When I consult with people about their community’s toughest problems, like homelessness and crime, they always want to know:
“What other communities have this problem, and what are they doing about it?”
But just take a minute to consider what happens when everyone is trying to copy someone else with the same problem.
They look at places with the most visible problems and mistakenly believe that others know what they are doing. Usually they want to copy big cities like New York and San Francisco, or places with the highest aspirations and most innovative approaches.
But it doesn’t work.
So then they find another place with the same big problem and try to copy their approaches.
It’s like running on a hamster wheel.
They’re so busy chasing solutions that they ignore the details of the problem itself.
Always start by trying to understand how your local problem is unique before searching for someone else’s solution.
Then, if you want to see what others are doing, be sure to look at the right people in the right places.
Who and where?
Ironically, you can usually learn most from terrible problem-solvers and places with few or nonexistent problems.
“Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise.” -Cato the Elder
The instinct to copy others is strong.
We feel like someone should have figured out how to solve this problem by now.
It’s compounded by ideological think tanks that selectively promote the types of approaches that fit their worldview, and ignore alternative approaches that may be equally (or more) effective.
But copying solutions from others doesn’t take into account the specific context and circumstances of the complex problem being faced.
Different problems require different solutions, and what works in one situation may not be applicable or effective in another.
By copying others without considering the context, we risk implementing ineffective or even harmful solutions that can make the problem worse.
Learning by contrast is different.
Although counterintuitive, it’s an approach that has three advantages:
- Greater Awareness: When we learn by contrast, we are able to compare our own solutions and methods with those that are ineffective or unsuccessful. This helps us to gain a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t, and to identify areas for improvement in our own problem-solving process.
- Increased Motivation: Learning from the failures of others can be a powerful motivator. By seeing how others have fallen short, we are able to avoid similar mistakes and to be more motivated to find a better solution.
- Broader Perspective: When we learn by copying, we are limited by the solutions and methods that have been tried and tested in the past. However, when we learn by contrast, we are able to consider a wider range of possibilities and approaches, and to identify new and innovative solutions that have not been tried before. This allows us to have a broader perspective and to approach problems from a fresh angle, which can lead to more effective and innovative solutions.
But you don’t have to learn by fools and failure alone. You can also study those who don’t have the problems you have.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
The best problem-solvers are often those who prevent problems from occurring in the first place, rather than those attempting to solve big, visible problems.
Strictly speaking, they’re not even problem-solvers. They may be bad problem-solvers. But they are problem-preventers.
Thomas Clearly’s introduction to The Art of War captures the important distinction:
According to an old story, a lord of ancient China once asked his physician, a member of a family of healers, which of them was the most skilled in the art.
The physician, whose reputation was such that his name became synonymous with medical science in China, replied,
“My eldest brother sees the spirit of sickness and removes it before it takes shape, so his name does not get out of the house.
My elder brother cures sickness when it is still extremely minute, so his name does not get out of the neighborhood.
As for me, I puncture veins, prescribe potions, and massage skin, so from time to time my name gets out and is heard among the lords.”
We tend to focus on the most visible problems and problem solvers.
They get all the press and attention.
But true success lies elsewhere.
We really should focus on people and places we don’t read about at all.
Their name doesn’t “get out of the house.”
Here are three approaches from people and places that have managed to prevent problems from occurring in the first place:
- Proactive Problem-Solving: Learning by absence focuses on understanding and emulating the actions and habits of individuals and communities that have effectively prevented problems from occurring in the first place. This approach encourages proactive problem-solving and the development of preventive measures, rather than simply responding to problems after they have occurred.
- Fundamental Cause Analysis: By studying the absence of problems in successful communities and individuals, we are able to identify the underlying causes and factors that contribute to their success. This helps us to understand and address more fundamental causes of a problem, rather than simply treating its symptoms.
- Sustainable Solutions: Learning by absence promotes the development of sustainable solutions that are based on effective habits and practices. This approach focuses on creating long-term, systemic change rather than short-term fixes that may only provide temporary relief. By learning from those who have effectively prevented problems from occurring, we can implement solutions that are more likely to be successful and long-lasting.
TLDR
- Stop copying.
- Get off the hamster wheel.
- Learn from fools.
- Study absence.
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See you again next week.
Whenever you’re ready, there are two ways I can help you:
→ I’m a strategic advisor for the toughest societal problems like poverty, crime and homelessness. People come to me when they want to stop spinning their wheels and get transformative, systems-level change.
→ I’m a coach for emerging and executive leaders in the social and public sectors who want to make progress on their biggest goals and challenges.
Let’s find out how I can help you become transformational.
