{"id":35794,"date":"2024-02-13T08:37:25","date_gmt":"2024-02-13T16:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=35794"},"modified":"2024-02-13T08:37:25","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T16:37:25","slug":"creative-minority-groups-taming-wicked-problems-jesus-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/creative-minority-groups-taming-wicked-problems-jesus-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Creative Minority Groups: Taming Wicked Problems Jesus-Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe Tendency to avoid problems is the primary basis of all human illness.<\/em>\u201d<\/span>[1]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 M. Scott Peck<\/span><\/p>\n

I started this doctoral program with many questions. One particular question on my mind was, what, if anything, about the way I lead with my voice today needs to change for me to be my most vulnerable, courageous self in a world that seemingly changed overnight? I had a problem in that I silenced myself in certain circles and circumstances\u2013even though I passionately believed I had something to say. \u00a0Before I even heard the words, \u201cCancel Culture\u201d,[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0I felt its reverberations. In our cohort chats, I have discovered a rational, logical approach to thoughts and ideas where we each come from differing viewpoints without polarizing the conversation. \u00a0Seemingly unaware of what was happening, we created what I am calling a\u00a0Creative Minority Group:<\/span>\u00a0a place where what people are really saying is genuinely heard. What we do each week as a cohort models for us something I cannot quite name\u2013so for now I am calling it a\u00a0Creative Minority Group.<\/span>[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Is the Problem of Forgiveness Unmanageable?<\/strong><\/p>\n

During our Zoom chat this week, our conversation took a critical turn when Dr. Clark mentioned Peter Grieg\u2019s sermons on forgiveness. \u00a0He said that when Peter Grieg spoke to the younger crowd, he could sense they weren\u2019t buying the forgiveness piece in a shame-based culture. \u00a0All I could think about is the book for this week\u2019s reading,\u00a0Exploring Wicked Problems: What They Are and Why They are Important.<\/em> \u00a0<\/span>Authors Bentley and Toth explore how leadership is essentially about facing wicked problems that are literally unmanageable. \u201cSolving problems\u2013or more accurately, enabling others to solve problems\u2013is the leader’s real work.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 As much as I want to understand why people aren\u2019t buying the forgiveness piece, I desperately want to understand how you and I as Christian leaders can figure out how to explore this wicked problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

As I continued reading the book after our Zoom chat, I asked myself, \u201cHow would a leader break down the specific skills needed to solve the problem of shame deceiving an entire generation?\u201d I was surprised by how the authors spent the first half of the book framing the differences between wicked and tame problems. \u00a0Certainly the information was repetitive yet helpful like the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

1) Acting in ways that gain some measure of control<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Narrow the gap between the present undesirable future and a more desirable future<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Stay constantly alert to changing circumstances.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Taming Wicked Problems Jesus-Style<\/strong><\/p>\n

As I kept reading, I struck gold in the last third of the book starting with the chapter called, \u201cThe High, Hard Ground and the Swamp\u201d. I didn\u2019t set out to write this post on the wicked problem of a shame-based culture keeping people from God\u2019s forgiveness; I wanted to write about how Kingdom leaders who follow Christ\u2019s teachings don\u2019t shrink back when faced with wicked problems. In the Beatitudes, Jesus declares that the good life belongs to peacemakers. Yet making peace or solving problems Jesus-style will mean conflict, pain, difficulty, and even persecution.[5]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Kind of like leaders whose situations turn into swamps when they find themselves confronting important and complicated issues that are rapidly changing, confusing and complex; that often consist of \u201cdamned if you do and damned if you don\u2019t alternatives. . .\u201d[6]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 teachings tell us that when we step out into the world solving problems, making peace, people won\u2019t like us\u2013not because we are solving problems but because of how we go about making peace the right way, Jesus\u2019 way. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Questions for Our cohort of Global, Thinking Leaders<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Practicing what Wedell-Wedellsborg, author of our very first problem-solving book[7]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0suggested, here\u2019s my attempt at reframing a wicked problem through real-world testing by asking questions to my cohort of global, thinking leaders:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What do you see as the behaviors and cultural issues getting in the way of people receiving forgiveness and offering forgiveness to others?<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For example, last month the participants in one of my mediations consisted of four attorneys, two social workers and one appellant\u2013a 27-year-old woman whose four children were now under the ward of the state. Hours before the mediation started, I spoke with each party privately to accomplish what this week\u2019s book uncovers about solving problems\u2013the family law systems for our states have what are called wicked problems. \u00a0If leadership is, \u201cessentially about facing wicked problems that are literally unmanageable,\u201d[8]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 then I am a leader in one of our nation\u2019s problems that are too big to be solved and has no final answers. \u00a0Each case I open is a mess; however, the wicked problem of our welfare system cannot be solved. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    On this particular day, I could not figure out what could possibly be mediated. The family law attorney was on the call to make sure the children were safe; the public defender wanted his client\u2013the mother\u2013 treated with respect, to see her children. \u00a0The social workers made it clear they would not budge: mom could not have unsupervised visits with her children. \u00a0Whispering a prayer of help in my heart, I suddenly heard the caseworker weakly apologize for treating the mom poorly. \u00a0With rapt attention, I called the mom\u2019s name and asked her if she heard what was just said. \u00a0I invited the caseworker to repeat her apology with the mom paying close attention. I gently asked her, \u201cDo you receive the agency\u2019s forgiveness?\u201d \u00a0As the mom said, \u201cyes, I do,\u201d we each witnessed the power of showing one woman dignity\u2013a woman who has lived her entire life in a government system with multiple wicked problems. \u00a0The apology may not have changed her tragic circumstances but I watched it transform a person who had no self worth into a woman who mattered, if even for 5 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

