1. Entrepreneurship and Design Thinking
MBA elective module HWR Berlin - June and July 2017
Entrepreneurship and Design Thinking
7. Design Thinking and Wicked Problems
© Robert Jones 2017

2. Objectives / questions:
What is the problem / opportunity?
Wicked problems
Super-wicked problems
Relevance of Design Thinking to finding ways forward

3. Real life management problems
Characteristics?
Simple?
Complex?

4. Recap Information can be complete or incomplete
Goals can be clear or sometimes unclear
We operate in various conditions of:
Certainty
Uncertainty
Risk
Ambiguity
Typical in innovation and change management
- also typical in a crisis.

6. What is the problem? Sometimes we cannot even define the problem,
let alone see the opportunity
or begin to work out some ways forward

7. Tame Problems Wicked Problems
Dennehy & De Smet

8. Wicked Problems http://www.wulrich.com/cwc.html
C West Churchman was one of the founders of OR Operational Research
and Management Science.
He and others began to define “wicked problems”
Churchman, C. West (December 1967). "Wicked Problems". Management Science. 14 (4).

9. Wicked Problems
Rittel and Webber 1973 formulation of wicked problems in social policy planning specified ten characteristics:[3][4]
1. There is no definitive formulation of a wicked problem.
2. Wicked problems have no stopping rule.
Solutions to wicked problems are not true-or-false, but good or bad.
4. There is no immediate and no ultimate test of a solution to a wicked problem.
5. Every solution to a wicked problem is a "one-shot operation"; because there is no opportunity to learn by trial and error, every attempt counts significantly.
6. Wicked problems do not have an enumerable (or an exhaustively describable) set of potential solutions, nor is there a well-described set of permissible operations that may be incorporated into the plan.
Every wicked problem is essentially unique.
Every wicked problem can be considered to be a symptom of another problem.
9.The existence of a discrepancy representing a wicked problem can be explained in numerous ways. The choice of explanation determines the nature of the problem's resolution.
10. The social planner has no right to be wrong (i.e., planners are liable for the consequences of the actions they generate).
Rittel, Horst W. J.; Melvin M. Webber (1973). "Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning" (PDF). Policy Sciences. 4: 155–169.

10. Wicked Problems
Conklin later generalized the concept of problem wickedness to areas other than planning and policy.
The defining characteristics are:[5]
The problem is not understood until after the formulation of a solution.
2. Wicked problems have no stopping rule.
3. Solutions to wicked problems are not right or wrong.
Every wicked problem is essentially novel and unique.
Every solution to a wicked problem is a 'one shot operation.’
6. Wicked problems have no given alternative solutions
Conklin, J (2006). Dialogue mapping : building shared understanding of wicked problems. Chichester, England: Wiley Publishing.

11. Messes and Social Messes
Russell L. Ackoff wrote about complex problems as messes:
"Every problem interacts with other problems and is therefore part of a set of interrelated problems, a system of problems…. I choose to call such a system a mess."
Ackoff, R. "Systems, Messes, and Interactive Planning" Portions of Chapters I and 2 of Redesigning the Future. New York/London: Wiley, 1974.

12. Messes and Social Messes
According to Horn, the defining characteristics of a social mess are:[26]
No unique "correct" view of the problem;
Different views of the problem and contradictory solutions;
Most problems are connected to other problems;
Data are often uncertain or missing;
Multiple value conflicts;
Ideological and cultural constraints;
Political constraints;
Economic constraints;
Often a-logical or illogical or multi-valued thinking;
Numerous possible intervention points;
Consequences difficult to imagine;
Considerable uncertainty, ambiguity;
Great resistance to change; and,
Problem solver(s) out of contact with the problems and potential solutions.
Horn, R. and Weber, R. "New Tools For Resolving Wicked Problems: Mess Mapping and Resolution Mapping Processes", Strategy Kinetics L.L.C., 2007

13. If that is not enough!

14. Super-Wicked Problems
Time is running out.
No central authority.
Those seeking to solve the problem are also causing it.
Policies discount the future irrationally.
Kelly Levin, Benjamin Cashore, Graeme Auld and Steven Bernstein introduced the distinction
between "wicked problems" and "super wicked problems" in a 2007 conference paper,
which was followed by a 2012 journal article in Policy Sciences.
In their discussion of global climate change, they defined super wicked problems as above
Kelly, L., Cashore, Benjamin; Bernstein, Steven; Auld, Graeme (23 May 2012). "Overcoming the tragedy of super wicked problems: constraining our future selves to ameliorate global climate change". Policy Sciences. 45 (2): 123–152.

15. Design Thinking is solution-based instead of problem based
DT process helps us to understand the situation
and then to generate options
DT uses “soft systems” rather than hard logic
We work with the “customer” and other stakeholders
Divergent (right brain) thinking followed by convergent (left brain) thinking
We try each option with a prototype
This creative approach can work well with complex problem situations

16. Other creative methods for problem solving
1 Brain storming
coined by Alex Osborn in 1939
2 Mind mapping
coined by Tony Buzan in the 1970s
3 Soft Systems Methodology SSM
developed by Peter Checkland et al 1960s
4 SCAMPER
suggested by Alex Osborn, mnemonic by Bob Eberle
5 Force Field Analysis
Kurt Lewin
6 Six hats
Edward de Bono

17. Imagination is more important than knowledge
Albert Einstein
We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.

19. Soft Systems Methodology
Checkland, P.B. (2001) Soft Systems Methodology,
in J. Rosenhead and J. Mingers (eds), Rational Analysis for a Problematic World Revisited. Chichester: Wiley
An alternative method for sorting out messes
Very useful in practice
My MBA students in the National Health Service used this methodology in their dissertations
Strong similarities with Design Thinking

21. Soft Systems Methodology
CATWOE tests our understanding of a potential new plan
This is also incredibly useful when formulating conventional strategy

22. Outcomes – what have we learned?