In this episode of Disruptive Conversations, I talk to Zaid Hassan, the author of the book, “The Social Labs Revolution: A new approach to solving our most complex challenges” (Berret-Koehler, 2014). In this episode, we explore the notion that our dominant approach to problem-solving, aka strategic planning, does not work. In much of the conversation, we describe complex problem-solving as a practice. One that demands a different lens than that of the dominant culture we call strategic planning.
We explore how many of us are learning our way into working with complexity. In that learning, it is important to acknowledge that the field is young, and most of us are still learning about how to address complex challenges. At the heart of our conversation, was a discussion about developing a new practice of strategy and strategic problem-solving. Although we talk about many things, we explore the notion of learning to fail forward, and better.
At some point in this conversation, we both acknowledge, that in trying to address this dominant culture, we are sometimes in a position where we have to have very difficult conversations with people who are very invested and passionate about their work, but chances are they will not see the outcome they are hoping to generate. At the end of our conversation, I was left with the question, how might we embrace an experimental approach to problem-solving when the dominant discourse or culture centers around a planned strategic approach to problem-solving?
If our systems are not fit for purpose, then it would seem obvious that we need to change them. We live in a project world where things are tactical, and it is assumed that these problems are linear. If so, then how might we genuinely embrace a complexity approach? I guess for now our thesis is that we need to cook or dance our way into it, but to understand what I mean you will need to listen to the episode. One clue might be Zaid’s favourite quote at the time of this recording:
“If progress, planning & reason have led to the failed systems that litter our landscapes, might speculation & dreaming be our only way forward?”- Victor Papanek