Working with wicked problems

Last time we talked about messy problems, those problems with high levels of task complexity, today we are talking about wicked problems.

Wickedness isn’t a degree of difficulty. Wicked issues are different because traditional processes can’t resolve them …. A wicked problem has innumerable causes, is tough to describe, and doesn’t have a right answer… Wicked problems often crop up when organizations have to face constant change or unprecedented challenges. They occur in a social context; the greater the disagreement among stakeholders, the more wicked the problem. In fact, it’s the social complexity of wicked problems as much as their technical difficulties that make them tough to manage. (Camillus, 2008)

Thinking about wicked problems initially developed in public policy contexts such as climate change, wealth inequality and public health but it is also a great framework for thinking about organisational problems. In an organisational context, wicked problems have five characteristics.

  1. The problem involves many stakeholders with different values and priorities.
  2. The causes of the issues are complex and tangled.
  3. The problem is difficult to get a handle on and changes every time you tackle it.
  4. The challenge has no precedent.
  5. There’s nothing to indicate the right answer to the problem. (Camillus, 2008)

A further complication is that wicked problems have a ‘no stopping rule’: you cannot freeze the process whilst you fix the problem, so the problem(s) keep changing as you try to find and implement a solution.

In summary: you can’t tackle a wicked problem using your usual tame problem-solving approaches.  Indeed, you may make it worse by trying to do so.  Their wickedness lies in their social complexity and it is here that you need to focus most effort.

An example you may be thinking about is how your organisation is going to respond when the current furloughing scheme comes to an end. Try and address the following:

Focus on social relationships

Identify and involve your stakeholders in meaningful conversations.  Document your discussions so everyone can see each other’s views.  Governing bodies often find having productive discussions on staffing hard so explore with them their priorities and preferences before a decision has to be made. Crucially, you need to put yourself in the shoes of others, imagine you are one of your stakeholders – what would be your priorities, challenges, greatest fears? How might that affect the decisions you’d make or your behaviour?

When we worked with one organisation tackling significant social issues through its creative programme, we looked at all the stakeholders involved in that system – central government, local government, local agencies, healthcare and so on. We identified a significant number of stakeholders and it looked really daunting but it also helped make sense of why it was quite difficult to work in that field and that it wasn’t a failing of the organisation that projects could be heavy going. It also helped them to identify some key priorities and the stakeholders to focus on.

Build understanding and trust between the people involved

Be as transparent as possible. Ensure that the process is fair.  Most people understand that in times of crisis difficult decisions need to be made but if you undertake a process that is perceived to be unfair it will have implications for trust.

We have seen it very recently in the case of Liverpool Football Club, whose decision to furlough back office staff while continuing to pay its players very high salaries was judged to be unfair very publicly and undermined trust in the club. It has since reversed that decision as a result.

If you work through a process fairly it is more likely that those affected will accept the outcome even if it is not in their favour. Fairness and trust are very important factors in managing our current challenges.

Increase capability

Accept that you will need to spend more time working with a wicked problem than a tame one.  Be prepared to acquire some new skills or access some external expertise.  It is essential to invest time in developing scenarios and options that you can test with stakeholders; there won’t be one perfect answer, but you may find one that everyone can live with and support.

Increasing capability is not just about individuals it can also be about whole teams and may benefit from new partnerships and collaborations. We have recently seen the health service building its capability by partnering with the Formula One Mercedes team and University College London.

Tomorrow we will look at the final problem type: wicked messes.  Do get in touch with comments and questions.

Susan & Dawn

 

References

CAMILLUS, J.C., 2008. Strategy as a wicked problem. Harvard Business Review, 86(5), pp. 99.