Problem solvers are valuable members of any organization. And as long as we’re solving familiar challenges, we can be fairly confident in quick solutions. As problems become more complex, though, leaders need to spend more time and effort to define the problem. We may find that what we perceive to be the issue is different from what a thorough investigation reveals.
Julia Binder and Michael Watkins recently wrote in Harvard Business Review that it is important to examine problems through multiple frames to get different perspectives. Instead of starting with brainstorming, which introduces solutions based on a predetermined perspective, they recommend beginning with “frame-storming”: thinking about different angles you might use to explore what the real problem is.
We can imagine a church leadership meeting when someone brings up the need to get the youth more active in the life of the church. Almost immediately, you’ll hear lots of programmatic ideas of what the church should do to bring back the young people. These ideas, often rooted in nostalgia, are well-intentioned, but they presume that the problem is the church doesn’t have enough programs. That could be true. However, it might also be true that something about the lives of young people and their families has changed in a way that makes current programming models obsolete.
Reframing problems is something Jesus did. One of the most memorable examples occurs in John 9, when he and the disciples encounter a man who was born blind. The disciples asked Jesus whether the man’s sin or his parents’ sin caused the blindness. Jesus made it clear that the disciples were asking the wrong question (John 9:3). The man’s blindness wasn’t about sin. It was a prelude to the glory of God.
Do you know what the real problem is?
Resources
Facing wicked problems in anxious times
When we approach dauntingly complex decisions from a place of empathy and curiosity, we might discover a different solution, writes a managing director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
By Victoria Atkinson White
Leading through the fog
To lead in uncertain times, Christian leaders must love their organization, consider a variety of viewpoints from both outside and within the organization and situate all work in the context of God’s story, writes the executive director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
By David L. Odom
On the other side of the ‘groan zone’
Why wade into the turbulent water of collaborative problem solving? Because facilitative leadership is both necessary and possible, writes a managing director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
By Maria Teresa Gastón
Can leaders improve church meetings by rearranging the chairs?
Seemingly mundane details, such as rearranging the furniture, may be an undervalued opportunity to stimulate connection and cultivate community.
By L. Roger Owens
Before you go…
One of the beautiful aspects of congregational life is its diversity; the different experiences and perspectives each person brings with them. Yet often a leadership team locks in on one perspective prematurely. While we may be tempted to rush toward a solution, it’s essential to spend time asking questions and considering alternative possibilities before framing the problem in a particular way. When we set the frame too soon, we can spend hours, even months, trying to drive in a nail with a screwdriver.
Whether you are trying to renovate a building, start a program or hire a new staff person, take the necessary time to ask how the proposed solution fits into your mission. Interrogate whether your proposed solution will get at the root cause of the problem. You’ll be glad you took the time to get the right frame.
You can always reach me and the Alban Weekly team at alban@duke.edu. Until next week, keep leading!
Prince Rivers
Editor, Alban at Duke Divinity