Problem Type Overview

Thumbnails on all 8 problem types

Problems which are Puzzles have objective solutions, and typically have known and reliable methods for resolution. The problems are technical, mechanical, financial, or mathematical in nature. The most pressing need is for expertise. Once found, the solution will be obvious to any appropriate observer. The problem can be carved up into pieces and addressed separately. And solutions can be imported (purchased, copied, stolen) from elsewhere, as in "best practices".

Problems that are Too Rich are almost the exact opposite from Puzzles. While we are often certain there is at least one answer, the solution is not objective. In fact, we are typically facing a wide array of possible choices. The situation calls for a visionary or artistic effort, not a technical one. Once found, the solution will not be obvious; it may remain controversial well into implementation. Rather than expertise, the most pressing need is for judgment, intuition, innovation, even courage.

Problems with Uncertainties are dominated by the unknown or unknowable variation in key variables. Typically solutions would vary significantly depending on some uncertain future development. The "solution" has to be contingent on future events, making for multiple possible solutions rather than one best solution. The problem solving effort has to be drawn out into the future so we can watch unfolding events and modify the solution as needed. The problem solving team cannot disperse; they have to remain engaged to oversee the adjustment of solutions as circumstances reveal themselves.

Problems that are Dilemmas come from our simultaneous commitment to incompatible goals. Our efforts to maximize one undermines our success at the other. Faced with an apparent conflict of interest, the representatives of each side tend to become even more ardent advocates, which only provokes an equal escalation on the other side. The tension between cost vs. quality, customization vs. economies of scale, or personal freedom vs. social order are all enduring dilemmas which are never really resolved, only managed more or less well. The on-going nature of dilemmas makes a process for finding solutions more valuable than any particular solution.

Problems with a Life of Their Own emerge when enough actors behaving independently form an almost organic entity: A marketplace of buyers and sellers, employees in a company, companies in a market segment, all the supply chains feeding into a single company. All of these phenomena exhibit order and structure well outside the intentions of any one ostensibly "in charge". The organization of such systems is emergent, an unpredictable property spawned by the relationships among the players.

Problems with Many Voices are the classic conflicts of multiple stakeholders with colliding interests. While cooperation may be difficult it is also essential, since no one can proceed without the tacit permission of the others (although that power is usually expressed through a veto rather than positive support). The driving need is for a safe and equitable forum where parties can surface their interests and explore options for the most satisfying outcome for all parties concerned.

Problems of Our Own Making occur when someone with compelling authority makes a statement that so discrepant from the realities of the situation that the mere utterance of the statement precipitates a reaction. Such a problem may also occur when people fall into a collective delusion, or initiate a self-fulfilling prophecy. The telling feature is that the stated reality and the real reality are too different to support coherent or reasonable action. If not countered, such problems can worsen into more complex and irresolvable conflicts.

Problems that Bite are actually beyond resolution. These are the long-standing, bitter conflicts for which violence is an ever present threat. The abortion debate and the Middle East would be the prototypical examples. Beliefs have fallen into a stereotypical form, and any meaningful dialogue is extremely difficult to arrange. No one is allowed to be a neutral party, so it is hard to enlist the norms and practices of mediation or negotiation. The goal is to migrate the problem into another type, which would require the insight of a critical mass of thought leaders.