Many situations have multiple layers within them. They either involve people, roles, structure or the outcome we want to achieve. What perspective or experience we bring to a situation will bias what we see and lead us to a quick, not well thought out, solution.
Once you understand that the quick, easy, solution (especially from only one perspective) doesn’t work for long we begin to see the value of going deep.
Going deep into a situation or problem can be exciting. Going deep means to find other explanations, causes, conflicting outcomes, understanding biases (including our own) and finding solutions that we have never thought of because of our limited experiences. They will expose the deeper conflicts that need to be resolved within the solution you choose.
There is always something new we can learn that will help us either understand better or execute in a way that will be more effective. Understanding a situation or problem from different perspectives first, changes the opportunities, constraints, and possible solutions.
This “going deep” exploration, many times, results in possible solutions that incorporate pieces of many perspectives and which require more fundamental change to have a lasting impact on the outcome you want to achieve.
The amount of time we can dedicate to going deep is the primary conflict I continually face as I have come to see the value of going deep into a situation or problem. Not from the perspective of not wanting to decide, but rather from simply having responsibilities that require my attention apart from the situation I am trying to first understand better.
I have learned the value of spending time to get to explore different areas of a situation or issue. You begin to get a more grounded context and perspective that is balanced and not influenced by simply one point of view. To do this, though, takes time.
There are lots of other conflicts that appear as we go deep into a situation before deciding on a course of action. Not giving in to the rush of our lives, over issues that are important and of great value requires some discipline on our part.
Not impossible. Only difficult. And being aware of this primary conflict makes it easier to persevere, especially when we get tired.