Our Approach: Autonomous & dynamic decisions

4. Example B: Conclusive contradictions

 

How we help to unearth dilemmas -

1. A typical constellation of the problem
2. Subject matter summary
3. Check navigation map on this topic

Example: Sustainability vs. Integrity

Civil society organizations often face a dilemma that is - in its gist - common to anyone depending on third party funding. The values of social justice, equal access to resources and sustainable distribution of means collides with the individual actor's need to obtain resources for its own survival. This may lead to a schizophrenic dualism of a communal mission and an egotistical behavior . The dilemma is not per se lessened by forming alliances and networks - they may just incorporate the dilemma at group level.

Some dilemmas have practical indicators - paying the taxes required by law to corrupt governments, closing a plant to increase profitability, sacrificing certain parts (soldiers, ideas, or assets) to safeguard the entirety, and so on. Others, however, are less obvious - loyalty conflicts, opposite demands by rationality and inner voices, or the dilemma of optimizing the system that causes the crash.

We create - together with you - a platform to reveal and integrate the diverse dimensions of dilemmas. Mapping it constituting energies in a broader context and including the ruling parameters and internalized beliefs of the players involved, we help you discover novel visions in order to deduce quite different courses of action. Then, instead of neglecting true dilemmas or trying to resolve them by one-sided decisions, you may find that dilemmas become the foundation of resourceful and imaginative developments beyond known patterns.

Matters addressed

Complexity immobilizes - but one cannot suspend life in contradictions. However, urgencies, factual and practical imperatives, and the desire to gain control through action often suggest decisions too soon. Most contradictions do not arise from the lack of information and knowledge - they root in conflicting values and dynamics . Unless these conflicts and paradoxes are addressed openly and consciously, decisions remain likely to be taken in a state of dependency from the obvious and urgent.

We address core dilemmas by exploring their roots. In that, we help you to see also the dilemmas that your partners, associates, co-workers, and antagonists may have. This - in the concrete context of your practical undertaking - creates a connection between your various stakeholders, likely more solid than quick-fix bridge building exercises.