In
two previous articles I described this
process for addressing complex 'wicked' problems collectively:
Collective Complex-Environment Problem Resolution Process- Crafting
and sending a compelling invitation: to anyone with passion about and something to potentially contribute to the problem's resolution
- Drafting
the issue topology/framework:
research what we know, the breadth of the problem and possible aspects
to address
- Training:
of participants in Open Space and other methods, practices and capacities for complex problems
- Opening
session: issue statement, opportunity for participants to
suggest aspects of the problems or issue for 'conversations',
assigning time and place for each conversation, mapping scheduled
conversations to the pre-developed topology/framework for the issue
- Marketplace:
time for participants to review which conversations are where & when and discuss
and decide which to attend
- Working
sessions:
conversations, each with an assigned scribe keeping notes and governed
by the 'vote
with your feet' rule (you can move from one conversation to another
that seems to be more valuable or to which you feel you can contribute
more, without repercussions or causing offense)
- Results
and reflections sessions: 'journal' of
conversations is provided to and read by each participant; participants
set personal
action agendas
- Collective
and collaborative actions: are proposed by all; participants volunteer
for proposed collective & collaborative actions/projects
- Personal actions:
participants, informed by the conversations and knowledge of planned
collective and collaborative actions, are trusted to decide upon,
organize and implement appropriate additional personal actions
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and this process for solving complex problems individually when they're
in your job description:
Individual Complex-Environment Problem Resolution Process- Identify the Customer:
Determine who the internal and external 'customers' are -- how they can
reasonably be segmented.
- Research & Observe: Study the status quo to understand what is really happening, what the real
processes and workarounds are.
- Converse:
Have lots of iterative discussions with different customer segments to
clarify your understanding of what is happening and why.
- Define and Articulate the Needs & 'Problems':
When identified needs and problems are individual, just observe and
provide the individual with your ideas and the benefit of your
experience. For needs and problems that are shared and require (and
justify) a more substantial 'solution' process, rank them
by customers' assessment of their severity and urgency. Feed these
back to the customers to make sure you understood.
- Imagine Ways of Addressing These Needs and Problems: With the creative minds in the organization (or outside it, if
necessary) brainstorm possible ways of addressing these
needs and problems.
- Create a Future State Vision If Your Imagined Solutions Were Implemented:
Tell a compelling story of how things could/would happen if the
solutions you imagined in step 5 were implemented. Then deconstruct how
to get there and use it to budget the money, time and resources needed
to implement them.
- Experiment and Prototype:
Start small -- your imagined solutions will never be perfect, and
small-scale experiments and prototypes will allow you to refine the
solution before spending all the resources on an imperfect solution.
- Scale Up: Expand the pilot to all users who share the need or share and appreciate the problem. Make adoption voluntary. Let the users own and collectively self-manage the solution.
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These
two approaches are arguably better than the approaches usually used in
these situations: small, uninformed groups at the top of the hierarchy
prejudge the problem, bring in outside experts and impose so-called
'best practice' solutions on everyone else. When they fail, the people
subjected to these failed approaches then find workarounds to cope as
best as possible with the chronic, unresolved situation.
Both of the above complex problem resolution processes apply the general approaches
suggested by Dave Snowden, Otto Scharmer, Francisco Varela, the Open
Space methodology leaders, James Surowiecki, the Freakonomics team,
Thomas Princen, Hugh Brody and others, for dealing with complex
situations and for imagining possibilities for addressing them.
Is
there a way of generalizing these two approaches to create a simple
methodology for coping with all the complex situations we face in our
day-to-day lives? After all, since all natural and social systems are
inherently complex, such situations are far more prevalent than the
simple or merely complicated situations we are taught (in school and
work 'courses' and through the 'conventional wisdom' imparted by
parents and colleagues) to handle.
A couple of years ago, Cyndy at MouseMusings suggested a catchphrase Sense, Self-Control, Understand, Question, Imagine, Offer, Collaborate, that seems to come very close to comprising such a methodology. What is missing? Conversation, especially early in the process, in understanding and imagining. Learning -- acquiring the capacities you need to be able to deal with the particular situation at hand. Articulating the real, underlying issue, which is often different from the symptom or immediate situation. Opening/letting go/Letting-Self-Change. Reflecting before acting. Imagining alternatives and success. Intending. Identifying and getting what you need to succeed. Planning the action steps one at a time.
If we were to merge these missing ingredients into the above catchphrase, we'd get something like this:
Dealing With Complexity Day-to-Day- Sense: Observe, listen, pay attention, open up your senses,
perceive everything that has a bearing on the issue at hand. Connect.
- Suspend: Don't prejudge. Don't lose your cool. Focus.
- Learn: Do your homework. Learn the facts and the capacities you need to deal with the situation.
- Converse:
Find and talk with the people who can help you understand the
situation, imagine possible resolutions, decide what to do, garner
needed resources, and act.
- Understand:
Identify the real, underlying problem, not just the symptoms. Make sense of the situation. Things are the
way they are for a reason. Know what that reason is. Sympathize.
- Question: Ask, don't tell. Challenge. Think critically.
- Imagine:
Brainstorm alternative possibilities. Give them time to emerge.
Evaluate them objectively. Don't be wedded to them -- be flexible as
new knowledge arises and as the situation continually changes.
- Reflect: Give yourself time to consider options and consequences.
- Decide: Tentatively, what to do, and when/how to do it.
- Intend:
Imagine realization of success. Picture, hear, feel what could be. Be
visionary. Every problem is an opportunity. Anything is possible.
- Resource: Get what you need to realize your intention.
- Let-Self-Change: Adapt. Increase your resilience to further changes.
- Offer: Consider. Give something away. Create options, new avenues to explore. Suggest possibilities. Lend a hand. Help.
- Collaborate: Realize together.
- Follow Through: One step at a time, act on your intention.
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What do you think?
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