People enjoy plans (especially their own plans) when it comes to solving issues and making difficult decisions, so they make a lot of them. And, because they seek the ideal approach, they want more information to assist them.
However, as time passes, instead of the aim being to achieve a choice, the process of making the decision becomes the objective.
Although there are studies, hearings, and arguments, nothing is accomplished. Depending on the nature of the decision, this can go on for a long time... all because everyone wants the perfect plan.
There is no such thing as a "perfect plan."
A dynamic system's outcomes are nearly impossible to predict in advance.So any action is preferable to none; it doesn't matter what you do, only that you do it in order to learn and progress.
Smart leaders understand that the purpose of solving any major problem is to acquire immediate feedback on whether or not a decision was made correctly. They knew how to turn and seek an alternative path if it wasn't.
Each choice influences the next. The path emerges as a result of action.
The 4 categories of issues we face on a daily basis
A person named Dave Snowden came up with a technique of looking at challenges in 1999 while working at IBM to help people realize what kind of problem they're dealing with and what kind of solution they should be looking for.
Because you need to know where you stand, he calls it the Cynefin framework (cynefin is a Welsh term that means "home").
1. The straightforward issue
In Snowden's approach, the first category of challenge is straightforward. This has previously been resolved and there are best practices that are consistently effective.
You can use a known recipe from your bag of tricks once you've determined that a problem is straightforward. Never ever draw to an inside straight. A bank should not give loans to people who have a certain amount of debt.
The relationship between cause and effect is not only plain but also visible in simple problems.
2. The difficult situation
This is an issue in which there is a known unknown. Consider a large oil company: geologists conducting seismic scans to understand where they could drill for oil know they don't know the answer, but they know where to look.
That's when the expert comes in. You can work out a solution once you've determined that the problem is solvable, even if it turns out to be difficult. You can figure out the cause and effect if you have enough knowledge.
When I take my car to the mechanic, I always think of this. It's making a strange noise, and I'm concerned. I'm not sure how to solve this problem, but I'm confident that my mechanic will or can figure it out.
3. The complex situation
The third form of difficulty is complex, in which you can only figure out why something happened after it has happened. You must take some action here to see what happens before acting again.
The majority of us are dealing with complex issues. Every single time. The answers are unknown, as are all of the forces. However, we must take action. And what occurs will astound us.
Let's look at the history of Twitch, a website that allows users to broadcast themselves playing video games so that others can watch them. Except in hindsight, this isn't a particularly apparent product. Twitch, on the other hand, is a phenomenal success story. In 2014, Amazon paid $970 million for it.
What was the original product idea for this company? A calendar that is linked to your Gmail account. Then, of course, Google released Google Calendar. As a result, the business decided to venture into live-streaming.
One of the founders would livestream his entire life, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Always on the move, with a camera on my head and a large backpack containing a computer. They created a lightning-fast live-streaming service that could be used by a large number of individuals at the same time. However, it turned out that no one was interested in watching the live-stream.
As a result, they made the concept public. Perhaps people wanted to broadcast themselves live? They were running out of money because it wasn't working in the marketplace. Then they observed that a lot of people were watching individuals play video games live on the internet. It's strange!
But they went with it, and it turns out that there is a sizable audience of enthusiasts and casual gamers eager to see the top players compete. People can make a little fortune by simply playing video games and broadcasting them to others.
This is an extreme example of a solution to a previously unidentified need. However, the challenges we face today in business, politics, and society are formidable. We don't always know how to solve a problem. And there are moments when we don't know where to begin.
So the first step is to attempt something and see what occurs. Consider the outcome and make adjustments to your current strategy. Then give it another shot. I'll make another adjustment. Then wait for the solution to appear. All it is is a series of tiny tests conducted over a short period of time in order to find a solution to a complicated problem.
4. The jumbled situation
Chaos is the final category of problem in the Cynefin framework. This is, in essence, a crisis.
Consider a tsunami, an oil rig explosion, an insurrection that turns into a revolution, or a stock market catastrophe. The first stage is to move fast and begin encapsulating the problem, defining its boundaries, and bringing it out of the chaos and into the domain of the complex.
A riot is an example of a chaotic problem that I use to describe it. I was in the heart of a throng that decided to raid the parliament building one night during the Arab Spring. Hundreds of thousands of people surged toward the parliament gates in unison.
Then yells erupted from one side, sending the throng into a frenzy. Everyone was rushing about in circles, confused about what to do, and they morphed into a mob. I was at the center of it all with a young American student I'd hired for her Arabic skills. I told her — and I'll tell you — what to do in the event of a riot.
First and foremost, do not be alarmed. I can't stress how critical this is. People are trampled and killed because of their fear. Second, select something sturdy that won't easily fall over, such as a lamppost. It's strange how the crowd will form a ring around you like a river around a rock.
You've transformed the chaos into a complex. Take a moment to think about it. Take a deep breath. Figure out how to get out of the situation. That liberty is now yours. You can't do anything when you're simply another body being tossed around, but once you're out of the chaos and panic, you can begin to formulate a strategy.
In this case, speed is crucial. Delaying a decision will only make the situation worse. You can eventually bring the crisis under control by rapidly iterating – trying something, seeing what happens, and trying again.
This method of trial-and-error can be frightening at first. It is, however, an opportunity. As people strive to figure out how to function in an environment that didn't exist the day before, new ways of doing things will arise.
