17+18. wicked problems

International Section | Leadership & Management Division | College of Management and Technology

17+18. Wicked Problems

SLP(E) Course

Centre for Defence Leadership & Management | College of Management & Technology | UK Defence Academy

Contents• The problem of Change.• What kind of problem are you facing?

• Tame | Wicked | Critical?• Elegant Solutions to Tame & Critical Problems

• Addressing Wicked Problems• Why Elegant Solutions don’t resolve Wicked

Problems.• Why Clumsy Solutions to Wicked Problems might

work.


1982: Abolition of Area Health Authorities1982-85: Introduction of general management1985: Creation of NHS Board at the Dept of Health1989-93: Establishment of NHS Trusts1989-95: Creation of GP Fundholding & Commissioning1989-95: Setting up NHS Management Executive (later NHS Executive)1990: Replacement of FPCs (Family Practitioner Clinic) by FHSAs Family Health Service Authority1991-97: Reconfiguration of Health Authorities1991: Restructuring of NHS Organisation Boards1994: Reorganization of RHAs (Regional Health Authorities)1994: Abolition of FHSAs & incorporation into Health Authorities1995: Reconfiguration of Acute Services & Trusts1996: Abolition of RHAs, incorporation into NHS Executive1997: Abolition of GP fundholding, replacement with PCGs (Primary Care Group)2000: Abolition of NHS Executive, incorporation into the Dept. of Health2001: Abolition of NHS Executive Regional Offices, move to Regional DHSCs at Dept of Health 2001: Replacement of larger health authorities with SHAs (Strategic Health Authorities)2001: Replacement of PCGs with PCTs (Primary Care Trusts)2002: Creation of Foundation NHS Trusts2002: Creation of Health and Social Care Trusts2005: Merger of 300 PCTs into 100 larger PCTs2005: Merger of 28 SHAs into 10 larger SHAs2006: Reorganization of Dept. of Health to split NHS and DH responsibilities

The NHS: 25 Years of Change | Restructuring


The Problem with Change

• 75% of change programmes fail in their own terms:– Fail to realise Benefits.– Improved Efficiencies not obtained.– Challenge of Cultural change– Repositioning of organisation not achieved.

• Why?


The Problem with Change

• Do different kinds of problems require different kinds of change?– Critical Problems: Commander.– Tame Problems: Management.– Wicked Problems: Leadership.

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What kind of Problem?

Wicked Problems


Tame Problems• Problems as puzzles: there is a solution.

– Can be complicated, but there is uni-linear solution– Problems that Management can (& has previously)

solved.

• Heart surgery.• Launching another new product.• Relocating.• Management’s role:

– engage appropriate process

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Wicked Problems• No simple solutions because:

– Complex rather than complicated | cannot be solved in isolation.

– Sit outside single hierarchy & across systems.– Solution creates another problem.– No stopping rule: no definition of success.

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Wicked Problems• May be intransigent problems that we have

to learn to live with.• Symptoms of deep divisions:

– Contradictory certitudes– No right or wrong solutions.– Only better or worse developments.

• Securing the right answer is not as important as collective consent.– Coping rather than solving.


Wicked Problems• Uncertainty & Ambiguity inevitable.

– Cannot be removed through correct analysis.– Keat’s Negative Capability.

• Problems for Leadership not management.– Require political collaboration not scientific

processes.– Role is to ask appropriate question & engage

collaboration.


Critical Problems• Beyond Tame & Wicked. • Some/all of following issues:

– Self evident crises.– General uncertainty: though Commander

provides answer.– No time for discussion | dissent.– Coercion legitimate in interest of public good.

• Commander takes required action:– Provides answer to the problem.


Legitimate Power

Command Manage-ment

Leader-ship

Space Tactical Operational Strategic

Time Short Medium Long

Problem Critical Experienced New

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Legitimate Power

Command Manage-ment

Leader-ship

Space Tactical Operational Strategic

Time Short Medium Long

Problem Critical Experienced New

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Increasing uncertainty about solution to

problem

CRITICAL

COERCION/PHYSICAL

Hard power

COMMAND:Provide Answer

TAME

CALCULATIVE/RATIONAL

MANAGEMENT:

Organize Process

WICKED

NORMATIVE/EMOTIONALSoft power

LEADERSHIP:

Ask Questions

Increasing requirement

for collaborative compliance/ resolution


WHAT KIND OF PROBLEM IS IT?

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM?

IS IT A CRISIS?

YES

CRITICAL PROBLEM

Act as a commander

Be decisiveProvide answers

YES NO

TAME PROBLEM

Act as a manager

Use S.O.Ps.

NO

DOES ANYONE KNOW TO SOLVE THIS?

NO

WICKED PROBLEM

Act as a leader

Ask questions & use clumsy solutions

YES


Addressing Wicked Problems

Wicked Problems


Drawing on Anthropology

GRID:Rules

&Roles

GROUP ORIENTATION

High

HighLow

Four primary ways (modes) of organizing

FATALISM

INDIVIDUALISM

HIERARCHY

EGALITARIANISM

Market

Military

Meeting


Drawing on Anthropology

GRID:Rules

&Roles

GROUP ORIENTATION

High

HighLow

FATALISM

There is nothing wecan do

INDIVIDUALISM

More freedom, userational choice &

logic

HIERARCHY

More power, rules & enforcement

EGALITARIANISM

Greater solidarity

Elegant Solutions rely upon a single [internally consistent] mode of understanding and action


Wicked Problems• So how do you address wicked problems?

– First recognise that Elegant Solutions probably won’t work.

– Second, consider the pragmatic utility of Clumsy Solutions.


Creating a Clumsy Solution Space• Avoid alienating significant constituencies,

noting that progress does not:– depend upon consensus – that would be too elegant.

