A Better Framework for Solving Complex Problems

By solving subtle problems, the default for an excellent deal of organizational leaders is to grab their time to work via the points at hand. Sadly, that often ends in patchwork solutions or problems now not in reality getting resolved.

However Anne Morriss presents a diversified framework. In this episode, she outlines a five-step job for solving any plight and explains why starting with trust and ending with tear is so famous for effective exchange management. As she says, “Let’s in finding into dialogue with the folk that are also impacted by the plight prior to we launch up running down the run of solving it.”

Morriss is an entrepreneur and management coach. She’s also the coauthor of the book, Switch Like a flash and Fix Issues: The Trusted Chief’s Manual to Solving Anxious Problems.

Key episode subject issues consist of: technique, decision making and plight solving, technique execution, managing folk, collaboration and teams, trustworthiness, organizational custom, exchange management, plight solving, management.

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HANNAH BATES: Welcome to HBR On Technique, case reviews and conversations with the enviornment’s top commerce and administration experts, hand-chosen to can enable you to unlock unusual methods of doing commerce.

By solving subtle problems, many leaders most efficient point of curiosity on the most apparent points. Sadly that often ends in patchwork or partial solutions. However Anne Morriss presents a diversified framework that aims to in reality address mountainous problems by first leaning into trust and then focusing on tear.

Morriss is an entrepreneur and management coach. She’s also the co-creator of the book, Switch Like a flash and Fix Issues: The Trusted Chief’s Manual to Solving Anxious Problems. In this episode, she outlines a five-step job for solving any plight. Some, she says, can also merely even be solved in a week, whereas others snatch noteworthy longer. She also explains why starting with trust and ending with tear is so famous for effective exchange management.

This episode before every thing aired on HBR IdeaCast in October 2023. Right here it’s miles.

CURT NICKISCH: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Industry Evaluation. I’m Curt Nickisch.

Problems can also merely even be intimidating. Obvious, some problems are fun to dig into. You roll up your sleeves, you correct snatch care of them; but others, properly, they’re subtle. Customarily it’s annoying to wrap your mind round a pain, noteworthy much less fix it.

And that’s especially pleasing for leaders in organizations where problems are normally layered and complex. They from time to time request technical, financial, or interpersonal info to repair. And whether it’s avoidance on the leaders’ segment or correct the perception that a pain is systemic and even intractable, problems procure a approach to endure, to abet going, to abet being a pain that everyone tries to work round or correct locations up with.

However this day’s guest says that correct compounds it and makes the plight more difficult to repair. In its establish, she says, tear and momentum are key to overcoming a pain.

Anne Morriss is an entrepreneur, management coach and founding father of the Leadership Consortium and with Harvard Industry College Professor Francis Frei, she wrote the unusual book, Switch Like a flash and Fix Issues: The Trusted Leaders Manual to Solving Anxious Problems. Anne, welcome abet to the stutter.

ANNE MORRISS: Curt, thank you so noteworthy for having me.

CURT NICKISCH: So, to generate momentum at an organization, you negate that you just in reality need tear and trust. We’ll in finding into those the most famous substances some more, but why are those two the most famous?

ANNE MORRISS: Yeah. Smartly, the the most famous sample that we seen modified into that the most attention-grabbing exchange leaders in the market own been constructing trust and tear, and it didn’t appear to be a properly-identified observation. All americans is aware of the phrase, “Switch hasty and destroy things,” but the folk that own been in reality getting it very most attention-grabbing own been transferring hasty and fixing things, and that modified into in reality our jumping off point. So when we dug into the sample, what we seen modified into they own been constructing trust first and then tear. This foundation of trust modified into what allowed them to repair more things and destroy fewer.

CURT NICKISCH: Belief appears like a silly facet, very most attention-grabbing? If you discuss constructing trust, that’s something that takes interactions, it takes verbal exchange, it takes experiences. Does that tear counter to the fee idea?

ANNE MORRISS: Yeah. Smartly, this pain of trust is something we’ve been taking a take a study for over a decade. One amongst the headlines in our review is it’s in reality something we’re constructing and rebuilding and breaking frequently. And so as a change of being this convenient, nearly farbege egg, it’s this facet that’s constantly in motion and this facet that we can in reality impact when we’re deliberate about our picks and own some self-awareness round where it’s breaking down and how it’s breaking down.

