Leadership Competency #6
Problem Solving
February 2004
ALD, Inc. Training & Development
...Because you never stop learning
Online & classroom education in the skills of
managing yourself & influencing others
ALD knows that leaders can transform organizations, but leadership is not a role belonging solely to the high-ranking officials within the organization.
Leadership is manifested in the characteristics and behaviors of people throughout the organization – at all levels. ALD’s purpose is to assist organizations with mastery of the skills of managing yourself & influencing others – the essence of leadership.
With that in mind, each month we are examining a competency associated with leadership. Whether the leadership is required in an “at work” function, or a community or sports program, basic skills apply. The competencies are in no ranked order; they are merely a set of skills/behaviors/traits “leaders” at all levels of organizations should master.
Some of the competency narrative is adapted from the work of Bela Banathy, a former chairman of the
Leadership Training Committee of the Monterey Bay Area Council, BSA.
At the end of this article we have included a recommendation for an ideal ALD resource to further develop the competency.
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This month we feature DiSC® Classic 2.0 because effective problem solving teams
depend on the ability to work successfully together. DiSC® is the foundation of personal
and professional success - understanding your own behavior, understanding others’ behaviors,
and realizing the impact of personal behavior on co-workers determines how cohesively
team members work together. Read more about DiSC® Classic 2.0 below and
DiSCover how to increase problem solving effectiveness.
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Leadership Competency # 6
Problem Solving
This competency enables a leader to:
- Identify problem solving as one of the key techniques in developing your team’s capability.
- Gain knowledge of a definite technique for problem solving and planning.
- Understand the value of problem solving in gaining team commitment to the task and to team unity.
Problem solving includes:
- Using specified skills to identify the nature of a given situation or task.
- Alternative methods for determining the appropriate solution.
- Applying guidelines for analyzing a task or problem in order to solve it.
The basic outline for this competency has not changed in over many years. Additional information is added, layers of complexity are introduced, but the basic scheme remains: Identify the Problem, Analyze The Problem, Generate Solutions, Select a Solution(s) and Develop a Plan, Implement, and Evaluate.
Problem-Solving
Problem Solving has six "phases", best followed in order for optimum results:
1. Identify the Problem
Purpose of this step:
- To reach group agreement on the nature of the task and commitment to resolve it.
- To make it OK to talk about this problem and to accept differing feelings about the importance of the task.
- To identify internal/external constraints and support for the issue.
- To limit the issue being tackled; to make it specific enough to go after.
Methods
(Words in "quotes" are suggested phrases for a facilitator or leader.)
- Legitimize the problem
- Accepting individual perceptions vs. agreeing with them.
- Accepting that some view it as a problem while others may not.
How Does It Feel?
- Getting at the emotional parts of issue: "Can you tell the group how you feel about facing this issue every day?"
- What's the real problem?
- Speaking the unspeakable: "I don't feel that you're describing the real problem. What is the real issue?"
- Floating a trial balloon: "I'm not at all sure this is right--isn't the real problem that you have a dislike for the way we conduct our meetings?"
Best/Worst/Most Probable
- Backing in to the issue: "What is the absolute worst thing that could happen as a result of solving the problem?...The best outcome you can think of?...What's most likely?…Can we try for X minutes to tackle this problem?…We might still come up with something new."
Ownership
- Getting the right people committed: "Should this team tackle this problem at all?...today or later on?...at this meeting? Who else should be involved? Who has responsibility? Is this worth the time we will invest to correct it?”
What Is/What Is Not
- Eliminate assumptions: "What do we know is definitely not affected by the situation?"
Visualize
- Moving from verbal to visual: "Maria, why don't you draw a sketch of the bridge you have in mind?"
Seeing connections, relationships
- "So if we apply the new organization structure it will affect all the groups you've diagrammed here? Did we leave any groups out?"
State the problem in two ways
- Current state (use data to quantify the issue)
- Desired State (what would the ideal situation look like?)
2. Analyze the Problem
Purpose
- To determine the basic facts of the situation.
Methods
(Words in "quotes" are suggested phrases for a facilitator or leader.)
Ask the basic questions:
- Who, what, why, when, where, how: "When do we have to complete the task?...Have we been given a location to cut the trees for the tower?"
- Focusing on parts of the problem: "Is there a limiting factor here? Can we do this in only eight hours?"
Break it Down
- To help reduce a problem to a manageable size:
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Reducing problems into parts |
"It seems we've identified two distinct issues. Can we tackle one at a time? This will make it more manageable." |
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Force Field Analysis |
Helping & Hindering Forces. "What are all the aspects of the situation that keep it from changing?...that are helping create change? How can we lessen the former and build up the latter?" |
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Generalize/Exemplify |
Moving from general to specific to general: "Could you given us an example of poor communication?" "You've mentioned a lot of examples. How would you describe the general problem?" |
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Ask an Expert(s) |
Avoid rumors and reinventing the wheel: "Is there anyone here who can answer that questions?" "Has anyone done that kind of thing before?" |
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Resources |
Team member skills & competencies: "Do we have all the skills needed within our group? Who can do this? Who's managed building a bridge before? Are there any skills we're going to need some help on from outside the team?"
