Problem “Unfulfilled dreams”
What is the history of mankind if not a true story about unfulfilled plans and unfulfilled hopes?
Johnson Samuel[1]
In the article “What generates the task?»[2] I said that any “task is generated by a problem, that is, a meeting with resistance, an obstacle, an obstacle, a difficulty.”
In turn, in Prologue[3] I described the problem of “managing the complexity of an organization” and said that “a complexity management crisis has arrived.” I wondered: how to manage complex organizations as their complexity increases?
And he concluded that “until the answer is received, it will be impossible to avoid increasing chaos, uncertainty and entropy in the world.”[4].
With all this, I did not clearly say why we are so concerned about this particular problem – the problem of “managing the complexity of the organization”? Why do we need to overcome it? What and how does it interfere and impede? How does it bind us? Why does it cause us dissatisfaction (discomfort)? How does its negative (negative) character manifest itself? Why is it undesirable for us? And why do we want to overcome it?
In fact, the answer is short and simple to the point of banality.
It interferes with the “realization of dreams” of each of us, each organization, including each state. Thus, it gives rise to such a problem as “unfulfilled dreams.” Our “dreams”. Which, in turn, leads to the collapse of hopes and aspirations. Which makes us deeply unhappy, dissatisfied and dissatisfied with ourselves. And organizations (including states) lead to loss in competition and death or absorption.
At the same time, “dreams come true” is success, progress, development and satisfaction, self-realization and self-awareness. Happiness. In addition, this is well-being and prospects (backgrounds) for the future. After all, we are moving from one “dream come true” to another. From one success to another. Thanks to this, we gain confidence in ourselves and in a bright future.
And, conversely, if we constantly have “unfulfilled dreams,” then we lose confidence in ourselves and a bright future. We are overcome by despondency and hopelessness. And often we also lose money, time and health.
Thus, our concern is not with the problem of “managing organizational complexity” in itself, as such, but with the problem that is its consequence.
The problem of “unfulfilled dreams”. It is with the study and recognition of this problem that one must begin the search for a task, the implementation of which will lead to overcoming it, including overcoming the problem of “managing the complexity of an organization.”
Accordingly, the question now arises: what is the problem of “unfulfilled dreams”?
The answer to it will come from understanding the essence of the problem, recognizing it as such, and the prerequisites for its occurrence. It will allow you to classify it and make you aware of the need to overcome it. Remember, in the article “The concept of “problem”“I said that “any problem, regardless of its type, generates a certain type of need.” As a result, we can move on to find ways to meet this need.
So, let’s begin to study what “failure of dreams” is and what need arises from it.
Everyone wants their dreams to come true. Some people want to become rich from poor people, well-fed people from hungry people, educated people from uneducated people, others want to turn an idea into a profitable business, a requirements specification into a software product, and others want to turn an artistic concept into a masterpiece of fine art.
Almost always we strive to achieve several dreams in parallel. For example, we want to change from uneducated to educated and turn a requirements specification into a software product. And we try to do this at the same time: while studying and programming in our spare time.
In general, everyone, both people and organizations, at every moment of time want to make an actual transition from one actual NOT desirable state and/or position to another actual, but already DESIRED state and/or position within a given time frame.
This phrase has the following important components:
actual undesirable condition and/or position;
actual desired state and/or position;
actual transition;
given deadlines.
A truly undesirable state and/or situation suggests that we are in a situation that for some reason does not suit us. Either because of some negative influences on us, or because of our ambition, or because of something else.
The actual desired state and/or position is where we want to be and/or what we want to achieve as a result of our efforts.
The actual transition suggests that the state and/or position must in reality, in reality, change from one to another, without remaining in dreams and fantasies.
The given deadlines are important, since we do not need a transition ever – in retirement or when we die, but precisely when we want to taste the fruits of a change in condition and/or position, to enjoy achievements.
In the above, by “we” I mean every person or every organization. At the same time, I proceed from the fact that we also create organizations. To perform the tasks we, that is, people, need. That an organization is a lot of people[5]. In this case, “we” is an object (individual or organization) whose undesirable state and/or position does not suit us. After all, the problem is always objective[6].
Not everything you dream about comes true
Not everyone can make their dreams come true.
“Failure of dreams” is when dreams do not come true, that is, there is no actual transition from one valid, NOT desirable state and/or position to another valid, but already desired state and/or position within a given time frame.
The head of almost every organization or government body is faced with this and can give their own examples of “dreams not coming true” when they were unable to completely or in any part transfer their organization (business, government body) from one actual undesirable state and /or position into another valid, but already desired state and/or position.
Many people can create their own individual list of “unfulfilled dreams”.
In general, this happens everywhere and regularly with organizations, individuals, states and their parts.
On the Internet, in life and in books, you can find many articles indicating the existence of the problem of “unfulfilled dreams.” Here are some of them:
Don’t consider me a critic of the authorities, it’s just that the most open and public information on the Internet is only in the sphere of public administration.
But I am convinced that within any organization there are examples of “dreams not coming true,” and individuals have their own. If you arrange a mass survey on this topic, I am sure that each person will be able to give their own list of unfulfilled dreams.
