Here’s the email I sent out to leaders in Reno County this week:
Having seen the importance of diagnosing the situation and looking at one reason we misdiagnose, today, we think about another reason we misdiagnose:
“Find a Pain-Free Fix, Please. Second, the actions that are preferred by the community are ones that address the manifestations of the crisis with as little cost or pain as possible. The hurry-up legislation enacted to deal with the economic crisis was designed to stem the hemorrhaging rather than address the underlying causes.
“That approach to the economic crisis illustrates the single biggest diagnostic error people make in framing civic issues: treating adaptive challenges as if they were technical problems (The Competencies For Civic Leadership, p.3).
Little cost, no pain, get me a solution now. These things can contribute to our misdiagnosing an issue. We must dig a little deeper into these adaptive challenges (more on that next time). But, today, my purpose is simply to place in you a desire for more. Don’t misdiagnose by settling for quick, pain-free fixes. They may alleviate short term voices, but will exacerbate long term issues. Diagnose the situation and see if we don’t make more substantial progress on those issues you care about so deeply.