Back to Gaffer's Archives.
On Solving Problems:
In a previous essay, I took a look at the problems of our air
traffic system. I made the point that the current attempts to
solve these problems are ill conceived. I said that patching what
we have is not a solution. I also said that I would get into this
idea of problem solving in a more general way. Now, I want to
look at fixing a problem in the way of patching holes and compare
that to creating a long term solution.
To begin, how do we go about solving problems? To really solve a problem, I believe we must get out of the box where we find the problem. We must take a step up and back. For example, I submit that trying to solve our air traffic problem is too narrow of a focus. We need to look at the whole canvas, not just the part with the bottleneck. We do not have an air traffic problem, we have a transportation problem.
In fact, even transportation may be to narrow of a focus. We are really dealing with the problems of how we move people and things from one place to another. The military calls that logistics. In the military they also include procurement and maintenance in the definition of logistics.
I have previously said that the solution to a problem is implicit in a clear statement of the problem. Now we see that we can state a problem at different levels and get differing perspectives. Each time we up level, we enlarge the canvas which contains the problem and the range of approaches we may take. The higher our level of visualization, the more inclusive our solutions are likely to become.
In dealing with an air traffic problem, we tend to want to make our air traffic system work. We see fixing it as the immediate problem. When we step back, we see that the system is the problem. We can never make this system, by itself, handle the traffic that we want to put through it. The portals are simply too small. The system was implemented in another era, when traffic was just a trickle, compared to the current traffic.
In his book, "Up The Organization," Robert Townsend makes the interesting point that a manager who came in to solve a problem will become the problem if he stays too long. I feel that we can generalize his idea. My theory is that any solution to any problem is time specific. If enough time passes, what was a solution will become a problem. I believe that is the current case with our air traffic system.
At the logistics level, we may even see that air traffic is just a part of our problem. Another part is what we now call urban sprawl. One result of urban sprawl is what we used to call traffic jams. Now we call it gridlock. These are not traffic problems. They are logistics problems. Our methods of getting people and things together no longer work. They have become the problem.
As I look at our culture, I see many other areas where solutions are rapidly becoming problems. The power problem in California is surely among these. Global warming is also a big one. Ozone depletion, whatever its cause, looms large. These problems will continue to grow.
The continuing growth of these problems is a result of our narrow focus and short term approaches to solving problems. Instead of looking for long term solutions, we try to make the problem go away for a while. We patch and patch and patch. We tend to see a system-in-place as a given. We don't seem to be able to up level and see the whole canvas, wherein the system-in-place becomes a variable.
Until we can do that, the problems will continue to grow until they overwhelm us. We are rapidly approaching a critical mass of unsolved problems. We could reach a point where a patch will not last long enough to justify its cost. Eventually, our entire cultural, economic system could collapse.
I don't have any solutions. It is my belief that many of us must step back and stop playing political games. Every one of us is responsible. We must stop voting our petty pocketbook issues and start to look at the long term; if not for our own sake, for the kids sake. We need to get some honest people into our government.
I believe, when many of us take that step back and up level, we will see solutions. When we look from a high enough perspective, we will see that some profound changes in our economic and social structures will be necessary. We are going to have to change in some basic ways. In the end, the changes will be wholesome and life enhancing. I hope we will make changes. The alternative is chaos.
A while back, I promised to begin developing a political platform.
This was to be a platform of the person who could cause me to
want to vote with joy. I am tired of picking the better of two
very bad choices. As I develop that platform, some of my ideas
about how we must change will become clear. I believe all of the
problems I noted here are soluble. It will be up to us, each and
every one, to become honest.
Back to Gaffer's Archives.
|
|
|
|