Wicked Problems Explored

Motivation: The ‘Why?’ of AKCGlobal

In the AKCGlobal group, we’ve got two goals: one short-term goal that we’d like to accomplish by 2048, and one long-term goal that will take four hundred years.

Read more

5 Traits of a Wicked Problem Solver

To find wicked solutions to wicked problems, you need wicked thinkers.  People who aren’t thinking inside of a box or outside of a box but actually questioning whether the box was necessary to begin with.  You’ve heard the old adage – give a man a fish, he eats for a day.  Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.  Wicked problem solvers are busy rethinking the entire fishing industry. Read more

Apple’s Wicked “Cool” Problem

iPod. iMac. iPad. iPhone.  For the better part of a decade, any time a word was preceded by a lowercase “i” you knew – you just knew – it was going to be cool.  How would you define that cool?  It’s not just the products themselves but the feelings that come with them.  Those white earphones – out there for everyone to see (and thus know you’ve got an iSomething of your own) meant something.  Special.  Different.  Unique.  Cool.  As the cool increased, so did sales.  But like anything, not even this could last forever. Read more

Ten Traits of a Wicked Problem

Wicked problems aren’t new, but the arsenal to solve them certainly is. The term “wicked problem” seems to have reached critical mass in recent years.  There’s “buzz” around what it means, how things need to be done differently and why this classification is important.  What is perhaps less known in more recent discourse is the concept’s origin, which dates back to 1973, when Professor Horst Rittel, who taught design problem solving at U.C. Berkeley coined the term to “describe the nature of problems that are constantly changing with an innumerable number of elements and stakeholders. Read more

8 ways to recognise the wicked problems holding your organisation back

It’s easy to miss the most wicked problems.  They’re often disguised in a moustache and funny hat, hidden behind internal politics, a particular personality or “the way we’ve always done things.” Having dealt with truly wicked problems for quite some time, whether it’s optimising supply chains in UN refugee camps or restructuring £120-million+ a year charities, at AKCG we like to think we’re fairly good at identifying and solving wicked problems. Read more

4 Keys To Retaining Millennials

In this – part six of our series decoding the Wicked Millennial Problem – we look at the four key things required to retain millennials in a modern workplace.  In part one we explored what makes Millennials tick.  In part two we looked at the best ways enterprising employers might try and recruit Millennials. In part three we took a look at the challenges facing Millennials.  Part four considered the best ways to motivate Millennials and in part five we looked at engagement.  Now, in our final instalment of this series, we talk about the holy grail of employment – retention – and speak from personal experience.  So then, how do you retain the mythical Millennial?

Read more

Top Tips For Engaging Millennials

In this – part five of our series decoding the Wicked Millennial Problem – it’s time to XXXXX.  In part one we attempted to understand Millennials.  In part two we looked at how to recruit Millennials. In part three we explored challenges facing Millennials.  Part four considered best ways to motivate Millennials.  Now, we’re sharing personal experiences on how we best engage our predominantly Millennial workforce. Read more

5 Ways to Motivate Millennials

In this – part four of our series decoding the Wicked Millennial Problem – it’s time to talk carrots.  In part one we attempted to understand Millennials.  In part two we looked at how to recruit Millennials. In part three we explored challenges facing Millennials. Now, we delver deeper into what drives them to work harder and better.  Here’s our top five ways to motivate Millennials:   Read more

5 Challenges Facing the Millennial

In this – part three of our series decoding the Wicked Millennial Problem – it’s time to put ourselves in the shoes of a Millennial.  In part one we attempted to understand Millennials.  In part two we looked at how to recruit Millennials. Now, we consider the world from their perspective.  It’s a wicked problem, as most organisations – regardless of sector – are run by people who are not Millennials and who are not “tech native,” which is an important distinction.   So, here’s our short guide outlining the major challenges facing the future workforce. Read more

Attracting Millennials to Work For You

In this – part two of our series decoding the Wicked Millennial Problem – we take a look at recruiting a Millennial workforce.  In part one we attempted to understand the Millennial workforce.  Now, we look at how to attract them.  It’s a wicked problem, as a majority of hiring managers say it’s difficult to find and retain Millennial talent. It seems employers and Millennials aren’t always looking for the same thing.  With most of the work force now made up of Millennials, employers need to catch up if they want to attract the best future talent. Read more