In my last two articles, I talked about how design is intentionally setting up a system to give a specific result. Whether done on purpose or by accident, every system is designed to achieve particular outcomes. When those results constantly let us down, we need to challenge the way the system is set up, So, this week, I’m looking into Nigeria’s situation: We Have to Question Our System’s Design. A lot of Nigeria’s big discussions center around major issues like joblessness, poor services, lack of productivity, weak institutions, skills shortages, and flawed policies. People also complain poor maintenance and widespread corruption, all of which reduces public confidence.
True, these are huge concerns, but we need to think beyond just the problems themselves. A bigger question would be: What setup leads to these same issues showing up again and again?
For example, if our schools produce graduates who can’t handle real-world tasks, it shows there’s something wrong with how we have structured teaching, developed lesson plans, trained teachers, and linked school work to industries.
Similarly, when government bodies face challenges getting things done, it means there’s an underlying issue with how roles of authority are chosen, how well processes for checking up on actions. If our public institutions have trouble implementing things, we need to rethink how we do governance, accountability, procurement, monitoring, funding, leader picking, and knowledge preserving. Same goes for businesses struggling after the founder bails; they should look at structure, task handing, process flows, skill building, money managing, and future leading. When young folks aim for fast wins instead of true expertise, we’ve got to wonder about the setup of social norms, parent expectations, media, reward mechanisms, and hero figures. It’s not just that people fail. The big problem is that many systems set up these failures from the start.
Redesign is hard; systems naturally protect themselves. Inside these systems, some folks gain from muddled situations, others from low accountability, and still others when standards are vague. There’s benefit too in slowing things down or keeping them shrouded in mystery.
This shows how brave redesign really is. It demands leaders ready to face tough questions and groups willing to scrutinize their routines. Societies need to reject treating glitches as normal, while individuals should help rebuild rather than just grumble. Moreover, redesign takes humility. We need to acknowledge that defending broken systems doesn’t fix them. Doing work isn’t enough; what matters is being effective. This means checking our beliefs, studying the facts, and adjusting whatever holds us back from reaching our goals.
Design acts as that crucial bridge between vision and results. A serious vision demands design; otherwise, it’s just an aspiration. Policy statements or business ideas lack teeth without being designed, they become mere statements or enthusiasm with no real plan. The same goes for national dreams, if not backed by solid design, it’s all talk, or as we say, rhetoric.
Design ties our intentions to action. It gives hope a structure, transforms values into actions, and changes goals into systems. We must aim for better results? Then we have to improve our systems. Want competent graduates? That means redesigning education for skill, not simply certification. For productivity in organizations, revamp work processes to focus on clarity and results. Effective governance requires rethinking institutions to prioritize transparency and service. To foster responsible citizens, promote values across homes, schools, and media.
In short, design ensures our dreams turn into tangible achievements. The result of any system? It’s a message. It lets us know what the system prizes, what it pays off, and what it lets slide by. Most importantly, it shows us what the system was really meant to churn out.
So, if the outcomes aren’t getting it time and time again, we shouldn’t instantly fault individuals, situations, or chance. We should to look at the structure itself. Why? Because every system is set up precisely to give the results it’s giving now. This means to shift those outcomes; we’ve got to work the design. Instead of complaining about not-so-great outcomes, we need to get to work and revamp the systems we have power over.
We need to start changing how we get results. If what we achieve shows what we designed, then it’s time to act. Instead of just complaining, let’s fix the systems causing problems. Shift from blaming to taking responsibility. Move past mere slogans; focus on building actual structures. Go beyond good intentions and work on detailed planning. Rather than asking who caused an issue, figure out why the system keeps failing.
On a national scale, we should improve how policies are put into action, not just how they’re announced. Each policy needs support clear responsibilities, proper funding, strong institutions, set timelines, ways to check progress, and methods for getting feedback.
We need to revamp how we approach learning in education. Instead of just focusing on certifications, let’s make sure students actually develop skills. Can our graduates handle real-world challenges? Certification should mean they’ve gained capability, not just checked a box.
Businesses also have their part to play. They’ve got to rethink their organizational setups. Companies shouldn’t rely solely on the drive of one founder. Proper systems, guidelines, roles, standards, and a culture of accountability are crucial for steady performance.
In families, values matter big time. There’s too much celebration of riches and fleeting achievements. We should instead be praising traits like skillfulness, honesty, diligence, artistry, and perseverance.
And what about us as individuals? We need to take a hard look at our daily lives. While pointing out shortcomings in leaders and institutions is easy, we first need to examine ourselves. What results will our current lifestyles generate? Unless we tweak our routines, study habits, work, and money management, we’ll likely end up with the same old outcomes.
This is what we need to tackle.
Every leader should look at the system they head up.
Teachers, check out the environment you create for learning.
Employers, think about the culture you reward.
Parents, consider the values you showcase.
Each citizen, reflect on the behaviors you OK.
And young people, ponder the future you’re gearing up for.
We can’t keep things as they are and hope for better results. Weak systems won’t suddenly give amazing outcomes. Celebrating mistakes won’t stop folks from trying too hard.
Just griping won’t alter the future; it’ll take active planning.
The message here is straightforward: Change the systems, the incentives, the standards, the processes, the values, and the routines.
To get different results, we have to rearrange how life, organizations, institutions, and society function. Only after altering our setup, will we see a shift in outcomes. This ties into the main point of the piece: the systems we use generate the results set by those systems, whether intentional or not.