CURT NICKISCH: You said destroy trust in there, which is fascinating, very most attention-grabbing? That chances are high you’ll also merely must destroy trust to accomplish trust. Are you able to mark that a little bit?

ANNE MORRISS:  Yeah, properly, I’ll elaborate. It’s now not that that you just too can merely must destroy it in discuss in self assurance to accomplish it. It’s correct that we all build it one of the most time. Most of us are depended on as a rule. Most of your listeners I feel about are depended on as a rule, but all of us own a sample where we destroy trust or where we don’t accomplish as noteworthy as might maybe be that that you just can take into consideration.

CURT NICKISCH: I want to discuss tear, this other the most famous ingredient that’s so fascinating, very most attention-grabbing? Due to you’re thinking that solving annoying problems as something that correct takes rather a few time and thinking and coordination and planning and designing. Point out what you mean by it? And likewise, correct  how we presumably come problems unpleasant by taking them on too slowly?

ANNE MORRISS: Smartly, Curt, no one has ever said to us, “I wish I had taken longer and done much less.” We hear the reverse frequently, by the system. So what we in reality space out to build modified into to invent a playbook that anybody can utilize to grab much less time to build more of the things that are going to create your teams and organizations stronger.

And the system we space up the book is good ample, it’s in reality a five step job. Paddle is the closing step. It’s the payoff for the annoying work you’re going to build to settle out your plight, accomplish or rebuild trust, develop the team in thoughtful and strategic methods, and then snarl a genuine and compelling memoir about the exchange you’re leading.

Simplest then build you in finding to slither hasty, but that’s an the most famous segment of the job, and we discover that either folk beneath emphasize it or tear has gotten a injurious title in this world of transferring hasty and breaking things. And segment of our mission for distinct modified into to rehabilitate tear’s reputation this capability that of it’s miles an the most famous segment of the exchange leader’s equation. It is going to also merely even be the distinction between very most attention-grabbing intentions and getting something done in any respect.

CURT NICKISCH: , the actual fact that no one ever tells you, “I wish we had done much less and taken more time.” I trust we all in reality feel that, very most attention-grabbing? Customarily we build something and then impress, “Oh, that wasn’t that annoying and why did it snatch me see you later to build it? And I wish I’d done this a truly lengthy time prior to now.” Is it ever that that you just can take into consideration to unravel a pain too hasty?

ANNE MORRISS: Completely. And we gaze that every body the time too. What we push folk to build in those scenarios is de facto snatch a spy at the underlying pain this capability that of most continuously, the solution is now not to grab your foot off the accelerator per se and silly down. The answer is to in finding into the underlying plight. So if it’s burnout or a strategic disconnect between what you’re constructing and the market you’re serving, what we discover is the terror that folk put to tear or the frustration folk put to tear is frequently misplaced.

CURT NICKISCH: What’s a legitimate timeline to declare solving a pain then? Due to if we by default snatch too lengthy or else soar ahead and we don’t fix it very most attention-grabbing, what’s a legitimate plot time to own on your suggestions for the system lengthy solving a pain can also merely soundless snatch?

ANNE MORRISS: Yeah. Smartly, we’re playful in the book and speaking about the inspiration that many problems can also merely even be solved in a week. We space the book up five chapters. They’re titled Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and we’re no doubt having fun with that. And but, if you count the hours in a week, there are rather a few them. Loads of our problems, if you own been to spend a targeted 40 hours of effort on a pain, you’re going to in finding comely far.

However our well-known message is, listen, perceive that it’s going to count on the nature of the plight, and you’re going to grab weeks and most seemingly even some cases months to in finding to the opposite facet. What we don’t need you to build is snatch years, which tends to be our default timeline for solving annoying problems.

CURT NICKISCH: So that you just negate to launch up with identifying the plight that’s keeping you abet, appears roughly glaring. However where build firms slither very most attention-grabbing and unpleasant with this first step of correct identifying the plight that’s keeping you abet?

