Philip Bonser picked up on my recent post about dealing with complex issues. I liked this quote he found from Peter Block
..we have a deeply held belief that the way to make a difference in the world is to define problems and needs and then recommend actions to solve those needs. We are all problem solvers action oriented and results minded. It is illegal in this culture to leave a meeting without a to-do list. We want measurable outcomes and we want them now. What is hard to grasp is that it is this very mindset which prevents anything fundamental from changing. We cannot problem solve our way into fundamental change or transformation.
I’m with Philip in not wanting to reject problem-solving approaches out-of-hand. I am arguing for more reflection before leaping into problem-solving as the default.
