A p p r o a c h

An area of research that is of particular interest to me is the way we approach coping with unsolvable problems. As a philosopher I am intimately familiar with many unsolvable problems, such as 'what is truth', 'how ought we live', and other such philosophical chestnuts. But unsolvable problems are not restricted to the domain of philosophy. Indeed, most disciplines, industries, and professions struggle with unsolvable problems in one form or another. It is therefore unsurprising that ways in which we can more effectively cope with unsolvable problems has itself become a subject of research, having been given the technical designation 'wicked problems' (you can read more on wicked problems here).

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My research on wicked problems has taught me two key lessons that I bring to bear in my work. First, problems regularly defy our attempts to systematize and simplify them. This does not mean that the models and systems that we develop are useless, but it does mean we must always be mindful of the gap between theory and reality. Second, because many problems can be defined and understood in many ways, it is important for to build a shared understanding of a problem within a team or organization, or with relevant stakeholders. Without a shared understanding, there is a significant risk that members of a team will be working at cross-purposes with each other because they will be trying to bring about different objectives.

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Make this section about my writing experience

I am also an experienced writer and editor. In addition to five years of study in writing intensive academic programmes, I have been a hobbyist writer for over a decade, maintain a personal blog with over 100 posts, and have two years of experience working as an editor.

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