ANNE MORRISS: And our plot is that nearly all these are going to in reality feel glaring searching back. The plight is we skip over nearly all these steps and that’s the reason we wished to underline them. So this one is de facto rooted in our observation and I trust the sample of our species that we are inclined to be overconfident in the quality of our suggestions, particularly via diagnosing problems.

And so we want to invite you to launch up in a truly humble and inviting location, which tends now not to be our default mode when we’re exhibiting up for work. We convince ourselves that we’re being paid for our judgment. That’s exactly what will get reinforced in every single location. And so we are inclined to counterintuitively, given what we correct talked about, we are inclined to slither too hasty via the diagnostic piece.

CURT NICKISCH: “I do know what to build, that’s why you employed me.”

ANNE MORRISS: Exactly. “I do know what to build. That’s why you employed me. I’ve viewed this prior to. I even own a opinion. Practice me.” We in finding rewarded for the expression of self belief and readability. And so what we’re sharp folk to build here is de facto discontinue and in reality lean into what are the inspiration causes of the plight you’re seeing? What are some replacement explanations? Let’s in finding into dialogue with the folk that are also impacted by the plight prior to we launch up running down the run of solving it.

CURT NICKISCH: So what build you imply for this step, for getting to the inspiration of the plight? What are questions that you just too can merely soundless question? What’s the very most attention-grabbing idea job? What build you build on Monday of the week?

ANNE MORRISS: In our abilities of doing this work, folk are inclined to undervalue the vitality of dialog, particularly with other folk in the organization. So we are capable of normally advocate striking together a team of plight solvers, create it a non permanent team, in reality pull in folk that own a particular perspective on the plight and invent the distance, create it as psychologically protected as that you just can for folk to in reality, as Chris Argyris so beautifully articulated, discuss the undiscussable.

And so the must haves for that are going to gaze diversified in every organization reckoning on the plight, but when that you just’ll be capable of in finding an arena where tidy folk that own squawk abilities of a pain are in a room and speaking honestly with one one more, that you just can create an unparalleled quantity of growth, completely in a day.

CURT NICKISCH: Yeah, that will get abet to the trust piece.

ANNE MORRISS: Positively.

CURT NICKISCH: How build you adore to launch up that assembly, or how build you adore to discuss it? I’m correct inviting what somebody on that team can also hear in that assembly, correct to in finding the sense that it’s psychologically protected, that you just can discuss the undiscussable and you’re also focusing on the identification segment. What’s key to discuss there?

ANNE MORRISS: Yeah. Smartly, we from time to time reduction folk to build a little bit little bit of information gathering prior to those conversations. So the vitality of a snappily anonymous stumble on round whatever plight you’re solving, but even be in reality thoughtful about the questions you’re going to query in the 2d. So a little bit little bit of preparation can slither a in reality perfect distance and a little bit little bit of thoughtfulness about the vitality dynamic. So who’s going to walk in there with license to discuss and who’s going to preserve abet? So being thoughtful about the agenda, about the questions you’re asking about the room, about the facilitation, and then courage is a truly infectious emotion.

So if that you just can early on invent the must haves for folk to convey up bravely in that dialog, then the likelihood that you just’re going to in finding very most attention-grabbing info and that you just’re going to walk out of that room with unusual perception in the plight that you just didn’t own if you walked in is terribly excessive.

CURT NICKISCH: Now, in those discussions, that you just too can merely own folk that own diversified views on what the plight in reality is. Additionally they undergo diversified costs of addressing the plight or solving it. You talked about the vitality dynamic, but there’s also an unfairness dynamic of who’s going to even must build the work to handle it, and I ponder how you invent a convention in that assembly where it’s the most atmosphere pleasant?

ANNE MORRISS: For distinct, the burden of labor is now not going to be equitably dispensed across the room. However I’d negate, Curt, the dynamic that we gaze most normally is that folk are deeply relieved that annoying problems are being addressed. So it in reality can invent, and as a rule in our abilities, it does invent this beautiful flywheel of action, creativity, optimism. Customarily when problems haven’t been addressed, there is a nice quantity of terror in the organization, frustration, stagnation. And so credible motion in direction of action and growth is frequently the most attention-grabbing antidote. So even if the opinion isn’t stout optimistic but, if it’s credible, given who’s in the room and their decision rights and mandate, if there’s genuine momentum coming out of that to create growth, then that tends to be deeply energizing to folk.