    My guess is that most of us can look at the tame and wicked problems facing us and wonder how our voices need to change to be our more vulnerable, authentic selves. But our inner voices and cultural climates just make us seriously uncomfortable. \u00a0What are we to do? Like my role in mediations, each of us is faced with what the authors call, Metawork. \u00a0\u201cMetawork begins by whatever we are doing, examining how we are doing it, and then making changes so that things start to work better.\u201d[9]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    In thinking about our voices as leaders and the obstacles of people not receiving or hearing accurately about God\u2019s forgiveness, I have a few more questions. How might you answer\u00a0 believing what you say is truly being heard?<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. What diminishes trust or connection with a trusted person of faith in your sphere of influence?<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
    2. Describe the kinds of risks leaders might take to keep solving this problem.<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
    3. What problem are we really avoiding that\u2019s potentially creating mental illness?<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \n

      \n

      \n

      \n
      \n

      [1]<\/a>\u00a0Peck, M Scott. \u00a0<\/span>The Road Less Traveled.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      [2]<\/a>\u00a0Lukianoff, Greg. \u201c<\/span>The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust and Threatens Us All–but There Is a Solution.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>New York: Simon and Schuster, 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n<\/div>\n

      \n

      [3]<\/a>\u00a0\u201cThe Benedict Proposal\u202f: Church as Creative Minority in the Thought of Pope Benedict XVI –<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      [4]<\/a>\u00a0PhD, Joseph Bentley, and Michael Toth PhD.\u00a0<\/span>Exploring Wicked Problems: What They Are and Why They Are Important<\/span>. Archway Publishing, 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n<\/div>\n

      \n

      [5]<\/a>\u00a0BibleProject. \u201cSermon on the Mount E7: What Does It Mean to Make Peace?\u201d Accessed February 12, 2024.<\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/span>https:\/\/bibleproject.com\/podcast\/what-does-it-mean-make-peace-beatitudes-pt-4\/<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n<\/div>\n

      \n

      [6]<\/a>\u00a0P. 119.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      [7]<\/a>\u00a0 Wedell-Wedellsborg, Thomas\u00a0<\/span>What\u2019s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      [8]<\/a>\u00a0P. 18<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      [9]<\/a>\u00a0PhD, Joseph Bentley, and Michael Toth PhD.\u00a0<\/span>Exploring Wicked Problems: What They Are and Why They Are Important<\/span>. Archway Publishing, 2020. \u00a0P. 48.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      \u201cThe Tendency to avoid problems is the primary basis of all human illness.\u201d[1]\u00a0 M. Scott Peck I started this doctoral program with many questions. One particular question on my mind was, what, if anything, about the way I lead with my voice today needs to change for me to be my most vulnerable, courageous self […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3056,3057,2993,3054,3059,3058,3055,2033,101],"class_list":["post-35794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-creativeminoritygroups","tag-mscottpeck","tag-problems","tag-tameproblems","tag-thebeatitudes","tag-theroadlesstraveled","tag-whatisyourproblem","tag-wicked","tag-jesus","cohort-dlgp02"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35794"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35795,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35794\/revisions\/35795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}