Complex issues often involve entangled challenges and possibilities that are not intuitively obvious and involve paradoxical-yet-complementary forces. When we frame these possibilities as “either-or” choices we unintentionally contribute to their intractability.
The “Horns of the Dilemma” tool helps to reframe – and recognize – the competing dimensions of a complex issue so we can work to reconcile them. When groups are able to do this, they open up space for creativity, innovation and new ideas. When we intentionally articulate the “good” or benefit of each element of our shared dilemma, we are better able find a path forward that honours and attempts to reconcile the value of both “horns.”