CURT NICKISCH: I ponder if there’s an organization that you just’ve labored with that that you just can discuss how this rolled out and how this took form?

ANNE MORRISS: When we began working with Uber, that modified into wrestling with some very public problems with custom and trust with a style of stakeholders internally, the organization, also external, that work in reality began with a campaign of listening and in reality attempting to know where trust modified into breaking down from the perspective of these stakeholders?

So whether it modified into female workers or regulators or riders who had security concerns coming into into the vehicle with a stranger. This work, it begins with an factual interior dialogue, but normally the plight has threads that slither external. And so bringing that same dedication to curiosity and humility and dialogue to anybody who’s impacted by the plight is the fastest technique to floor what’s in reality occurring.

CURT NICKISCH: There’s a step in this job that you just lay out and that’s speaking powerfully as a frontrunner. So we’ve heard about listening and trust constructing, but now you’re speaking about mighty verbal exchange. How build you build this and why is it presumably this step in the job as adverse to the first facet you build or the closing facet you build?

ANNE MORRISS: So in our job, one more time, it’s the days of the week. On Monday you figured out the plight. Tuesday you in reality bought into the sandbox in determining what a legitimate ample opinion is for constructing trust. Wednesday, step three, you made it better. You created an even better opinion, bringing in unusual views. Thursday, this fourth step is the day we’re saying you bought to slither in finding preserve terminate-in. You bought to lift other folk along. And one more time, that is a step where we gaze folk normally underinvest in the vitality and payoff of in reality executing it properly.

CURT NICKISCH: How does that slither unpleasant?

ANNE MORRISS: Yeah, folk don’t know the why. Human behavior and the exchange in human behavior in reality is reckoning on a solid why. It’s now not correct a selfish, “What’s in it for me?” Even supposing that’s necessary, but where are we going? I might maybe be invested in a location quo and I need to know, good ample, if you’re going to query me to replace, if you’re going to invite me into this unhappy location of doing things differently, why am I here? Reduction me comprehend it and pronounce the system forward and language that now not most efficient I will realize, but also that’s going to be motivating to me.

CURT NICKISCH: And who on my team modified into segment of this job and all that roughly stuff?

ANNE MORRISS: Oh, yeah. I can even merely own some in reality famous questions that might maybe be in the system of my preserve terminate-in and dedication to this opinion. So completely constructing an arena where those questions can also merely even be addressed is the most famous. However what we stumbled on is that there’s an structure of a broad exchange memoir, and it begins with honoring the previous, honoring the starting location. Customarily we’re so excessive about the exchange and inviting about the exchange that what has took place prior to or what’s even occurring in the stutter tense is low on our list of priorities.

Or we want to mark it injurious, this capability that of that’s the system we’ve idea about the exchange, but in reality pausing and honoring what came prior to you and all of the interior your capability selections that led up to it, I trust can also merely even be in reality essential to getting folk emotionally where you will need them to be willing to be guided by you. Going abet to Uber, when Dara Khosrowshahi came in.

CURT NICKISCH: Right here is the unusual CEO.

ANNE MORRISS: The unusual CEO.

CURT NICKISCH: Modified Travis Kalanick, the founder and first CEO, yeah.

ANNE MORRISS: Yeah, and had his first all-hands assembly. One amongst his key messages, and that’s a quote, modified into that he modified into going to abet the brink that had made Uber, “A power of nature.” And in that assembly, the group went wild this capability that of it’s miles a firm that had been beaten up publicly for months and months and months, and it modified into a truly mighty replacement. And his predecessor, Travis modified into in the room, and he also honored Travis’ impossible work and investment in bringing the firm to the location where it modified into.

And I’d utilize words like grace to also narrate those picks, but there’s also an even attempting strategic worth to naming the starting location for everyone in the room this capability that of most continuously, most folk in that room carried out a job in getting to that starting location, and you’re acknowledging that.

