Help: How Do I Get Out of This Mess?
This is post 1 of 4: Series on methods of Solving Problems in complex world.
Have you ever heard someone throw up their hand and say: “Things are getting just too complex?” “My usual tested methods are no longer working?” “It is not that I am stupid, incompetent or lazy; but I do not know how to solve this mess that I have managed to get into!”
Over the years I have run into these sentiments more than once.
Entrepreneurs are caught between a rock and a hard place. On one hand they need to be strong, mature and rational to lead their enterprise and appear rational. However, on the other hand they are facing tremendous uncertainty and often have no road map to navigate through it.
Logic as a problem solving tool fails us at these times. Often what pulls you out of that mess and provides uncanny results are not so logical methods. Captains of industry may not admit it but they rely on their gut for those messy situations. Entrepreneurs also have to develop that instinct to solve those messy problems.
The fact that the brain’s left and right hemispheres are specialized for different kinds of thinking has been backed by much research. However, most of us rely routinely to use one side of the brain most of the time. It is not that entrepreneurs are only left brain leaning. I have also had mentees who are very creative but for them logic seems to be in short supply. As a logical person, they drive me crazy- right Dave!
I have felt that part of my job as a mentor, besides many other things, is to increase the bandwidth of mentee’s problem solving skills. They need them to tackle the myriad of difficult and messier problems that they face.
I was trained as an engineer. I instinctively always go for a process oriented approach to problem solving. Over the years as I have tried to move to the Intuitive side. However, to do that, even in that pursuit I had to rely on a step-by-step method to creativity.
Oxymoron: Logical method for harnessing intuition! It may be an oxymoron but it works for me. And, I have found it works for many of my mentees.
One thing we should remember is that for solving messy problems we need to engage the whole brain. That means the Left, the Right and All of it. Consistent with that approach, I have problem-solving methods in three categories:
1. Rational Methods ( Logical, Left Brained),
2. Intuitive Methods (Creative, Right Brained), and
3. Hybrid Methods (Rational+ Intuitive, Whole Brained)
The Problem is put through a process of generating some Rational solutions. Before implementing them as is, you generate “What else” Intuitive solutions. Obviously not all would be feasible or practical. From this expanded set you again apply Rational approaches to narrow down to an implementable solution. This solution would be a superior to the original first cut solution.
The insight that a combination of rational and intuitive methods can provide a powerful punch seems so fresh. Yet, what comes as a surprise has been canvassed many times in the history of thought. Nature (or God, if you prefer) made a whole brain to be used in total rather than either the left or the right. So use it all!
Over the years, with the help of many participants, those steps of problem solving have provided many insights. Those insights may be helpful to you in your own quest.
In the next three posts I will present the steps for each of the 3 methods with some specific tools that help you with them.
Meanwhile I would love to hear of situations where you were stuck and had to pull the rabbit out of the other side of the hat.
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Dr. Rajiv Tandon is an Entrepreneur, Educator and Mentor. He facilitates peer groups for CEOs of fast-growing companies in Minnesota. To learn more, sign up to get the email newsletter.
