𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 And three ways to respond: Many challenges of today are 𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀. They are deeply entangled, constantly evolving, and impossible to "solve". 📍 Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler’s work (see their brilliant visual) reveals why these challenges 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲: • They are systemic. • They resist linear solutions. • They require us to act differently. So how do we engage with them? Certainly not through quick fixes. Let's explore 👇 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 (𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆) 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱: 1️⃣ 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 Wicked problems persist because of: Patriarchy, supremacy, coloniality, etc. These structures perpetuate violence. Instead of reproducing them, we can hospice their decline through unlearning harmful mindsets. It's vital to release what does not serve. 2️⃣ 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Complexity cannot be rushed. When we pause and listen, (...) We allow emergence to take root. This requires 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴—a practice of sensing what is shifting before it fully arrives. (For more on that, check out the Presencing Institute) 3️⃣ 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲-𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗺𝘀 We can nurture what is trying to be born. There are so many ways of organizing that are regenerative rather than extractive. Innovation is not about forcing change. It is about creating conditions where transformation can take root. 𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗽: Wicked problems are not obstacles. They are 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀. We can ask: 👉 What is ready to be released? 👉 What is emerging that needs our care? This is the work. Not fixing, but weaving. Not rushing, but presencing. Not controlling, but stewarding. 💬 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸? Drop your thoughts below! Follow Christian Sarkar & Philip Kotler for more on their work. ✅ 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲? -> Connect with me & join the Systemic Shift Newsletter
If you can see beyond the surface, you’ll realize that the real battle isn’t just against climate change, inequality, or corruption....it’s against a system that ensures these crises remain unsolvable to sustain those at the top. True change requires challenging not just policies but the very foundation of economic and political power itself.
Thanks for sharing Mary Glasgow
Thanks for sharing, Adrian
The map is a good start but incomplete because it is apolitical and doesn’t take the process of legislation/policy and the dynamics of systemic change resistance into account: the greater the forces pushing for change, the greater the forces resisting it become, too. (https://www.thwink.org/sustain/analysis/SubproblemA.htm). It is actually rather remarkable that key problems such as 1) algorithmically amplified dis-/misinformation and the lack of education to discern actual scientific insight from pseudoscience, 2) fossil fuel industry-driven political corruption and predatory delay, 3) market failure (i.e. perverse incentives for fossil fuel use and externalization of social costs), and 4) the rise of anti-scientific/anti-democratic ultranationalism as an obstacle to effective policy response and international collaboration (i.e. change reistance), are completely missing - as if they were a blind spot, invisible to the researchers back in 2019.
Adrian Röbke, where was this system map when I was teaching the Social Impact and Innovation Lab at Universidad Anáhuac?!?! That said, I would make some tweaks here and there. Thank you for sharing! 🙏🏼
I BFF
Thanks for sharing. I find the ways to respond that you mention interesting yet a bit abstract. Can you recommend where to read more on what these approaches look like, based on concrete examples? Would be really interested in reading more.
could spend 3h+ in conversations on just this one diagram - amazing overview, Adrian
Love this, thank you. Particularly the reframing of problems into thresholds, and nurturing of existing solutions.
MD Empathy Sustainability & Head of Sustainability at Seacourt Ltd
6moAnd hence the SDGs are not discreet actions unconnected from each other.