Why OST helps us solve wicked problems

Chris Corrigan chris.corrigan at gmail.com
Mon May 2 11:05:41 PDT 2005


In my post on Friday, I mused about the depth we access in Open Space. 
Today, I read a paper which most of you will find useful, at the very least 
because it makes a stunning case for OST. I've posted this at my weblog too:

In the Open Space world, we talk about the four pre-conditions that make for 
great open space events: diversity, complexity, passion and urgency. The 
more you have of these, the juicier the event becomes. That is counter 
intuitive to most ways of thinking, because in most cases it seems that 
problem solving processes aim to homogenize, simplify, rationalize and slow 
down. If we can just get a handle on the problem, the thinking goes, we can 
apply the best possible solution.

This mechanistic view does not work with so-called "wicked problems." It can 
generate solutions or options or ways forward which are reductionist. For 
me, it is the kind of thinking that arrives at one vision statement for an 
organization of 100 people instead of a multi-faceted vision that is 
inclusive and brings everyone along. 

So via elearning post <http://www.elearningpost.com/archives/007124.asp>, 
today I came across this paper (http://www.touchstone.com/tr/wp/wicked.html) 
that looks at how wicked problems are solved by non-linear processes:

"The natural pattern of human problem solving appears chaotic on the 
surface, but it is the chaos of an earthquake or the breaking of an ocean 
wave. It reveals deeper forces and flows that have their own order and 
pattern. The non-linear pattern of activity that expert designers follow 
gives us fresh insight into what happens when we work on a complex problem. 
It reveals that in normal problem-solving behaviour, we may seem to wander 
about, making only halting progress toward the solution. This non-linear 
process is not a defect, not a sign of stupidity or lack of training, but 
rather the mark of a natural learning process. It suggests that humans are 
oriented more toward learning (a process that leaves us changed) than toward 
problem solving (a process focused on changing our surroundings)."


Designers who work this way, in the experiment discussed in this paper 
exhibit the following strategies:

They would start by trying to understand the problem, but would immediately 
jump to formulating potential solutions. Then they would go back to refining 
their understanding of the problem. Rather than being orderly and linear, 
the line plotting the course of their thinking looked more like a 
seismograph for a major earthquake... We call this pattern both chaotic, for 
obvious reasons, and opportunity-driven, because in each moment the 
designers are seeking the best opportunity to progress toward a solution.


I note two things about this quote. First, the fact that designers working 
on a wicked problem are engaged in an iterative relationship with the 
definition of the problem itself. Second, the pattern is 
"opportunity-driven" meaning that exposure to new ideas at any point in the 
process can contribute to breakthroughs. 

This chaotic strategy is exactly the argument for Open Space Technology. We 
need people working in these ways to solve these problems, OST provides the 
space in a very short period of time to exercise the strategies that 
contribute to solving wicked problems. In fact, the time constraints in Open 
Space (1.5 hour conversations over a day or two) mean that there ISN'T time 
to engage in linear thinking, and this may be why OST creates the conditions 
for people to access the depth and resourcefulness that is needed to move 
forward on this tough issues.

Chris
-- 

CHRIS CORRIGAN
Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com

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