Inquiry into complex issues is seldom rewarded
Thinking is hard, and systems thinking is even harder. Consequently, most leaders tend to look for simple answers, assume every process is linear, and focus on (i.e., rewarding) solving urgent problems. The contemplative, intentional effort required to understand—and address—the system that created the problem in the first place is rarely appreciated.
School trains us never to admit that we do not know the answer, and most corporations reinforce that lesson by rewarding the people who excel in advocating their views, not inquiring into complex issues. (When was the last time someone was rewarded in your organization for raising difficult questions about the company’s current policies rather than solving urgent problems?)[1]
See also:
- Complex situations have multiple levels of explanation
- Complex problems have many interconnected elements
- Solutions to complex problems are based on pattern recognition
- Bed of Procrustes
The Fifth Discipline – Senge (2010), ch. 2, § “7. The Myth of the Management Team” ↩︎