Hope for Unsolvable Problems
Better Together
I like solving problems. Unless they’re mathematical! Those problems are best managed by someone more qualified. Actually, there are quite a few problems which I do not have the expertise to tackle and it would be foolish and potentially dangerous to attempt to do so on my own. However, that does not relieve me of any responsibility for addressing the problems that come my way personally, within the organizations and institutions I am involved, or globally because they concern all of humanity. My expertise, level of interest, and emotional responses all impact my choices to engage with problems that call for my attention.
Admittedly, the problems I solve best are tame. They occur regularly and I have lots of practice solving them. It’s the bigger, long-standing, and complex problems that trouble me most. In Exploring Wicked Problems: What They are and Why They are Important, Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth explain the nature of wicked problems, “Wicked problems can never be truly solved.”[1] Knowing that many problems are not solvable is very freeing. That truth makes wicked problems more interesting and surprisingly offers me hope, “Wicked problems are found wherever people come together and try to make things better.”[2] For me, people coming together to make things better is an exciting prospect. I’m reminded of Greg Satell’s “cascades” in which transformation can be achieved with this simple formula for change: “small groups—loosely connected—but united with a common purpose.”[3]
It’s a Mess out There!
Bentley and Toth further explained that wicked problems are really messes. Messes are multiple problems that are, “ongoing, interrelated, dynamic, fuzzy, complicated, confusing, complex, chaotic situations.”[4] The goal to managing wicked problems is to extract a problem from the mess.[5] This feels less overwhelming and more manageable to me. I want to make a difference, but I can’t solve the entire mess. I found the nine steps to taming a mess very helpful. 1. Address the Mess. 2. Find the Problem. 3. Own the Problem. 4. Create the Problem. 5. Define the Problem. 6. Name the Problem. 7. Identify the Obstacles. 8. Recruit, Enlist, and Engage Others. 9. Create and Implement an Action Plan.[6]
This process sounds familiar in terms of addressing my NPO. However, two components grabbed my attention: owning and creating the problem. Owning a wicked problem means I’m willing to be vulnerable and enter the mess, not create solutions from afar, but personally. I’m invested and committed. I feel the problem deeply and I’m ready to join forces with others who feel and are impacted by the problem. The idea of creating the problem by exposing it and choosing to do something about it makes the problem visible to others and future solutions actionable. It is from this place that Annabel Beerel’s words resonate, “The key task of leadership is to identify, frame, and align people to new realities.”[7] Wicked problems are opportunities to create and experience a new reality. In other words, wicked problems are threshold spaces that require wise leaders to venture into the unknown.
Who’s Responsible for the Mess?
The short answer… wicked problems belong to everyone. Bentley and Toth argue that we are the problem.[8] By that I infer that I’m part of the solution. I have responsibility for at least some part of the problem. Even if I am not responsible for the entire mess, can I own one problem and care enough to do something about it? Is there a way I can band together with others to help create solutions for one manageable piece of the mess we are all in? My answer to both questions is a willing, “Yes and Amen!” As a Christian, I have a biblical mandate to care for all that God has made, to relieve burdens, and to restore.
Mind the Gap!
Two gaps were mentioned by Bentley and Toth. The first gap is between where we are and where we want to go.[9] We have to look at what is missing, what we are failing to see, and then define it. This requires me to slow down and pay attention. The second gap is then, “knowing what we should do and actually doing it.”[10] Matching what I am noticing with my passions and expertise make it far more likely that I will follow through and not give up. I loved the questions raised by the authors:
- What manageable part of this chaotic and confusing situation do I really care about?
- Based on what I have to offer, can I define it in a way that enables me to make it better?[11]
I’m inspired to look at wicked problems differently, to break them down into a manageable problem that I can offer my expertise, passion, and time to address. The wicked problem won’t be solved by my efforts, but it will be managed in a way that offers relief, support, and courage to those affected by it. I am encouraged by Greg Satell’s words, “Simple things can sometimes have enormous impacts.”[12] I find hope and freedom as I move through my doctoral journey with a deep sense of gratitude for the tools that I am acquiring as I address problems that have concerned me for a long time.
The beautiful paradox of wicked problems is they are good for us and help us become who and what we want to be.[13] Without problems I would never know the rich experience of working side-by-side with others who care about our world, desire to make God known, and bring a little more of God’s Kingdom to earth.
[1] Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth, Exploring Wicked Problem: What They are and Why They are Important (Bloomington, IN: Archway Publishing, 2020), 2.