• Work out what we all agree on.• Assume no-one has the solution in isolation.• Assume the problem is a system not an

individual problem:– not a problem caused by or solved by a single aspect

of the system.


Creating a Clumsy Solution Space

Clumsy Solution Space

HierarchistsIndividualists

Egalitarians


Elegant Single-mode solution to Global Warming

GRID:Rules

&Roles

GROUP ORIENTATION

High

HighLow

FATALISMThere is nothing wecan do | People areSelfish | All doomed

INDIVIDUALISMFacilitate individualism |

encourage creative competition & innovation.

Market forces will resolve the problem

HIERARCHYRules are inadequately

enforced | get a disciplinarianin charge | sort out

Kyoto style agreement that works

EGALITARIANISMRethink approach to

consumption | shift to decentralized & self-

sustaining communities


Clumsy Solution for Wicked Problem of Global Warming


HierarchistsStronger Global

regulation & carbon emissions control

Individualists:

Technical innovation to address at every level

EgalitariansChange in consumption

pattern & moresustainability


Wicked Problems• Require Bricoleurs, not rational

counting machines.• Those who can prosper in a clumsy pragmatic

way, not those restricted to elegant single logics. • Those who ‘do it themselves’ | who experiment |

learn from mistakes.• Stitch together whatever is at hand.• Our wise leader is essentially pragmatic in

means, if not in ends


Addressing Wicked ProblemsAdopt role of Bricoleur | stitch together clumsy systems

comprised of elements of three elegant modes.


Hierarchists:

Relationships not structures.

Constructive dissent not destructive assent.

Negative capability

Individualists:

Questions not answers

Reflection not reaction

Empathy not egotism

Egalitarians:

Collective IQ not individual geniusPositive deviance not negative acquiescence.

Community of fate not fatalist community.


Individualists

Individualists:

Questions not answers

Reflection not reaction

Empathy not egotism


Questions not answers• Hurricane Katerina.• President George Bush

– Pre-Katerina briefing: asks no questions.– National TV on eve of hurricane.– After the hurricane.


Reflection not Reaction• Buncefield Fire.


Empathy no Egotism• Bernard Hogan-Howe Chief Constable

Merseyside: – Chiefs’ Challenge: get on the beat once a

month.


Egalitarians

Egalitarians:

Collective IQ not individual genius.Positive deviance not negative acquiescence.

Community of fate not fatalist community.


Collective Intelligence not Individual genius

• Archie Norman:– 1986-1991: Finance director of Woolworths -

doubled market value of Kingfisher. – 1991-1999: Rescued Asda from near

bankruptcy and sold it to Wal-Mart for £6.7bn.


Collective Intelligence not Individual genius

• Archie Norman:– Interviewed 180 people for position of Human

Resource Manager.– Also appointed:

• Justin King (subsequently CEO Sainsbury).• Richard Baker (subsequently CEO Boots).• Andy Hornby (subsequently CEO HBOS).• Allan Leighton (subsequently Chair Royal Mail).


Positive deviance not negative acquiescence

• Malnourishment in Vietnam:– Don’t assume that you have the answer.– Identify conventional wisdom.– Identify & analyse positive deviants.– Enable self-adopting behaviours.– Track results & publicise them.


Community of Fate not Fatalist Community


Community of Fate not Fatalist Community

• Panorama: Taking Back the Streets | BBC One | 8.30pm on Mon 3 Mar 08.

• Anne Glover | Braunstone in Leicester:– ‘It never ceases to amaze me how a

minority can control an area where a majority of people live... all because of the fear factor. If you stick together on an issue they can't intimidate you.’


Hierarchists

Hierarchists:

Relationships not structures.

Constructive dissent not destructive assent.

Negative capability


Relationships not structures• Where does the power lie?• Leader-follower relationship.


Relationships not structures


Destructive Consent

• Richard Greenbury.• ‘The thing about Rick is that he never understood the

impact he had on people – people were just too scared to say what they thought. I remember one meeting we had to discuss a new policy and two or three directors got me on one side beforehand and said they were really unhappy about it. Then Rick made his presentation and asked for views. There was total silence until one said, “Chairman we are all 100% behind you on this one.” And that was the end of the meeting’ (Bevan, 2002: 3).


Destructive Consent

• Sloan’s Dilemma:• ‘Gentlemen, I take it we are all in complete

agreement on the decision here?’• Consensus of nodding heads.• ‘Then I propose we postpone further discussion of

this matter until our next meeting to give ourselves time to develop disagreement and perhaps gain some understanding of what the decision is all about.’


Negative capability• Stein’s (2004) decision-making in Apollo 13 & at Three

Mile Island.– 55 hours into 1970 Apollo 13 mission a loud explosion left

astronauts short of food, oxygen, power, water & hope. – Avoiding temptation to jump to conclusions & via slow, careful

analysis problems explained, compensated for & Apollo 13 returned safely.


Critical Learning Points (1)• What kind of problem are you facing?

– Tame: manage the SOPs.– Critical: command the answer.– Wicked: lead the collaborative effort.

• Organizations generate default cultures:– Hierarchists assume rules & power are critical.– Egalitarians assume greater solidarity is critical.– Individualists assume greater freedom is critical.– Fatalists have given up.


Critical Learning Points (2)• Elegant (single mode) solutions are OK for

Tame & Critical Problems but not Wicked Problems.

• Wicked Problems require Clumsy Solutions that pragmatically use all 3 elegant modes:– they require bricoleurs.


Problems• ‘Some problems are

so complex that you have to be highly intelligent & well informed just to be undecided about them’.– Lawrence J Peter.


16+17. Wicked Problems

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17+18. wicked problems

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