“A little simplification would be the first step toward rational living.” Eleanor Roosevelt
“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.” Steve Jobs
“The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity.” Douglas Horton
It’s always good to know who and what you are dealing with when you try to create a response to a complex problem. I’ve found that asking questions helps me to develop a more comprehensive understanding of all the dimensions involved. The truth is that most people are complex and many problems are real dilemmas. To clarify, a problem can be easily diagnosed and reasonably resolved. Dilemmas are more nuanced, complicated and difficult to “fix.” These days it seems like there are way too many complex people and dilemmas. I think the quotes at the beginning of this post frame the issue well.
What I’ve discovered to my efforts to simplify “the puzzles of complexity” is that asking five key questions can help to reduce any complex issue to a more manageable set of variables. Here are the questions:
- What are the key drivers of this behavior or causes for this problem?
- What are the goals of those behaviors, i.e. what’s the intention?
- What methods or processes are involved? What’s working and not working?
- What are the standards and measures of success?
- What are the conditions or context in which the behaviors are taking place?
In the second season of the TV series, Severance, several uncomfortable questions are raised: How well do we understand who we really are? How much do we really know about the people we think we know so well? What makes you the you you are? Hmm, wouldn’t it be nice to have simple answers to those complex questions. I don’t pretend to have those answers, but I do have simplifying questions for both people and organizations that may increase the chances of making accurate and productive decisions.
Let’s start with a person I think I know very well. I will share my understanding of that person without disclosing the name. You may want to think of someone you know or, if you are really daring, apply the questions to yourself.
- What are the key drivers of this person’s behavior? If I step back and think of the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual dimensions of a person’s life, my person is primarily driven by emotional and spiritual factors. Building relationships, communities, and connections in creative ways are the primary drivers.
- What are the goals of those behaviors, i.e. what’s the intention? This person wants love, attention, and a platform to promote big ideas. The intention is create more supportive, inclusive, and joyful environments in which people have a sense of belonging.
- What methods or processes are involved? This person explores multiple possibilities simultaneously. They have an amazing capability to explore and understand, but have a hard time finding the bandwidth to follow through on all the steps required to achieve all the desired goals.
- What are the measures of success? There are multiple performance indicators: university degrees, children who are good human beings, close friendships, loving relationships, product sales, and business success. Standards for actions include honesty, compassion, and transparency.
- What are the conditions or context in which the behaviors are taking place? On a macro level, a highly competitive environment in arenas in which there is low support and low probability for success. On a micro level, a loving and supportive family and many close friends.
With a better understanding of drivers, intentions, processes, success measures, and conditions, I am more able to offer deep empathy and relevant guidance. If I don’t consider all of the factors or get them wrong, I will be unlikely to provide a helpful perspective – particularly, if this person doesn’t accept and own this analysis. In this case, the person is very self-aware and does own the analysis. Based on this brief summary, I might advise this person to reduce the number of tasks they have taken on and leverage the support they have established over the years.
My experience tells me that few “helpers” ask all these questions, accurately summarize the feelings and values the “helpee” shares, and are willing and able to suggest a direction that might address the situation and causes of their particular circumstance. Yes, doing all those steps requires a readiness of the person being ‘helped” to listen and to change.
Now, in order to decide the right course of action for our current political situation, let’s apply those same questions to Trump. Even though I’m sick of dealing with Trump Derangement Syndrome, here are the questions I’ve been asking myself and some of the hypotheses I’ve formed relating to our current situation. These questions, however, can be applied to any person.
Question 1: What are the primary elements of his style – what drives his behavior, i.e. what the basic components of his personality?
Hypothesis: Narcissism, Nihilism, Machoism. He is arrogant, selfish, solipsistic and operates with a complete sense of impunity; he dismantles and destroys with no regard for consequences; and he bullies whomever he can with the weight of his wealth and his power as President.
Question 2: What is he trying to achieve, i.e. what are the intended functions of this style?
Hypothesis: Obedience, Obsequiousness, Oppression. He wants to create fear which leads to cowardice for any opposition; he wants unquestioned loyalty; he wants to feed on the anger and fear that exists among a majority of the population, and he wants to create a sense of depression and despair that overwhelms and undermines resistance. Personally, I admit to feeling overwhelmed and depressed, and I despair for my children, grandchildren and the millions of people being harmed.
Question. 3: What are the key methods or processes he employs to achieve his intended goals?
Hypothesis: Bluffing, Bullying, Boasting and Blaming. He floods the zone to see what sticks; he threatens dire consequences for non-compliance with his demands; he claims amazing results with no evidence; and he projects responsibility for his behaviors and problems onto someone else.
Question 4: What are his measures of success, i.e. what are the standards he is trying to live/lead by?
Hypothesis: Profits, Power, and Prestige. He uses the Office of the Presidency to amass more wealth; he thrives on his ability to call any leader to make demands and impose his will; and he plasters his name in bold letters on as many buildings and executive orders as he can. His picture on Time Magazine and his quest for a Nobel prize are his ultimate measures of success – along with being the first person to acquire $1 trillion of wealth. The standards of honesty, humility, humor, compassion, and collaboration are nowhere to be found on his list.
Question 5: What are conditions that enable him to succeed?