I don’t want to delve into the problem of “unfulfilled dreams.” And spend time on it. I don’t want to write a lot of text on the blog explaining and justifying the existence of such a problem as “failure of dreams,” describing in detail and analyzing examples of “failure of dreams.” This is not the purpose of this blog.
I accept the problem of “unfulfilled dreams” as a fact and a starting point from which it is necessary to begin the search for a way to overcome such a problem as the problem of “managing the complexity of the organization.”
At the same time, I proceed from the fact that this blog is read by people who know what it is, have encountered it, and moreover, read it precisely because they are very concerned about finding a solution to this problem.
That is, I expect that representatives of the target audience[7] blog have already diagnosed the problem of “unfulfilled dreams” and want to extract knowledge from the blog on how to overcome it.
But if this is not the case, then “Yandex will help you”, you will find everything there. Or live a little longer, and you will experience the “failure of dreams” in your own skin.
The problem of “unfulfilled dreams” is a self-perpetuating problem – SVP. That is, it will, to one degree or another, automatically appear again on its own (self-reproduce, auto-generate) if we weaken the work of the system created earlier to eliminate this problem, or it weakens on its own due to the fact that we do not bring this system into compliance with changed conditions external to it[8].
The problem of “unfulfilled dreams” is a SVP because:
it contains a multiplicity of objects that it affects. There can be many “dreams”. They may appear one after another. There can be several “dreams” in parallel. Some of them may be large, and some may be small.
It requires not only the creation (editing) of some object, but also its configuration to the required mode (level) of operation. In our case, the object is an organization. We need to set up her work in such a way that all her dreams (or at least most) come true.
It generates an undesirable state of the object. That is, our organization does not have any qualitative properties that are critically necessary for “making dreams come true” and characterize its condition. Their absence leads the organization to “unfulfilled dreams.”
It refers to deficiencies in quantity and is characterized by the following quantitative state: reproducible/not reproducible within the tolerance range and natural boundaries. This means that the problem will be considered overcome if all the organization’s dreams begin to come true reproducibly. Which should be confirmed by relevant statistics.
With it, there is no understanding of what to influence, what specific known element of the system to overcome it. Without additional analysis and search, we cannot determine which specific element of the system (one or several), which system needs to be corrected so that the “failure of dreams” disappears. We don’t yet know what to influence. Because of this, you need to look for the reasons for the “unfulfilled dreams” problem. Why do you need to decompose it in the form of a Current Reality Tree (CTR).
It does not allow us to immediately determine what the impact on a known specific element of the system should be, what resources it will require from us and how labor-intensive it will be. Since we do not know what to influence in order to overcome the “failure of dreams,” we cannot determine what undesirable state of this unknown specific element of the system does not suit us. What desired state should be given to it. And, therefore, what such an impact should be. What should it be? What are the options. And what is needed for each of them. How complex and time-consuming will such impact options be?
It does not clearly indicate a task, the implementation of which will lead to overcoming the problem and the implementation of which can be started directly and immediately. Since the chosen option of influencing a known specific element of the system – an object – is a task. Then, without knowing the options for influence, we cannot choose one of them, and, therefore, we do not have an unambiguous indication of the task. We don’t know what to do to overcome the problem.
Hence, we only have the need to overcome this problem. And this need is ongoing, and, accordingly, demand, since it is generated by a self-perpetuating problem. That is, in our organization there is a demand for ensuring “dreams come true” (in short, the demand for “dreams come true”).
The demand for a “dream-fulfilling” organization is driven by the desire of those who created it and those who enabled its creation to fulfill its mission to benefit society while ensuring its survival and competitiveness.
Let’s draw a conclusion.
The problem of “unfulfilled dreams” is when dreams do not come true, that is, there is no actual transition from one valid, undesirable state to another valid, but already desired state, within a given time frame. “Failure of dreams” occurs everywhere and regularly with organizations, individuals, states and their parts. The problem of “unfulfilled dreams” is a self-perpetuating problem – SVP. Therefore, we need to look for the reasons for the “unfulfilled dreams” problem. Why do you need to decompose it in the form of a Current Reality Tree (CTR). Hence, we only have a need to overcome this problem – demand. Demand to ensure “dreams come true.”
Next, I suggest going to search reasons for “dreams not coming true”. After all, the real blog is about fighting them.
The full version of the article is available in my book “Wonderful Problems, or Motaev’s Trump “ACE”!”
With respect to you and your business, Motaev Alexander
You can discuss this and other blog articles in our Telegram channel “Task flow management”.
[1] Samuel Johnson (7 [18].09.1709 – 13.12.1784) – English literary critic, lexicographer and poet of the Enlightenment, whose name, according to Britannica, became synonymous in the English-speaking world with the second half of the 18th century.
[2] Read the article in section 2. “The main essence of management is “THE TASK”»
[3] See above in section 1. “Introduction to Task Flow Management“
[4] Why I think so is written below in the article “Without theory we are dead, dead…” in section 9. “Management debate – on managing the flow of tasks“
[5] Read about this in the article “Organization is…” above in section 1. “Introduction to Task Flow Management“
[6] Read about this above in the article “The concept of “problem”” in section 2. “The main essence of management is “THE TASK”»
[7] See article “Blog target audience” above in section 1. “Introduction to Task Flow Management“
[8] Read about SVP above in the article “The concept of “problem”” in section 2. “The main essence of management is “THE TASK”»
