The art of uncertainty - embracing hard problems without obvious answers

I’ve not always been great at describing what I mean when I say I work on design-based strategy. I’ve fumbled through overly complex language or long examples. 

Then it came to me, one key phrase: I dive into hard problems without obvious answers... ones with people at the center.

Leaders face a variety of hard problems: project implementations, staffing issues, workforce burnout, business model changes, or the post-pandemic future of work. But it's the problems without obvious answers that demand and inspire innovative leadership.

There was a memorable example at the Johns Hopkins Sibley Innovation Hub involving reimagining the experience of being a hospital patient. With no clear roadmap, we jumped into the problem armed with curiosity and a beginner's mindset. We spent hours in hospital rooms with patients. We shadowed nurses, care techs, and environmental staff. We asked a lot of open-ended questions about people’s experiences.  We discovered that understanding the experiences of patients and staff allowed us to break down a large, ambiguous problem into smaller, more manageable ones. 

Traditional strategies like forming committees, following best practice guides, and learning from peers often provide solutions. But when these methods fail to solve those hard problems without obvious answers, we have to remember Drucker’s words: culture eats strategy for breakfast.

Problems with people at the center don't always thrive on a plan hatched in a boardroom. 

Instead, they require a foundation of curiosity, psychological safety, and vulnerability. Getting to the heart of what our employees, customers, or community are feeling is the true starting point for solving these problems.

I’m a big fan of a human-centered approach to tackling these hard problems. It leads not only to more innovative solutions but also fosters more resilient and engaged teams - an essential quality for leaders navigating today's myriad of hard challenges.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with hard problems without obvious answers. What have you used to tackle them?