[2] Bentley and Toth, Exploring Wicked Problem, 3.
[3] Greg Satell, Cascades: How to Create a Movement that Drives Transformational Change. (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2019), 19.
[4] Bentley and Toth, Exploring Wicked Problem, 63.
[5] Ibid., 76.
[6] Ibid., 80-82.
[7] Annabel Beerel, Rethinking Leadership: A Critique of Contemporary Theories (London, UK: Routledge, 2021), 178.
[8] Bentley and Toth, Exploring Wicked Problems, 197.
[9] Ibid., 78.
[10] Ibid., 186.
[11] Ibid., 209.
[12] Greg Satell, Cascades, 198.
[13] Bentley and Toth, Exploring Wicked Problems, 50.
About the Author
Jenny Dooley
Jenny served as a missionary in Southeast Asia for 28 years. She currently resides in Gig Harbor, Washington, where she works as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Spiritual Director in private practice with her husband, Eric. Jenny loves to listen and behold the image of God in others. She enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family which include 5 amazing adult children, 3 awesome sons-in-law, a beautiful daughter-in-law, and 8 delightful grandchildren.6 responses to “Hope for Unsolvable Problems”
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Good connection to Greg Satall and Cascades. My take-away after reading your post is that we humans can have enormous impact for good, beyond what one person might ever imagine. This is especially true when that “cascade” effect is unleashed. We can also create enormous messes, which happens with unfortunate frequency. But you end on quite an encouraging note when you say, The beautiful paradox of wicked problems is they are good for us and help us become who and what we want to be.Without problems I would never know the rich experience of working side-by-side with others who care about our world, desire to make God known, and bring a little more of God’s Kingdom to earth.” Thanks for writing a post that made me think!
Hi Kim,
Thank you for the response. I found this book very affirming, practical, and hopeful, as I did with Greg Satell’s book. The connection to others and working together while supporting each other is an attractive model for dealing with life’s wicked problems. It also has a lot to do with my NPO. I keep second guessing the simplicity of my NPO, so this book was an encouragement. After reading several posts this morning I can see that many of us have our NPO’s on our minds and finding the same encouragement and affirmation as we work through the wicked problems set before us. I am so excited to see where everyone lands!
Hi, Jenny,
I so enjoy your positive posts. You end with: “The beautiful paradox of wicked problems is they are good for us and help us become who and what we want to be.” I have found that to be so true. As I have shared privately with you about some of our family dilemmas recently, I find myself praying with hope that as we go through the thick of our messes, our stories will be redemptive on the other side. We are shaped and formed by all we go through.
Thanks again for your hope-filled voice.
Hi Esther,
When I think about our wicked problems as being redemptive, I think I have a healthy understanding that not all things will be restored or redeemed this side of eternity. That really doesn’t cause me to lack hope as there is always the opportunity for some good change to happen. Believe me, I can get pretty anxious about some problems and want immediate change. However, I don’t really want a quick fix that relieves me for a moment but unprepared for the next challenge. Small, hard-won victories matter.
Hi Jenny….like others who have made comments on your post, I appreciate your summary of the book and the positive way you framed our potential to make positive contributions that help address some of the messes and wicked problems we all experience and are impacted by. I hadn’t really thought of it until I read your post, but my experience of the book was that it was weighted towards the impossibility of solving wicked problems, even while stating that we can make a dent in the mess as we address smaller problems within the mess. Your blog named those two realities, but (in my experience) flipped the weight or emphasis: Yes, wicked problems don’t get solved BUT we CAN make a difference. In the end, I found it to be a more hopeful way to communicate the same two primary points…and I think that shift of emphasis can make a big difference in inspiring others to keep tackling big messes and wicked problems…so thanks!
Hi Scott, Thank you. I really believe we have to hold to the both/and or we/I (I am talking to myself here) will get bogged down with inaction. We all want wicked problems solved and it can be very discouraging when they are not, so taking one small piece at a time feels productive and purposeful. I think the authors mentioned that we have responses to strong feelings about wicked problems. We either ignore the strong feelings and do nothing, engage with the strong feelings but when they pass do nothing, or explore the strong feelings and engage with the problem. One thing that helps me is to keep in mind not all wicked problems that provoke strong feelings are mine to engage. I have to discern the feelings, my passion, my level of expertise, and my own limitations when choosing to engage with a wicked problem. Choosing and taking action is not optional, but I don’t need to get so overwhelmed that I do nothing. I’m so grateful for this program and the support I have received to take action!