Recognize Messy Problems: Problems That Are Bigger Than One Manager Can Fix

Sometimes a problem that seems like it’s coming from one person is actually a problem with the process. When you aren’t getting the results you want, it’s time to change the processes (“the way we do things around here”). When a process problem spans more than one area, the group needs to work on it together.The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization  [Sen94]

To detect whether it’s bigger than one area do the following:

Look for artificial constraints.

People often have a limited view of a situation, not because they have limited intelligence but because humans place artificial constraints on solutions. We often assume that deadlines are immutable, that a process is unchangeable, or that we have to solve something alone. Use thought experiments to remove artificial constraints, for example, “What if you don’t have to predict?” Removing artificial constraints allows people to think about the problem in a different way.

Listen for pointers to the underlying problem.

The problem you see may not be the one you need to solve. Consider root cause analysis to identify deeper problems.Corrective Action for the Software Industry [Rot04] System problems confound root cause analysis because many factors are interrelated. When the root cause points to the original issue, it’s likely a system problem.

Look for solutions that you can implement.

When the problem spans an area larger than your sphere of control, see whether you can bring in the others to solve the problem. But don’t rely on them to fix the situation. Determine what you can do within your sphere of control and influence.

Fix the problem, don’t affix blame.

“Things are the way they are because they got that way,”Quality Software Management: Volume 1, Systems Thinking [Wei92] so it makes no sense to blame others.101 Biggest Mistakes Managers Make [AC97] Acknowledge that people arrived here with the best of intentions. Decisions that seem strange now made perfect sense at a different time. Trying to find a culprit may be satisfying in the short term, but doesn’t help solve the problem.