May 8, 2016
When grappling with wicked problems:
Avoid Solve
Define Solution
Eliminate Fix
Two Wicked Problems
Any hope for success in the coming decades is closely tied to success in managing two difficult and related problems: First, learning what needs to be learned, learning it quickly and efficiently, and then using it well; and second, even more problematic, forgetting what needs to be forgotten. Both are complicated.
Learning
When it comes to learning what we need to learn, we immediately come up against a dilemma: a “separation-of the-wheat-from-the-chaff” problem. Given the number of ideas, suggestions, advice, and recommendations that cascade down upon us, many which contradict others that seem equally authoritative, we can be easily overwhelmed. How are we to know what is essential and what is fluff? This dilemma is complicated by the fact that most of us have moved beyond our years of formal education, years when our parents and teachers offered us guidance. Who can guide us now? Who will help us separate signal from noise? One answer, as relevant today as when it was given in 1902 by Secretary of State John Hay to the U. S. Congress, is one that will make many uncomfortable:
The fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? The fathers are dead, the prophets are silent, the questions are new and have no answers. The past gives no clue to the future. We ourselves are the fathers! We ourselves are the prophets!Deciding what needs to be learned, and then learning it, is up to us. While many are ready to give advice, no one is able to tell us what is best.
Forgetting
The challenge of forgetting what needs to be forgotten is even more difficult. We all carry with us ideas, principles, concepts and solutions that we not only struggled to learn in the past (making them more difficult to give up) but we also learned many of them from important Others – parents, priests, rabbis, ministers, teachers – thus imbuing them with a sort of holy aura. And then to make things even more difficult, we have put many of these beliefs and ideas to the test and have become convinced – often wrongly – that they work! Most of us resist being told that many of our cherished principles and beliefs are outmoded and are not going to be useful in the future. “Forget them?” you say. “Forget it!” we reply.
“This Idea Must Die”
These twin problems, learning what needs to be learned and forgetting what needs to be forgotten, are not new. What is new is that knowledgeable people are signaling that these challenges are more important than ever before. John Brockman, in a series of books published during the past decade, makes this point with enthusiasm. His approach is to select an important question, then invite the most renowned experts available to write short answers. Here are several of these titles that can help guide us toward what is important:
- The Greatest Inventions of the Past 2,000 Years.
- The Next Fifty Years.
- What We Believe but Cannot Prove.
- What is Your Dangerous Idea?.
- What Have You Changed Your Mind About?.
- This Will Change Everything.
- This Will Make You Smarter.
- This Explains Everything;
- What Should We Be Worried About?
What should we forget? Brockton deals with this directly in This Idea Must Die, published in 2015. Among the ideas selected by 175 experts that need to die and be forgotten are:
- IQ (Scott Adran).
- Cause and Effect (W. Daniel Hillis).
- Human Nature (Perter Richardson).
- The Self (Bruce Hood).
- Free Will (Jerry Coyne).
- Common Sense (Robert Provine).
- Things are Either True or False (Alan Alda).
- The Rational Individual (Andy Peatland).
- Certainty. Absolute Truth. Exactitude (Richard Saul Wurman).
- Altruism (Tor Norrentranders).
A careful examination of these ideas, together with hundreds more that can be found in the book, leads to an unsettling conclusion: We are being told to forget things that we have long held as central to our view of the world and how it works. There is a better chance of a snowball surviving in hell than most of us forgetting such ideas as self, free will, common sense, true or false, absolute truth, and on and on. Forgetting what has always been true in the past, and for good measure seems self-evident, is an Everest that we are asked to climb without oxygen and little equipment.
What About Wicked Problems?
When grappling with wicked problems, there are also “Ideas that Must Die.” Here are three of the most important:
They Can be Solved.
They Have Solutions.
They be Fixed
Solve
“Problem” is among our few indispensable words. If it didn’t exist, we would have to invent it. Pick any day at random and during the that day you will hear, read, or say “problem” dozens or even hundreds times. Psychiatrist M. Scott Peck, in The Road Less Traveled, believes that problems are what life is made of: “Life is a series of problems,” he writes, “…and since life poses an endless series of problems, life is always difficult.”
Problem is a word with an important function. It signals that attention is needed. In a society where individuals are constantly striving to improve themselves, their friends, their children, their employees, teams, and organizations, and their societies, “problem” is one of our most effective words. Without it we would be hard pressed to know which aspects of our lives and society are not working as expected and need to be improved.
People who insist that there are no problems (only opportunities?) or that they are not important, are missing an important insight: Describing a situation or an issue as a “problem” is immensely useful. We can’t get along without doing it. When someone says “this is a problem,” or “we have a problem,” we “get it:” Something is off-kilter, below standard, off-the-rails, inadequate, inappropriate, etc., etc., and action is needed. Say “serious problem” and people will move at once to mobilize efforts, allocate resources, and begin to plan actions that may be used to “solve” it. It is unlikely there is any language anywhere without a word for “problem.” In all societies, things fail to work as planned, fall apart, and need attention. All need to have available a way of signaling where, how and when attention should be directed and what steps should be taken to remedy the situation.
