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Pushing
for the Perfect Solution:
A Recipe for Paralysis
by Grace McGartland
As seen in Words of Mouth!Sayer International* is a traditional management environment where rules are
firmly cast in concrete, even as the company puts forth internal messages about growth,
change, and paradigm shift. Campbell Putnam*, Product Manager for New Business
Development, is exhausted by this environment. As the team leader for "Project
Paradigm," he’s been charged with reengineering a comprehensive database
management system for the telecommuting application. The pressure from above to create a
"transformational shift" is wearing thin on Campbell. With the ridiculous
timeframe of six months now reduced to three, and hollow corporate buzz words
reverberating in his mind, he has become cynical about the possibilities for success. The
pressure to produce a quick-fix solution built upon old models and analytical judgments is
strong, even though Campbell and the rest of his team realize that doing so will never
yield the transformational shift mandated from above. The team’s creativity has been
dampened by mixed messages.
Sound familiar? This is a
situation with which many people in business can identify. Journals, books, magazines, and
web sites proclaim that we are in the midst of unprecedented change, and corporations are
responding by paying lip service to the concept of shifting paradigms—but when it
comes to really grasping the deeper issues involved, little time or effort is expended on
true transformation.
For decades, credibility in the business world has relied on
linear models, the collection of data, and the nudging of numbers. All of this activity is
focused on finding the perfect solution, the right answer, the
million dollar idea. But in our changing world, information doubles every
ten years; it would be impossible to collect all the data needed to make any major
transformational move. Still, we rely on the illusion that we can find the perfect
solution. This reliance on outdated models stems from one pervasive problem: how we
were trained to think. We learned to gather data and develop solutions in a linear
fashion that no longer serves us well in our changing world. If we continue to push for
the perfect solution, or the right answer, we risk losing out on opportunities because we
are too slow to move, and our thinking is likely to be shallow, which leads to quick fixes
rather than meaningful understanding and action.
To really experience meaningful transformation,
organizations must facilitate a shift in thinking. Here are three key points related to
effective thinking in a changing environment:
- Focus on EXCELLENCE, not perfection. Perfection is driven by
fear; excellence emerges from your spirit.
- Don’t push for THE answer too soon: instead, focus on
asking all of the questions that are needed to move forward.
- Communities for thinking take the mystery out of how to think.
To create a community for thinking, focus on creating an environment where team members
not only feel safe sharing ideas, but understand that this sharing is an essential part of
their jobs. Then watch powerful solutions emerge!
* Sayer International is a fictitious company, and
Campbell Putnam is a fictitious person.
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