Wicked Problem Solvers

Edmondson, A. C. (2016, June). Wicked Problem Solvers.Harvard Business Review, 53-59.

Summary

There is a challenge in managing teams made up of remote participants coming from diverse industries. If not managed well, these teams can struggle with uncertainty in roles, expertise, values, cultures and perspectives. The solution to these wicked problems can be found in fostering an adaptable vision, promoting psychological safety, enabling knowledge sharing, and adopting and execution-as-learning mindset.

Experience

I relate to this based on my experience working with cross-functional teams. All the things this article discusses as issues for teams, I have dealt with and had to work through. The thing that has been the hardest putting into practice is creating an adaptable vision. People tend to cling to the vision for a project/program, and are reluctant to changing it once it’s been set. The techniques shared in this article provide clear, actionable direction to experiment with my teams.

KEYWORDS: Adaptable vision, psychological safety, knowledge sharing, execution-as-learning