing the thinking and reaction time whilst ensuring survival. In this paper the term "contingent" is used for just those actions which arise from a developed repertoire based upon specific stimuli received from the environment.