Paul Watzlawick once showed how sometimes the way we frame the problem is part of the problem.

In organizations, some problems can be solved by analyzing the problem and its context. It happens when a solution emerges that is evident to those discussing it and that feels right.

While these problems exist, a large number of problems in organizations actually are paradoxical by nature. The problem appears based on forces that are apparently opposed. Take, for example, the desire to provide the best possible product while dealing with cost cuts. Or, take the need to attend simultaneously to the needs of the individual, the team, and the organization.

Framing the problem with an idea to dissolve those seemingly opposed forces immediately leads to a dilemma. Staying with the duality carries the risk that one will come down on one side of the duality which often leads to detrimental impacts.

Accepting the paradoxical nature of the problem and searching for ways to hold the tension between the forces gives a different perspective on the problem. It changes how one can reach a solution.