Wicked Problem Essay
“Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well informed just to be undecided about them.”
--Laurence J. Peter
In my understanding, a wicked problem is one for which every attempt to create a solution changes our perspective of the problem. Thus, these problems cannot be solved with ‘the thinking, tools and methods’ we use to solve simpler problems. To solve such wicked problems we need a systematic approach that includes creative brainstorming. Using the ‘Design Thinking’ approach can help craft the path that would lead to a sensible solution. Horst Rittel, the man who coined the term ‘wicked problem’ said wicked problems are distinguished by the following characteristics: * You don’t understand the …show more content…
History proves that terrorism existed right from the Stone Age. If a systematic approach was used to solve this problem, an answer would be with us. “One person’s terrorist could be another person’s freedom fighter, role model etc.” (Kinsley 1). We can’t call these people ‘crazy’ and leave this fact out of our approach. It is necessary to get into the skin of these terrorists and figure out, using a very collaborative strategy, a solution that affects every citizen of this society. Collaborative Strategy, one of the strategies Roberts identified in a paper published in 2000, aims at engaging all stakeholders (in this context – world citizens) in order to find the best possible solution for all stakeholders. Typically, these approaches involve meetings in which issues and ideas are discussed and a common approach is formulated. Terrorism affects citizens more than it affects the government. Design approach suggests that a collaborative strategy may create chaos but solves problems better than other strategies. After all, a wicked problem itself is chaotic.
Taming this wicked problem is tough but by using a design approach we can create different criteria to approach the problem. Dr. Jeff Conklin identifies a few criteria in his book ‘Wicked Problems and Social Complexity’. These are a few ways to solve a wicked
--Laurence J. Peter
In my understanding, a wicked problem is one for which every attempt to create a solution changes our perspective of the problem. Thus, these problems cannot be solved with ‘the thinking, tools and methods’ we use to solve simpler problems. To solve such wicked problems we need a systematic approach that includes creative brainstorming. Using the ‘Design Thinking’ approach can help craft the path that would lead to a sensible solution. Horst Rittel, the man who coined the term ‘wicked problem’ said wicked problems are distinguished by the following characteristics: * You don’t understand the …show more content…
History proves that terrorism existed right from the Stone Age. If a systematic approach was used to solve this problem, an answer would be with us. “One person’s terrorist could be another person’s freedom fighter, role model etc.” (Kinsley 1). We can’t call these people ‘crazy’ and leave this fact out of our approach. It is necessary to get into the skin of these terrorists and figure out, using a very collaborative strategy, a solution that affects every citizen of this society. Collaborative Strategy, one of the strategies Roberts identified in a paper published in 2000, aims at engaging all stakeholders (in this context – world citizens) in order to find the best possible solution for all stakeholders. Typically, these approaches involve meetings in which issues and ideas are discussed and a common approach is formulated. Terrorism affects citizens more than it affects the government. Design approach suggests that a collaborative strategy may create chaos but solves problems better than other strategies. After all, a wicked problem itself is chaotic.
Taming this wicked problem is tough but by using a design approach we can create different criteria to approach the problem. Dr. Jeff Conklin identifies a few criteria in his book ‘Wicked Problems and Social Complexity’. These are a few ways to solve a wicked