Love the Problem
As a faith-based social impact organization, the Ballard Center believes in the power of Christ’s teaching to “love the one.” In accordance with that belief, the first phase of the social impact cycle, love the problem, is designed to help individuals and organizations focus on understanding and developing empathy for the unique circumstances of the people they’re trying to help.
By focusing on loving the problem, those engaged in social impact work should be intentional in their efforts to overcome biases, understand root causes, and explore various solutions. Individuals who love the problem engage in significant research regarding culture, environmental factors, and contributing circumstances. The overarching intent of this beginning phase of the social impact cycle is to establish a foundation upon which a legitimate solution can be built.
The opposite of loving the problem is loving the solution. The social impact world has often seen well-intentioned charitable efforts yield poor results. This is usually due to insufficient knowledge of the surrounding forces that have perpetuated this problem. Loving the problem urges those in the social impact sector to be as prepared as possible before moving forward with their interventions. It encourages a curious mind, a humble heart, and a pragmatic plan.
Explore the toolbox below for resources to help you "Love the Problem:"
Secondary Research
Learn what others have already discovered.
Secondary research can involve exploring academic papers, investigating other organizations in the space, and interviewing people who are affected by the problem. This search does not mean that what has been done before must be done again; rather, these sources could pinpoint hidden issues and unanswered questions that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.What areas have you not yet explored about your problem?
Scoping the Issue
Don't confuse symptoms with causes.
Often, social problems are the visible piece of a large iceberg of hidden factors. Complex issues such as homelessness can entail root issues such as housing costs, mental health, domestic abuse and drug dependency, to name just a few. Scoping the problem means to examine the problem in its entirety, working backward from the symptoms to discover what lies beneath.What are five root issues of your problem?
Breaking Down Monoliths
Be willing to challenge current groupthink.
After years, decades, or even centuries of debate and programs, complex issues can become flattened down into overly simplistic monoliths. Monolithic thinking can look like blaming a single party or factor for the existence of a pernicious social problem, despite the many root causes that can be discovered by scoping the issue. To break down monoliths, they need to be identified first.What is a monolith associated with your social problem?
