Identifying the type of challenge in front of you can determine which course of action to take next to solve it. Is the challenge technical vs. adaptive? Having a systems background I tend to default to viewing every challenge as a technical one. Where a quick, concrete solution can be implemented by an expert or authority. If only all challenges were like this. In reality, we experience challenges of varying degrees of complexity and scale. Adaptive challenges are difficult to identify, require change in numerous places, impact people and require new ways of doing things. These types of challenges take longer to solve, and require people, not experts to solve. I now look at adaptive challenges as a collection of technical challenges wrapped up in a larger people change challenge.
| Technical Challenge | Adaptive Challenge |
| Easy to identify | Difficult to identify |
| Clear path to solution | Requires change in how people do things |
| Solved by expert or authority | “People” solve the challenge |
| Change required in smaller area | Changed required in numerous places |
| People receptive to change | People resistant to the challenge, and change |
| Solutions can often be implemented swiftly | Solutions requite an iterative approach, and can take longer to implement |
| Example: | Example: |
| Send salesperson an email alert to remind them to follow up a lead. | Design, build and roll-out an enablement program to improve sales effectiveness |
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