Characteristics of Difficult Problems
As elucidated by Dietrich Dörner and later expanded upon by Joachim Funke, difficult problems have some typical characteristics that can be summarized as follows:
- Intransparency (lack of clarity of the situation)
- commencement opacity
- continuation opacity
- Polytely (multiple goals)
- inexpressiveness
- opposition
- transience
- Complexity (large numbers of items, interrelations and decisions)
- enumerability
- connectivity (hierarchy relation, communication relation, allocation relation)
- heterogeneity
- Dynamics (time considerations)
- temporal constraints
- temporal sensitivity
- phase effects
- dynamic unpredictability
The resolution of difficult problems requires a direct attack on each of these characteristics that are encountered.
Read more about this topic: Problem Solving
Famous quotes containing the words characteristics of, difficult and/or problems:
“The four characteristics of humanism are curiosity, a free mind, belief in good taste, and belief in the human race.”
—E.M. (Edward Morgan)
“... marathon swimming is the most difficult physical, intellectual and emotional battleground I have encountered, and each time I win, each time I touch the other shore, I feel worthy of any other challenge life has to offer.”
—Diana Nyad (b. 1949)
“The man who is forever disturbed about the condition of humanity either has no problems of his own or has refused to face them.”
—Henry Miller (1891–1980)