Summary
Some workplace problems seem to persist no matter how many solutions we try. New research from healthcare and public services suggests that complex challenges may be better approached through collective learning and small experiments rather than searching for one definitive answer. This episode looks at how leaders can help teams make progress when problems don't have simple solutions.
Transcript
Hello and welcome to episode 249 of the Leadership Today podcast, where each week we share practical tips to improve your leadership. This week we look at why some workplace problems are so difficult to solve, and how leaders can make progress without having all the answers.
Think about a problem in your workplace that keeps coming back. Perhaps it's managing workload, improving communication between teams or finding a better way to coordinate services. You've discussed the problem, introduced changes and encouraged people to improve how they work. But despite everyone's efforts, the underlying issue doesn't seem to disappear.
Sometimes we haven't identified the right solution. But other times, the challenge is more complicated than that. There are multiple factors involved, different people have competing priorities, and improving one part of the problem can create difficulties somewhere else.
New research published in Vocations and Learning examined how organisations respond to these kinds of challenges, often described as wicked problems. These are complex problems where people may not even agree on exactly what the problem is, let alone how it should be solved.
The researchers examined two approaches to collective learning in Nordic public services. One involved recruitment and retention challenges in Danish elderly care. The other involved a Finnish university hospital working through the challenges of merging outpatient services. In both cases, people from different parts of the system came together to examine specific problems, share their perspectives and experiment with possible improvements.
The researchers found that these approaches helped participants develop a better understanding of the challenges and identify practical ways forward. Rather than trying to eliminate all the complexity, people learned to work more effectively with it.
In the hospital example, different professional groups were trying to coordinate services while managing competing expectations around efficiency, patient care, resources and established ways of working. From one perspective, a particular process might seem inefficient. But from another perspective, that same process might be essential for maintaining quality or managing risk. Simply introducing a more efficient process could create new problems elsewhere. By bringing these different perspectives together, participants were able to identify underlying tensions and develop more coordinated approaches. The focus shifted from finding one perfect solution towards developing a shared understanding and testing practical improvements.
I think this offers a useful alternative to how leaders sometimes approach complex problems. We often feel pressure to identify the cause, develop a solution and move on. But when multiple factors are interconnected, that approach can lead to repeated frustration. Instead, we may need to spend more time understanding how different parts of the system interact and be prepared to experiment with improvements rather than expecting a complete solution from the outset.
Here are three things I'd suggest.
First, bring together people who experience the problem differently. When a challenge crosses team or professional boundaries, avoid relying on just one perspective. Include people who work at different points in the process and ask them to explain what they're experiencing. You may discover that what looks like a simple problem from one position is connected to several other issues elsewhere. The aim is to build a more complete understanding before deciding what needs to change.
Second, explore the tensions rather than rushing to agreement. Complex problems often involve competing priorities that are all legitimate. For example, improving efficiency might create challenges for quality, or increasing flexibility might make coordination more difficult. Rather than trying to eliminate those tensions, make them explicit and explore what they reveal about the system. Sometimes understanding why people disagree is more useful than getting everyone to agree too quickly.
Third, experiment with small changes and learn from what happens. Instead of waiting until you've developed a complete solution, identify something practical you can test. Agree on what you're trying to improve, what you'll change and how you'll evaluate the results. Start with something manageable, see what happens and adjust your approach. You may find that a small experiment reveals something you wouldn't have discovered through further discussion or analysis.
Bringing all of this together, some workplace problems can't be solved through a single decision or intervention. They require ongoing learning, collaboration and experimentation. Rather than expecting yourself to have all the answers, consider how you can help people work towards better outcomes together. Instead of trying to find the perfect solution, help people learn how to make progress.
Thanks for listening, and I look forward to speaking with you again next week.
Reference
Kajamaa, A., Lotz, M. M., Aakjær, M., Hyrkkö, S., Schoug, A., & Avby, G. (2026). Navigating wicked problems through collective learning: Lessons from learning circles and change laboratory. Vocations and Learning, 19, Article 21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-026-09400-0
Leadership Today On-Demand Special Offer
We have a great deal for podcast listeners on our Leadership Today On-Demand subscription. Just go to www.leadershiptoday.com and checkout using the promo code PODCAST for 25% off an annual subscription.
Leadership Today On-Demand is a video subscription service that allows you to work on your leadership in your own time and at your own pace. It is available online and through our Apple iOS and Android apps for phones and tablets. Our mission is to help you to become an even better leader.
Your subscription brings together all of our video content in one place including:
- Five online courses with workbooks
- Five five day challenges with workbooks
- Nineteen recorded webinars
- A searchable library of 170+ "how to" quick videos on a range of leadership challenges
That's over $4,500 of content for less than the price of a single online course. And there are more videos added each week.
Get Connected
Find out ways to get connected here: https://leadership.today/connect