Problem rarely stands alone. When we hear “problem” we will almost always hear “solve” in the next breath. They are inextricably connected to each other, not unlike the Sinatra song of 1955: “Love and marriage, love and marriage/Go together like a horse and carriage.”
And this presents us with a dilemma: The Idea of Problem, necessary and useful, leads automatically to “solve.” And yet for wicked problems, there is no solve! Authors who write about problems – and there are literally thousands of them – can’t seem to get along without “solve.”Here are just four titles of books on problems that I have selected among the hundreds from in library:
- Solving Tough Problems by Adam Kahane.
- The 3rd Alternative: Solving Life’s Most Difficult Problems by Stephen R. Covey.
- Solved by Sunset, by Carol Osborn.
- Solving Life’s Problems: A 5-Step Guide to Enhanced Well-Being by Arthur M. Nezu et. al.
Study carefully as I have the problems that these authors write about, and you will discover that none of them can actually be solved!
I repeat: For our most important problems – the ones I am calling wicked – there is no solve! Do we ever “solve” the wicked problem of making marriage work? Of raising our children to be the kind of people we want them to be? Of creating a high-performing team? Of creating what we all agree is “good government?” Of establishing a health care system that can meet everyone’s needs? The answers are no, no, no, no, and no. We work on them, yet they persist. We attack them, and while they may retreat for a while, they return. We bring new ideas, technology and resources to combat them, and they adapt.
Even those who use wicked problem language and should know better fall into the “solve” trap. Here is the title of an article that appeared Forbes India on July 8, 2015: “The importance of diversity of thought for solving wicked problems.” Does the author, Alpheus Bingham, understand that if the problem is wicked, then “solving” doesn’t apply? Apparently not. While diversity of thought is important, even essential, no matter how much diversity is brought to bear, wicked problems do not get solved!
It is imperative that we free ourselves from the linguistic habit of connecting solve to wicked problems for the simple reason that no matter what we do, they do not get solved. They can only be worked on, over and over again. Claiming to solve them is inaccurate. It creates confusion and encourages unhealthy expectations.
Solutions
An integral part of a struggle with any problem the expectation – or hope – of finding a “solution.” When the problem is a wicked one, thinking about a solution puts us in a quandary similar to the one we have with solve, only more so. Using the term solution with a wicked problem increases confusion and leads to misunderstanding. Consider for a moment two phrases that are widely used when people in organizations talk about problems: “Don’t bring me problems,” says the boss to members of his team, “bring me solutions;” and “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.”
In the first example, if someone has a a solution to take to the boss, then the problem cannot be a wicked one. No single individual in an organization can understand the nature of a wicked problem, let alone have a solution available. All he or she may have to take to the boss is a concern, an idea, a hunch, or a “best guess,” all miles away from “solution.” As we have seen, wicked problems are extracted from “messes” by the efforts of many people, a process which is results in the creation of the problem. It comes into existence from the efforts people working together. The same is true of solution, what I prefer to call “action plan.” It will always be the result of many people struggling to come up with they think is the best thing to do. If a person has a solution to take to the boss, then the problem in question will almost always be a technical one from math, chemistry, physics, or some other discipline that has answers and solutions to offer.
The second example, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem,” is equally nonsensical. When it comes to wicked problems whether in relationships, families, teams, or organizations, everyone in the neighborhood is by definition part of the problem! Whether a person can be part of a solution depends entirely upon the knowledge and skills that he or she possesses.
“Solution” presents us with a special challenge. What we usually mean when we say solution is that we have something to offer that will disable, destroy, or “disappear” the problem. But as I have said, for wicked problems, there is no disabling, destroying or disappearing. While we can diminish their effects by making some things better, we don’t get rid of them. We can narrow the gap, but we can never entirely close it.
A better way to think about a solution to a wicked problem is to see it as an Action Plan. Once we gain an understanding of what we are up against, we can move toward defining it. And then, and only then, can we set about creating a plan to attack the problem.
A useful definition of a solution for a wicked problem is to see it as a temporary arrangement that we put in place in the hopes of reducing the pain and confusion associated with the problem and increasing the chances for positive movement toward goals. Any arrangement we come up will always be temporary and never final. As the times change, and as we change, the original problem will have morphed into something new. We will have to revisit it to see what needs to be added or subtracted.
Fix
Politicians and other leaders are fond of claiming that they can “fix” our most serious problems. In Fortune for July 7, 2008, the Republican candidate, John McCain, appears on the cover with this quote: “How I’ll Fix the Economy.” Eight years later, in April of 2016, the presumptive Republican candidate Donald Trump identified the Islamic terrorists in Iraq and Syria known as ISIS as among our most important international problems. He not only claimed that he will “fix” this problem but that he will do it easily and fast. “You’ll be surprised how fast I can fix it” he said. In fact, he continued, “We will win if I become president…I’m the only one who knows how to fix it.”
