THE PRESS: GUEST COMMENTARY. WHY WE OFTEN DRAW (TOO) MUCH ENERGY FROM UNRESOLVED ISSUES - AND HOW WE CAN DEAL WITH THEM.

Anyone who has studied the theory of NPO management knows the principle: the goal of a "purpose-based" organization is actually to abolish itself. Why? Once the issue has been resolved, the organization is no longer needed. No more endangered wild animals? Get rid of the WWF. Nature 100% protected. Why Greenpeace?

In practice, this goes against all psychological, sociological and therefore real economic principles. However, (almost) nobody gets rid of themselves as a result, everyone looks for new playgrounds instead. And what is understandable for the individual leads to problems in the system.

This is also relevant for sub-areas and topics in companies. Those who set out to solve a problem often draw their legitimacy and energy from this very fact. 

What sounds banal often has lasting consequences: People are positioned to tackle issues. However, they are often no longer able to change mode afterwards. At a certain point, organizations go round in circles - there is a lot of noise and conflict with little movement and progress.

Therefore - in addition to a general awareness of the issue - the question arises as to what decision-makers and managers can do to keep the rudder moving in the right direction and thus avoid "going in circles".

Anyone who manages a company should be familiar with this mechanism: For (almost) every topic, there are poles between which the system moves. There are many examples: centralized vs. decentralized, saving vs. investing, directive vs. participative and many more. If the system moves too much towards one pole, it loses efficiency and effectiveness. The further it moves away from balance, the more difficult it is to bring it back to a sensible state. Imagine a ball which, once it has lost its balance, has to be rolled back up a hill. The further it is from the apex, the more difficult the task becomes.

One method is to deliberately change the mode. In Starship Enterprise, there was a "red alert" for this. This makes it immediately clear to everyone what needs to be done. Sometimes such mechanisms are also needed in companies and organizations. "What is our focus now and what do we do about it - or do we do exactly nothing?". The consequences can range all the way to the deliberate abolition of the institution concerned. A central project management office was important to anchor project management in the organization? If this has been successful, it can subsequently dissolve again.

To do this, it helps to consciously pay attention to these behavioral patterns in people and make them reflect on them. He who has only a hammer sees a nail in every problem - a well-known saying that is too seldom said to those who do more harm than good by using their strengths without reflection. Or worse: draw their energy from conflicts that they fuel in their environment.

Therefore: use strengths and at the same time reflect on where the system is at and what it needs there. Then at some point we will love the solutions more than the problems. And that's how it should be.

Guest commentary by Matthias Prammer in DIE PRESSE, Saturday, 08.10.2022