We the Possibility: Harnessing Public Entrepreneurship to Solve Our Most Urgent Problems

Held on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Watch a recording or read a recap below.

Recap by Claudia Chiappa

On March 18, 2021, the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) hosted Mitchell Weiss to discuss his new book We the Possibility: Harnessing Public Entrepreneurship to Solve Our Most Urgent Problems.

Weiss, a Professor of Management Practice in the Entrepreneurial Management unit and the Richard L. Menschel Faculty Fellow at Harvard Business School, previously worked with the late Mayor of Boston, Tom Menino, as Chief of Staff. We the Possibility discusses the role public entrepreneurship and governments should play when solving large-scale problems.

Weiss’ journey to write the book began on April 15, 2013, when two bombs detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring many more. Following the tragedy, Weiss played a key role in starting One Fund Boston to help survivors and their families in the aftermath of the bombing.

“We knew that our survivors in Boston had life-changing decisions to make about limbs, about homes, about jobs, and we wanted to do something faster,” remembered Weiss.

A year after the bombing, at an IOC event, Weiss was approached by two survivors asking him to tell the story of One Fund Boston. This is where Weiss started asking himself whether governments could public problems. We the Possibility answers this question. Weiss argues that yes, it is possible, but only if we shift from “probability government” to what he calls “possibility government,” a mindset that focuses less on safe solutions and aims for more bold possibilities.

Moving towards a Risk-Taking Government

Governments tend to pursue safe and easy paths, away from risks. These kinds of approaches to problem solving, which Weiss describes as “hostile governments,” can be traced back to its people. “By far, the main reason that the people in governments are risk averse is because they are people,” explained Weiss. “We don’t like risk; we don’t like change.”

Weiss argues that only by pursuing bold solutions can governments solve large public problems. Governments themselves can shift towards a more risk-taking approach, and Weiss examines some of these strategies in his book.

“The first thing to do is really be clear-eyed about this current status quo is also risky,” said Weiss. “We have to break this mindset that doing the new thing is inherently riskier than doing nothing at all. In fact, in so many instances doing nothing is actually the risky choice.”

This approach does not condemn, which is essential when tackling problem solving because it helps us deal with uncertainty. What he encourages people to move away from is planning meant to try and control and plan situations we have no probability for.

Weiss suggests starting somewhere separated from the main enterprise in order to start off small since people are often instinctively hesitant to try new things. Once this process has started, it is then possible to create a broader path towards building something larger. A key point that Weiss emphasized is that people cannot focus on the future if they forget the present.

“If you want the permission to pursue possibility government, you still have to get all the probability stuff done well,” explained Weiss. “The last thing you [want to] do is get so distracted by the future that you leave the present to fail.”

And history, Weiss noted, is an empowering tool if we know how to study it. History teaches leaders that it is okay to fail, that innovation and risk-taking can be worth it.

“One thing you’ll hear is that governments don’t do innovations, but if you look at history that’s not true,” said Weiss. “One of the other lessons is that what you want to do is move to possibility but not to delusions, to solutions that have no base in reality.”

Establishing Trust

Weiss discusses the importance of establishing and building trust with the public, especially in a time of high distrust towards government.

Weiss identifies two main causes behind the decline in people’s trust towards their public leaders. One, people realize that the problems afflicting their communities are not being solved, and they blame the governments for their inability to provide adequate service. Since the possibility government can be used to solve these public problems, it can be used to restore trust.

Two, governments promise their citizens that they will solve problems and that they will not fail. However, failure is inevitable when approaching large issues such as housing, safety, or education. The public, therefore, feels lied to. Weiss suggests a more honest approach: governments should be upfront about the likelihood of failures in the problem-solving process to build their credibility.

Structural Changes at the Federal Level

There are two main changes that must occur at the federal level, recruiting talent and fixing budgeting.

People with the ability and vision to pursue new and risky solutions must be present inside the federal government if we want to see the shift described by Weiss. He explained how governments must look at the talent they already have, such as people who are on the inside, wanting to do possibility work but scared of taking risks. Additionally, they must look at outside talent for people with the right skills and abilities.

“The countries I’ve seen respond to this, to COVID, very well had a lot of possibility talent in house,” noted Weiss. “I would argue pretty vehemently that we need a massive investment in this country at the federal state and local level for possibility talent, for digital talent.”

The other important issue to be addressed is budgeting. Weiss explained how governments must be more open to buying and investing in solutions that might work and be ready to act quickly.

Possibility Government as a Permanent Solution

Pursuing possibility work is important at all times, not simply during crisis situations. Weiss explained how it is important not to wait for a crisis to make change, but to always keep a sense of urgency alive. This allows governments to hold good practices post-crisis.

Another way to ensure that people continue to rely on this approach is by teaching people what public entrepreneurship is. Many have been doing possibility work but may be unaware of its name. Weiss hopes that his book can help people who are not familiar with terms such as possibility government or public entrepreneurship define what they had already been doing, and help them continue doing it.

“I’m hopeful to contribute in some way to harnessing this moment by putting some words and some frameworks to what people have been instinctually doing,” said Weiss.

Teaching people about possibility government should start in the classroom. In 2015, Weiss created a course on Public Entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School, and he would love to see more courses on the issue at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

“We can give so much rewarding work to future generations to unite entrepreneurship and public service,” said Weiss. “We haven’t pulled off possibility government yet, but I think we can get this generation to do it”