In June of 2015, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, speaking to the graduating students at Washington University said “Let me apologize in advance on behalf of all of the people up here. We broke it, but you’ve got to fix it.”
Burns is confused. “We” didn’t break it, and “they” can’t fix it for the simple reason that “it” – and from the context, it is clear that Burns means the United States – isn’t broken! Computers break, washing machines break, toasters break, shoelaces break, but countries do not. What people mean when they claim that the country is broken is that things are not going the way they would like them to. Other people, however, may be perfectly satisfied with the way things are. Using a machine analogy to describe a country is a fundamental error. It suggests that if we just can find the “broken” part and replace it, things will work as they are supposed to. There is no broken part in society that, when found and replaced, will guarantee that things will work as we think they should.
Yet politicians and pundits alike keep insisting that our “real” problem is that important parts of society are broken and need to be fixed: health care, education, government, the judicial system, Social Security, politics, and on and on. And, echoing Trump, politicians insist that those on the other side are responsible for “breaking” them, and they are the ones who can “fix” them. Once again, wrong and wrong.
Fixing wicked problems is a contradiction in terms. Wicked problems cannot be broken, and saying the they should be fixed makes no sense. If there is no fixing wicked problems, then what? Here are some options that are both more accurate and useful: Tackling; grappling; struggling; addressing; managing.
A little humility would also be a plus. The first sentence in Wallace Steven’s poem, “Two Versions of the Same Poem,” captures this well:
“Once more he turned to that which could not be fixed.”
Dangerous Idea?
What is Your Most Dangerous Idea, by John Brockman, published in 2007 has as its subtitle: Today’s Leading Thinkers on the Unthinkable. The ideas that appear in the book are dangerous because they are deemed to be “unthinkable.” When people are exposed to them, they are generally notpleased. They are either offended or outraged or both.
Here are some examples:
- “We Have No Souls;”
- “We Are Entirely Alone;”
- “Choosing the Sex of One’s Child;”
- “Science Must Destroy Religion.”
The central idea of this essay – that for wicked problems there is no “solve,” no “solving” and no “fix”- could be for many people a dangerous idea. It may lead to confusion, irritation and even frustration. “What do you mean that this problem can be solved?” Fred says. “The hell you say! If we can’t solve them, what are we supposed to do with them?” shouts Richard.
There are several reasons why there could be danger in suggesting that for wicked problems, there is no solve, no solution, or no fix. First, most people have never heard that there are tame and wicked problems. They believe that while some problem are simple and others complex, they are basically the same and so can be treated the same. To insist otherwise may be seen as a pedantic game. Second, whenever persons say or read “problem,” what next appears next on the tip of their tongues is “solve”or “solution” as in” “We’ve got a problem and we need a solution – fast!” But what then? Seeking a solution when there isn’t one can quickly turn into a trip down a blind alley or worse. Third, as I suggested earlier, even though problem is among our most indispensable words, we have few good alternatives for identifying something that isn’t working, or needs “fixing.” We are trapped by our language. People don’t appreciate being told that they are “trapped” by the way they speak.
Some Suggestions for Wicked Problem Language
When it comes to talking about problems, our everyday language complicates things. John hears, “problem” and thinks “solve.” Melissa hears, “We’ve got to do something,” and thinks “solution,” or, even worse, “fix.” These words are not appropriate for wicked problems. Once a so-called solution is found and applied, most people, assuming that the problem has been solved, are ready to move on to whatever comes next. This is a serious mistake. When it comes to wicked problems, as long as we care about them, it’s never over. As the Nike marketeers tell us: “There is no finish line.”
When we talk about problems, we are trapped by language. Say “solve” and people think it will be taken care of it. Say “solution” and people feel relief that it will soon be over. But we don’t have to stay in this linguistic prison. We can learn to speak differently:
- Instead of Solve we can say grapple, tackle, struggle, address, manage;
- Instead of Solution we can say action plan, temporary arrangement;
- We can avoid saying Fix when referring to a wicked problem. It is never appropriate and only adds to the confusion.
One of the benefits of gaining greater understanding of the nature of wicked problems, to use a term from the 1960’s, is that our consciousnesses have been raised. We gain higher levels of awareness of the complexity of those things we call “problems,” greater understanding of what can be done about them, and greater skill in talking about them with others. By using more appropriate language to talk about problems, our abilities to tackle (not solve nor fix) wicked problems is increased.
We’re Never Finished
Over sixty years ago, January 1953, in his State of the Union Address, President Harry S. Truman got it right:
The nation”s business is never finished. The basic questions we have been dealing with…present themselves anew. That is the way of our society. Circumstances change and current questions take on different forms, new complications, year by year. But underneath, the great issue remain the same – prosperity , welfare, human rights, effective democracy, and, above, all, peace.The great issues we face as a society, “prosperity, welfare, human rights, effective democracy, and, above all, peace,” and for the similar ones we face as individuals, partners, and leaders, will always “present themselves anew.” There is no solve, no solution, no fix. And yet there is much we can do – much we must do – if we are to gain from our lives, our relationships, and our careers, the satisfaction, success, and growth that is possible.