Transforming aggression into creative problem solving

✍ Scribed by Margaret J. Wheatley; Geoff Crinean

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Weight: 144 KB
• Volume: 2005
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1087-8149
• DOI: 10.1002/ltl.124

✦ Synopsis

rganizations today suffer from a severe disability when it comes to solving problems. In virtually every organization, regardless of mission and function, people are frustrated by problems that seem unsolvable. Attempts to resolve a problem often result in unintended consequences that dwarf the original. Relationships worsen as people harden into opposing positions, each side insisting on its own solution, unwilling to consider alternatives. Too many problem-solving sessions become battlegrounds where decisions are made based on power rather than intelligence.

Consider the language used to describe problem-solving. We "attack the problem," "tackle the issue,""take a stab at it,""wrestle it to the ground,""get on top of it." If colleagues argue with us, we complain that they "shot down our idea," "took pot shots at us,""used us for target practice," or that "we got killed." In the face of opposition, we "back down,""retreat," or "regroup." (Occasionally, we use gentler metaphors-we may "float an idea" or test it to see "if it has legs," but that approach is comparatively rare.) Such aggressive descriptions of problem solving point to a startling conclusion. We experience problem-solving sessions as war zones, we view competing ideas as enemies, and we use problems as weapons to blame and defeat opposition forces. No wonder we can't come up with real lasting solutions! Healthy alternatives to this aggressive approach to problem-solving do exist. But before detailing a five-stage process, let's observe for a moment the sea of aggressive energy in which we currently swim.

An Aggressive Society

T hese days, our senses are bombarded with aggression. We are constantly con- fronted with global images of unending, escalating war and violence. In our personal lives, we encounter angry people cursing into cell phones, watch TV talk