CURT NICKISCH: You’ll name it grace. Any individual else can also name it diplomatic or strategic. However yeah, I assume prefer it or now not, it’s essential to name out and honor the complexity of the system things own been done and also the exchange that’s occurring.

ANNE MORRISS: Yeah, and the worth. Customarily honoring the previous might maybe be proudly owning what didn’t work or what wasn’t working for stakeholders or segments of the employee team, and we gaze that round custom exchange. Customarily you’ve bought to acknowledge that it modified into now not an equitable atmosphere, but whatever the employee, all americans in that room is bringing that pass with them. So one more time, making it discussable and the utilize of it because the jumping off location is where we uncover folk to launch up.

Then you’ve earned the very most attention-grabbing to discuss the exchange mandate, which we recommend the utilize of optimistic and compelling language about the why. “Right here is what took place, that is where we’re, that is the very most attention-grabbing and the injurious of it, and here’s the case for exchange.”

After which the closing segment, which is to narrate a rigorous and optimistic plot forward. It’s a easy previous, stutter, future arc, which can also merely even be acquainted to human beings. We admire reviews as human beings. It’s among the strongest forex we now must create sense of the enviornment.

CURT NICKISCH: Yeah. Chronological is a comely mighty pronounce.

ANNE MORRISS: Fair correct. However one more time, the exchange leaders we gaze in reality in finding it very most attention-grabbing, are investing an even attempting length of time into the storytelling segment of their job. Ursula Burns, the Head of Xerox is well known for the months and years she spent on the facet toll road correct telling the memoir of Xerox’s exchange, its pivot into products and companies to all americans who would listen, and that modified into an good segment of her success.

CURT NICKISCH: So Friday or your fifth step, you halt with empowering teams and striking off roadblocks. That appears glaring, but it completely’s excessive. Are you able to dig into that a little bit bit?

ANNE MORRISS: Yeah. Friday is the fun day. Friday’s the release of vitality into the plot. Again, you’ve now earned the very most attention-grabbing to slither hasty. You would possibly presumably well presumably own a opinion, you’re comely confident it’s going to work. You’ve suggested the memoir of exchange the organization, and now you in finding to flow. So that is set in reality executing with urgency, and it’s about many of the ways of tear is where we point of curiosity in the book. So the ways of empowerment, making tricky strategic commerce-offs in advise that your priorities are optimistic and clearly communicated, constructing mechanisms to hasty-tune growth. At Etsy, CEO Josh Silverman, he labeled these projects ambulances. It’s an unlucky metaphor, but it completely’s stout memorable. These are the merchandise that in finding to tear out in front of the opposite ones for the reason that stakes are excessive and the clock is sticking.

CURT NICKISCH: You pull over and let it slither by.

ANNE MORRISS: Yeah, exactly. And so we now must agree as an organization on the most attention-grabbing technique to build something like that. And so we gaze a complete bunch broad examples both in younger organizations and mountainous advanced biotech firms with a complete bunch regulatory guardrails own soundless stumbled on methods to attach that gracefully.

And I trust we halt with this idea of battle debt, which is a length of time we in reality admire. Leanne Davey, who’s a team pupil and researcher, and anybody in a tech firm will acknowledge the inspiration of tech debt, which is this weight the organization drags round except they resolve it. Battle debt is an attractive metaphor this capability that of it’s miles this weight that we hurry round and slows us down except we mediate to trim it up and fix it. The organizations that are actually getting tear very most attention-grabbing own figured out either formally or informally, the most attention-grabbing technique to invent an atmosphere where battle and disagreements can also merely even be gracefully resolved.

CURT NICKISCH: Smartly, let’s discuss this tear more, very most attention-grabbing? Due to I trust that is a form of locations that presumably folk slither unpleasant or snatch too lengthy, and then you definately lose the awareness of the plight, you lose that urgency. After which that also correct makes it much less effective, very most attention-grabbing? It’s now not correct about getting the plight solved as hasty as that that you just can take into consideration. It’s also correct tear in some methods helps solve the plight.

