Any decision/action/learning model has to deal with problems. It needs to work on both sides, to solve them for your own team and to create them for the opponents. So it appears that any discussion on these should begin with framing what problems are. Here is a breakdown on Problem Types from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. I've changed the military examples in the original to football.
"Effective problem solving often hinges on recognising the type of problem that
is being faced. In general terms, there are four main problem types: simplistic,
deterministic, random and indeterminate (or ‘Wicked’):
1. Simplistic problems: where there is one and only one answer. For example, what teams are playing or what is the score?
2. Deterministic problems: where the answer is arrived at by the application of a formula, algorithm or protocol. For example, was he offside or what is the velocity of the ball?
3. Random problems: where there is only one answer, but there are a number of possible correct answers. For example, where will the corner kick be played, short, long, near or far post?
4. Indeterminate problems: where the answer itself is complex, hard to identify or
changes in time. For example, what is the best tempo for a team to play at or when do you introduce a substitute? Answering such a question means taking into account a huge range of factors including how others see the issue, how the issue has changed and how your earlier decisions and actions have themselves affected the issue. To use Rittel and Webber’s terminology, these are ‘wicked problems’."
All four types manifest themselves in the game and require decisions/actions which can lead to learning. Indeed, the type of problems that players face are in continual flux and change. Consider how quickly the problem type morphes everytime the ball is put into the air in an indeterminate fashion. So the decision-making process is not one size fits all but must be adaptable to meet the evolving scene.
"Effective problem solving often hinges on recognising the type of problem that
is being faced. In general terms, there are four main problem types: simplistic,
deterministic, random and indeterminate (or ‘Wicked’):
1. Simplistic problems: where there is one and only one answer. For example, what teams are playing or what is the score?
2. Deterministic problems: where the answer is arrived at by the application of a formula, algorithm or protocol. For example, was he offside or what is the velocity of the ball?
3. Random problems: where there is only one answer, but there are a number of possible correct answers. For example, where will the corner kick be played, short, long, near or far post?
4. Indeterminate problems: where the answer itself is complex, hard to identify or
changes in time. For example, what is the best tempo for a team to play at or when do you introduce a substitute? Answering such a question means taking into account a huge range of factors including how others see the issue, how the issue has changed and how your earlier decisions and actions have themselves affected the issue. To use Rittel and Webber’s terminology, these are ‘wicked problems’."
All four types manifest themselves in the game and require decisions/actions which can lead to learning. Indeed, the type of problems that players face are in continual flux and change. Consider how quickly the problem type morphes everytime the ball is put into the air in an indeterminate fashion. So the decision-making process is not one size fits all but must be adaptable to meet the evolving scene.
The first two types are fairly simple, the third involves a rising degree of judgement and expertise while the forth is a total mental furball. That’s just what you want to avoid for yourself and create for the opponent and this is where the Boyd cycle comes into play.
Link to original article, http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/RMAS_An_Officer_and_a_Problem_Solver.pdf.
Link to original article, http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/RMAS_An_Officer_and_a_Problem_Solver.pdf.
