Do you find yourself trying to solve the same problems over and over again? Do you treat the symptom but not the source of problems? Do you get unintended consequences from “solutions” in your organization?

In the book, Idealized Design (FT Press, 2006), author Russell Ackoff discusses four ways to treat problems: absolution, resolution, solution, and dissolution. This column will discuss these four approaches and their value. Hopefully you will discover a desirable approach that you may have missed, and by its omission lead you to increased costs and missed revenue.

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