We are all problem solvers, action oriented and results minded. It is illegal in this culture to leave a meeting without a to-do list. We want measurable outcomes and we want them now. What is hard to grasp is that it is this very mindset which prevents anything fundamental from changing. We cannot problem solve our way into fundamental change, or … | Peter Block Continue reading Transformation Is About a Shift in Language and Conversation Peter Block
The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think. | Gregory Bateson Continue reading What Is the Root Cause of the Major Problems in the World? Gregory Bateson
The problems the world is facing now, including ecological damage, natural disasters, poverty, species loss, political upheaval, refugee trauma, and even health epidemics, can all be described as complex, that is, they are born of circumstances that are multi-causal and non-linear. This complexity vexes the traditional problem-solving model of … | Nora Bateson Continue reading Complex Problems Require an Entirely Different Approach in Assessment, and Action Nora Bateson
Don’t ask kids what they want to be when they grow up but what problems do they want to solve. This changes the conversation from who do I want to work for, to what do I need to learn to be able to do that. | Jaime Casap Continue reading Don’t Ask Kids What They Want to Be When They Grow Up Jaime Casap
It is a misuse of our power to take responsibility for solving problems that belong to others. | Peter Block Continue reading Misuse of Our Power Peter Block
If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes. | Albert Einstein Continue reading If I Had an Hour to Solve a Problem Albert Einstein
No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. | Albert Einstein Continue reading Solving Problems and Consciousness Albert Einstein (paraphrase of original text)
Complex problems aren’t actually problems at all. They are non-determinate systems, systems that change based on how we engage with them. Push on one part of a complex problem and a different part will change the system. Healthcare, climate and technology systems are all complex problems. | Seth Godin Continue reading Complex Problems Aren’t Actually Problems at All Seth Godin
The idea of a “problem” in a complex or complex adaptive system is misleading, as it suggests the existence of a clear, identifiable issue that can be resolved independently. In reality, what we perceive as problems are often symptoms of deeper, systemic patterns and interactions. | David Gurteen Continue reading There Are No Problems in Complex Systems David Gurteen
In a complex or complex adaptive system, the notion of “problem-solving” is an illusion. Instead of definitive solutions, there is only an endless series of adaptive responses. | David Gurteen Continue reading There Are No Solutions Only Responses in Complex Adaptive Systems David Gurteen
Life presents us with situations such as traffic jams, illnesses, or setbacks that simply exist. The human mind turns these conditions into problems by resisting them, layering judgment and expectation upon them. By noticing this shift, we can respond more directly to reality instead of being trapped in the stories we create about it. Continue reading Problems Only Exist in the Mind Anthony de Mello and the nature of awareness
Despite overall improvements in quality of life, our world faces numerous challenges. Global issues span personal, societal, and environmental domains and threaten long-term sustainability. Addressing these complex problems requires a better understanding and collaboration at all levels. Continue reading The Metacrisis The interconnected crises shaping our world
In 2006, I ran a knowledge-sharing workshop for an international organization in Zurich. As part of the workshop, I ran a Knowledge Café. The experience transformed my understanding of the power of the Café process. Continue reading Knowledge Café in Zurich, Switzerland The Knowledge Café has empowered our staff to speak up and take the initiative
We are familiar with the concept of cause and effect, and in most situations, it is apparent which is the cause and which is the effect, to the extent that we rarely stop to consider the reverse. Continue reading Reversing Cause and Effect The conversation creates the speakers
