We all find comfort applying familiar solutions to problems, sticking to what we know best…if the solution were easy to see or obvious to everyone, it probably would already have been found. Pushing harder and harder on familiar solutions, while fundamental problems persist or worsen, is a reliable indicator of nonsystemic thinking – what we often call the “what we need here is a bigger hammer” syndrome. (p. 61).
This is the fourth principle of systems thinking from Peter Senge’s classic book “The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of The Learning Organization.” Truly effective solutions often require fundamentally different approaches. Yet in the increasingly complex and interconnected environments we operate in, finding today’s solutions without creating tomorrow’s problems is difficult.
But if it were easy, it would have already been done.
And we all love our hammers. Especially the ones we beat our “bad attitude” employees with instead fixing the crappy systems that drive their behavior.
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After working in the retail environment for the better part of 19 years for a company that during that time failed to find its strategic direction; I completely agree with your statements with one small addition.
You stated; “if the solution were easy to see or obvious to everyone, it probably would already have been found.” There is one key factor left out of this statement and that is that what may seem obvious to those immersed in the minutia may not be obvious to the organizations decision makers.
Communication is therefore a pre-requisite in truly great organizations and not the type we see all to often; top down but rather bottom-up. Failure to listen to those that live and breath your “problem solving” can and will lead to your solutions failing.
Peeling the preverbal onion requires discussion with all levels of the organization and not simply the “brass”. Real problem solving is inclusive and not exclusive.
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Bret L. Simmons Reply:
March 19th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Welcome, Larry! Great point – just because the solution is not obvious to you does not mean someone somewhere can’t see it very clearly. So true about the need to have exceptional communication with your frontline folks. You and I are on the same page. Thanks for sharing! Bret
[Reply]
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