Hypothesis: Uneducated, Unengaged, Uninformed. His base of support consists primarily of angry, uneducated, unengaged voters in a dysfunctional information ecosystem riddled with disinformation, misinformation, conspiracy theories and lies, in a culture in which a sense of belonging can be difficult to achieve. His menacing mendacity plays well to that base.
Now, imagine the possibilities if Trump were to accept and own this analysis. Clearly, we know that won’t happen. I only have two ideas for dealing with Trump: First, as individuals, we can join protests in our communities. In his case, feet on the street will have more impact than words of wisdom wasted on the unwilling. Second, for the institutions under attack, it’s going to require a collaborative effort among Big Law, Big Universities, Big Media, and Big States to fight back at his attempts to undermine their power. So far, what we have seen is capitulation and cowardice instead of strength and solidarity. We learned after World War II, that the best way to resist an aggressive bully is to join forces. That approach has worked well for 80 years. It is now being tested.
The point is that breaking problems down into manageable sizes not only provides a more complete perspective, but also makes it easier to proscribe possibilities and take appropriate action. The process for answering each of the five questions is expand, narrow, and choose. First, it’s important to fully explore all possibilities. Then it’s helpful to narrow the list down to the most critical parts (no, you don’t have to limit yourself to three and have them alliterate). Finally, with a fuller and deeper understanding of the person or situation, it’s possible to predict what will happen if nothing changes, and proscribe which actions would have the most impact.
This process can be applied to organizations as well as individuals. The questions are essentially the same with a few variations. I will use of my favorite organization as an example. You might want to think of an organization in which you worked and notice the similarities and differences.
- What are the key drivers of this organization: Leadership, Marketing, Resource Integration, Technology or Production? My organization is Leadership driven which is the ideal. The leader has had a vision for this organization for over 30 years and embodies the values in its ever evolving culture. The vision of land protection and preservation drives every aspect of the organization with the result being over 50,000 acres preserved for future generations.
- What are the goals of this organization, i.e. what is its purpose, its goals, its objectives, and priorities? My organization has a very well defined purpose, its mission and goals are articulated and communicated to all stakeholders, its objectives are clearly stated for each person in the organization, and everyone not only knows the priorities but also is aligned with them.
- What methods or processes are employed for goal setting, input gathering, community conversations, strategic planning, and measuring results. This organization has a well-established strategic planning process, a personal and organizational development system to ensure progress, as well as built in opportunities for meaningful conversations. Results are measured and communicated regularly.
- What are the standards or measures of success? The organization’s standards are set by the values it has created and inculcated over its 33 years of existence. Those values are audited annually with the results openly shared and discussed with board and staff. This organization measures success by the amount of hope it fosters, by the amount of innovation it applies to everything it does, and by the trust it builds among all its stakeholders.
- What are the conditions or context in which the behaviors are taking place? The organization is located adjacent to the Great Lakes – the source of over 20% of fresh water in the world. At this point in time, it benefits from a local climate that is neither too hot or too cold and which is not particularly vulnerable to fires and floods making it a desirable refuge for people around the world. Given development pressures, it’s mission is to prolong and preserve this pristine environment for as long as possible. It works interdependently with many organizations who are committed to that cause and is located in a community that highly values the services it provides. It’s board, staff, volunteers, donors, and partners are generous with their time, talent, and treasures.
Comparing this organization with the Trump administration is revealing. I will spare you the details, but here are the highlights. The Trump administration is a personality-driven cult with the output of marketing messages built on fabrications. The goals appear to be to enrich its leaders, empower techno-fascists, and appeal to white, Christian Nationalists. Its process is to flood the zone, intimidate people and countries who get in the way, and blame others for its failures. It’s measures of success are how much the one-percenters contribute to and benefit from its policies, and how much spending it can cut to people in need. The context is a world on fire in which there is a growing alliance of autocrats and oligarchs. So, what’s the right organizational response?
Not to go too far in the jungle, this situation reminds me of a trip to Africa in which I witnessed what happens when someone tries to go-it-alone. I was in a guided group walking through a preserve dedicated to helping abandoned lion cubs return to the wild. We came upon a pride of several lions who had been nurtured for two years by its care-takers. The guide had one rule: don’t stray from the group – lions are still primarily driven by the primal instinct to go after a vulnerable prey who becomes separated. All was going well until one “independent individual” snuck off to take a photo which he fantasized would be featured on the cover of National Geographic. Within seconds, the pride became alert and started to mobilize for a potential kill. Fortunately, the guide saw quickly enough what was happening and immediately got the stray back into the safety of the group. The lesson for organizations is clear. When you are dealing with lethal two-year-olds filled with pride, power and no impulse control, it’s better to be part of a group instead of a lone wolf. Perhaps, the big law firms, universities, and media giants might want to heed that advice.
Hopefully, the last two paragraphs won’t distract too much from the points of this post which are 1) it’s helpful to have a system for simplifying complexities and 2) asking the right questions may lead to tailored, accurate, substantive, and sustainable solutions. My observations tell me that – while we have models we can emulate – we typically suffer from insufficient systems and inappropriate or inadequate questions – not to mention a lack of collaboration.
I’m hoping as individuals and as organizations we can create systems that simplify all the complexities we face. I’m hoping that we start asking the questions required to formulate deeper perspectives and brighter possibilities. And, I’m hoping we will reach out to others for the strength we will need to survive. May it be so.
Wow Ricky-May it be so indeed! Love you my brother!