SOLVE PROBLEMS

Solve Problems

Leading the way in a wicked world!

When we do not know what we do not know

How will A.I impacting your business 10 years from now? It is a bit hard to tell, right. We just do not know. And if we do not know that, we do not have the answer to the big questions of Strategy, Directions, Future Business models and Investment we ask today. And then even the small decisions become a big challenge as they should support the big ones.

As human beings, we have a knack to seek simple answer to complex problems. We do not like to live in uncertainty. Today that can be a fallacy that leads us in the wrong direction. The answer is not to do nothing, but to re-think how we make decisions and solve problems.

Facing continuous rapid change constitutes risk to the organization. What we learned about management, decision making and problem solving over the past 50 years does not help us to cope with and thrive in today’s environment.

Seize new practices for problem solving allows us to cope better. Like tapping into collective intelligence, reframe paradoxical problems, reveal blind spots, and unlock the paths to discover what you do not know that you do not know. Working together in new ways and with new techniques to solve problems allows to find creative and innovative ways to move forward, and in the process it strengthens the ability to deal with uncertainty, cope with ambiguity and thrive during periods of change & transformation.

These new approaches can be adopted quickly and easily. The way to move forward is to establish small, targeted practices, and shift the mind-set on how to deal with problems and decisions.

Paradoxically, admitting that we do not know can be one of the most powerful ways to move forward with assertion.

Practical capabilities to deal with ambiguity

Wilfred Bion (among others) elaborated on the concept of Negative Capability (Coined by John Keats 150 years earlier): “The ability to tolerate the pain and confusion of not knowing, rather than imposing ready-made or omnipotent certainties upon an ambiguous situation or emotional challenge.”

This is a capability that can be enhanced for everyone, and it is one of the true superpowers that will drive the performance and success of organisations over the coming decades. It allows the organization to stay clear-sighted and rational, and it helps to avoid the worst cases of denial, resistance, and paralysis. It allows people to collaborate efficiently and effectively under pressure.

Tapping into collective intelligence allow us to explore what we don’t know that we don’t know. This is not about relying on experts to find quick, conclusive answers to the wicked problems we face (because such answers may not exist), but rather pursuing and integrating different perspectives and questions to ask.

This makes all the difference when making bold decisions and taking risks, shifting resources to new business models and revenue streams, transforming existing operations or reacting to disruptions in the ecosystem…

Our use of socioanalytic methods to reveal what is outside of awareness, and putting our right-side of the brain to work helps not only to cope better with the complexity of problem-solving and decision making. It is also a highly rewarding experience for everyone involved, to grow as a manger and leader, and as a human being.

Risks

Not being equipped adequately to deal with ambiguity leads us easily into avoidance of what the situation calls for. This can manifest itself as procrastination, “I do not have time to deal with the topic” analysis-paralysis “we just need to validate this one more thing” wait and see “no point starting before xyz happens” or denial “AI is not intelligent”.

Benefits

Creating the capabilities to deal with ambiguity installs serenity and confidence in the organisation, and set everyone up to move forward in a systematic and coherent manner.

How we help

We support leaders and managers hands on to develop the “negative capability”, by bringing tools and methods to practice in the daily job. On the job coaching is oriented towards drawing on the organisational capabilities, mind-set shift and business experience at hand.