If the best laid plans are as flimsy as the roll of a die in the face of time and future uncertainty, and there is no such thing as a “sure-win” general solution, what then can we do?

From a complexity management standpoint, three things are clear:

First, in a complex situation, many factors are intertwined in ways that are often invisible to us and many of these factors are unknown to us.

Second, as we cannot fully know all the factors involved nor how they are intertwined, this means that there is no way for us to truly know beforehand what solutions will lead to our desired outcome. Time is frequently also a factor involved, and this explains situations where many people might have done the same thing and most failed save for a few who happened to be in the “right time, right place” and succeeded.

Third, the only meaningful action is to have a process of “trial and error” where we test several potential solutions in a “safe to fail” manner and see which might end up catalysing changes for the better.

Develop Scaffolds To Facilitate Discovery And Testing Of Solutions

Having a “trial and error” approach to solutioning does not imply that we simply randomly do things and see what happens. We need to have a deliberate structured approach that guides us in discovering, exploring and testing possible solutions, and to do so in a safe to fail manner.

We begin the solutioning process by first developing “solution scaffolds”. In construction, scaffolding refers to a platform providing elevation and support that is temporarily set up to aid builders. In biology, scaffolds are temporary biodegradable structures which provide the physical support for cell to attach to and promotes tissue development. In teaching, scaffolding is a process through which a teacher provides systematic support for students to gradually build on their experiences and knowledge towards learning new skills.

Similarly, we are looking to establish temporary supporting foundations or enabling structures that act as the guiding backbone or enabling constraint in our search for possible solutions.

By starting with building scaffolds instead of jumping straight into “finding solutions” facilitates an inherent appreciation and recognition that there is no quick fix or one solution, but a process of discovery to test what might trigger many factors to come together and produce the outcome that we desire.

We establish solution scaffolds based on the following guiding principles:

1. Desired Future Centred: In exploring possible solution ideas, we are always focused on making meaningful progress towards our desired future. It is not about having the smartest solution ideas or even solutions that create a huge impact. If the solution does not help us make any progress towards out desired future, then it is not a viable meaningful solution. This ensures that all our efforts are productive, meaningful and targeted at catalysing a better future.
2. Small Changes Only. We are looking for solutions that will bring about small changes in our lives. We ask the question, “What small ripples can I initiate in my life that might cascade to my desired future?”. We are looking for that one small change that might create a meaningful positive ripple effect cascading to many other aspects of our lives. We want to create and test small sparks in our lives and see if it leads to a large fire that fuels progress that we want. This ensures that if the spark leads to a destructive fire that we do not want, we can stop it early. We want small changes and not large changes or initiatives as this is akin to starting a huge fire at the onset and if it turns out to be a runaway fire that creates bad consequences, we will be unable to douse it before damage is done. We want to explore small changes that we can try within the next 1 to 4 weeks.
3. Safe To Fail Experiments. In a complex situations, there is always a possibility that what we do could catalyse a good or bad consequence and result. In trying out our small changes, we want to do so in a “safe to fail” manner which allows us to manage any negative unintended consequences, limit damage, and do less or stop doing things. What we’re essentially doing is giving ourselves permission to experiment and to try different options, and to see what works and what doesn’t. These experiments also reveal some of the previous “unknown unknowns” factors that are involved. We create safe spaces for ourselves to experiment and fail. And if something does not work, we learn, make small adjustments and shift continually as we go along.If the small changes catalyse positive ripple effects in our lives, we can then build on it and put in place permanent changes in our lives.
4. Value What Is Already Working. Solutions do not always have to be something new nor innovative. We might have tried things in the past that might have worked to some degree. We want to value our past experiences and experiences and build on what has been working well.
5. Explore Solutions Non-Linearly. Apart from solutions which are more direct and obviously related to the immediate situation (what we call “Direct Solutions”), there could also be solutions which are not apparently or barely related (what we call “Indirect Solutions”). Indirect Solutions work as action and progress in one area of our lives can lead to changes in other areas. For instance, being able to wake up on time could lead to a person feeling more in control of his life, generating more confidence and sense of agency and subsequent actions in other aspects of life, and eventually leading to better outcomes in school or work. We once had a client who had depression and suicidal ideation, and the small change that he decided to try was simply to wake up early enough to attend a yoga class at 7am.

In short, we are looking to discover, explore and test small changes in our lives to catalyse the positive ripple effect and bring us closer to our desired future. We manage small changes that lead to negative results and curate small changes that work and do more of these subsequently. This process provides the space to learn new experiences, skills, knowledge and foster greater self-awareness about possibilities and our own strengths.