ANNE MORRISS: Oh, yeah. It in reality is the distinction between imagining the exchange you will must steer and in reality having the skill to lift it to life. Paddle is the facet that unlocks your skill to steer exchange. It needs a foundation, and that’s what Monday via Thursday is all about, steps one via four, but the create line is executing with urgency, and it’s that urgency that releases the plot’s vitality, that communicates your priorities, that creates the must haves to your team to create growth.

CURT NICKISCH: Absorbing hasty is something that entrepreneurs and tech firms completely realize, but there’s also this awareness that with mountainous firms, the larger the organization, the more difficult it’s miles to turn the plane service round, very most attention-grabbing? Is tear relative if you in finding at those stages, or build you’re taking into consideration that is something that any firm can also merely soundless have the option to have a study equally?

ANNE MORRISS: We trust this applies to any firm. The custom in reality lives at the extent of team. So we declare that you just can create a stout quantity of growth even interior your circle of administration as a team leader. I want to lift some humility to this and cautious of words like universal, but we build trust there’s some universal truths here across the worth of tear, and then one of the most byproducts like conserving good folk. Your most attention-grabbing folk want to unravel problems, they want to create, they want to create growth and tear, and the skill to build that’s going to be a variable of their very contain equation of whether or not they retain or they slither in diversified locations where they can own an mark.

CURT NICKISCH: Fair correct. They need to create something prior to they slither or prior to they retire or create something out. And if you’re capable of correct lift more things on the horizon and own it now not in reality feel prefer it’s going to be one other two years to build something famous.

ANNE MORRISS: Of us – I mean, they want to create stuff occur and they want to be across the vitality and the vitality of constructing things occur, which one more time, might maybe be a stout infectious phenomenon. One amongst the most famous jobs of a frontrunner, we declare, is to space the metabolic tempo of their teams and organizations. And so what we in reality dig into on Friday is, properly, what does that gaze like to tear something up? What are the ways of that?

CURT NICKISCH: I ponder if that universal truth, that a body in motion stays in motion applies to organizations, very most attention-grabbing? If an organization in motion stays in motion, there’s something to that.

ANNE MORRISS: Completely.

CURT NICKISCH: Assemble that you just too can merely own a celebrated shopper memoir to share, correct where you saw tear correct changed into a little little bit of a flywheel or correct a optimistic reinforcement loop for more optimistic exchange at the organization?

ANNE MORRISS: Yeah. We work with a nice replacement of organizations that are on fire. We build a nice quantity of firefighting, but we also much less dramatically build rather a few fire prevention. So we’re introduced into organizations that are working properly and want to in finding better, attempting out on the horizon. That work is stout gratifying, and there’s constantly a facet of, properly, how can we tear this up?

What I like about that work is there’s normally already a excessive foundation of trust, and so it’s, properly, how can we preserve that foundation but slither this flywheel, as you said, even sooner? And it’s in reality energizing this capability that of normally there’s rather a few pent-up vitality that… There’s rather a few loyalty to the organization, but normally it’s also frustration and pent-up vitality. And so when that will get released, when very most attention-grabbing folk in finding the chance to flow for the first time in a little bit whereas, it’s incredibly energizing, now not correct for us, but for the total organization.

CURT NICKISCH: Anne, that is broad. I trust finding a approach to unravel problems better but also sooner is going to be in reality necessary. So thanks for approaching the stutter to discuss it.

ANNE MORRISS:  Oh, Curt, it modified into this kind of enjoyment. Right here is my favourite dialog. I’m overjoyed to own it anytime.

HANNAH BATES: That modified into entrepreneur, management coach, and creator Anne Morriss – in dialog with Curt Nickisch on HBR IdeaCast.

We’ll be abet next Wednesday with one other hand-picked dialog about commerce technique from Harvard Industry Evaluation. If you stumbled on this episode necessary, share it with your company and colleagues, and be aware our stutter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you in finding your podcasts. Whereas you’re there, make sure to leave us a overview.

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This episode modified into produced by Mary Dooe, Anne Saini, and me, Hannah Bates. Ian Fox is our editor. Special thanks to Care for terminate Eckhardt, Maureen Hoch, Erica Truxler, Ramsey Khabbaz, Nicole Smith, Anne Bartholomew, and you – our listener. Sight you next week.