Things in the environment: "Let's be creative for a moment. Are there things around us we might use instead of rope to fasten the poles together?"
Money, time. "How much money in the budget is allocated for the task? There isn't any? We’ll have to look at ways to get around that."
"We have three weeks to complete this project. Is it feasible?" |
Narrow the Causals
- Before moving on to generating solutions, narrow your list of problem casuals down to the critical few.
3. Generate Potential Solutions
Purpose
- To examine as many alternative solutions or responses to a problem or situation as possible.
- To create a variety of ideas and systematically evaluate them.
Methods
(Words in "quotes" are suggested phrases for a facilitator or leader.)
Brainstorming
- Brainstorming is designed to generate a volume of ideas and it has rules:
- Don’t evaluate ideas – just get them out there
- Build on someone else’s idea
- Go for quantity, not quality!
- Get a little crazy- be sane and sensible when selecting the solutions.
- Ask people who have nothing to do with the situation-they may have some unexpected ideas.
Techniques for working with your list of solutions:
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Withholding judgment |
"Before leaping to any conclusions, let's try brainstorming. The idea is quantity, not necessarily quality. Piggy-back, flip-flop your ideas, but don't offer any judgments yet." |
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Checkerboard |
Crosschecking alternatives: "Let's compare each alternative against each other. Perhaps we'll see some new ideas we hadn't thought of." |
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Cross-checking against criteria
(If you have selected criteria by this time, you may choose to wait until all new ideas have come out and been discussed) |
"We earlier defined a number of points any solution we propose must meet. What do you say we look at each criteria and see if that stimulates any new ideas?" |
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Cross-checking task elements |
"There are three different projects we want to complete, and we could take two or three weeks. Why don't we see what resources are available for all these combinations?" |
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Cut Up and Move Around |
For dealing with physical relationships or sequences: "Why doesn't each of us individually list on cards all the activities between now and the end of the project? Then we'll try to rank order them as a group." |
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Experience |
Build on past; adapt, modify, etc. '"Who knows what hurdles have been used in this situation in the past?" |
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Rank Order |
Pick the best of the bunch: "Out of the seven solutions proposed, let's each choose three." |
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Sort by Category |
Breaking down the alternatives: "There are about 25 ideas here. Can someone suggest some categories they might fit into?" |
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Evaluating categories |
"Are there a few people who would like to sift these ideas into categories and prepare an evaluation of the categories?" |
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Advantage/Disadvantage |
Plus/minus: "We've come down to two basic plans. Why don't we first list the pluses and minuses of Plan A, then do the same for Plan B?" |
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"What I like about..." |
Give positive feedback first: "If we say what we like first about each of the ideas, it will help us see the positive aspects of each idea and make it easier to find a solution." |
4. Select and Plan a Solution(s)
Selecting the Solution
- Determine your critical filters for considering the solutions list: time to implement, cost, effectiveness, and acceptance by others, etc.
- Evaluate each of your solutions against the filters; be ruthless and select a solution that meets your criteria.
Planning the Solution
- The plan is written down to provide oversight responsibility as a project is carried out.
- Provide guidance for merging the twin priorities of keeping the team together and getting the job done.
Methods
(Words in "quotes" are suggested phrases for a facilitator or leader.)
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Concurrent Evaluation |
Check in with group: "Keeping in mind the original criteria or objectives for the choice, how are we doing?" |
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Monitoring performance |
"Are all group members actively involved? What is the deviation from the plan? Is it positive/negative?" |
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Sharing Leadership |
"Who exercises authority? Is it a shared group function--or have they chosen to vest it in a particular person? "What style of leadership is the de facto leader exercising? Is it appropriate to the situation?" |
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Keeping Group Together/Getting the Job Done |
Striking a balance: "Is someone/are team members continually sensitive to group process? Who's checking to make sure there's a positive balance between group and task priorities?" |
- Create a plan and a timeline that specifically identifies the:
- What tasks need to be done? What additional support might be needed?
- Who will be accountable for each task? Who else needs to be considered because they will be affected? Who may resist this solution? Who else should be involved to ensure success?
- When will each task be completed? When will measures be taken to check progress? When will you know you’ve succeeded?
- Where – are there any considerations for where this may be tested before full implementation?
- How will each task be completed? How will you overcome resistance? How will success be measured?
5. Implement the Solution(s)
- Follow your plan and timeline. Conduct regular checks to ensure you’re on track.
- Keep track of your progress
- Be ready to implement alternative plans when unexpected events occur
- Collect measures as you implement.
- Communicate extensively with each other.
- Take notes during the implementation so your evaluation to follow can be quickly completed and accurate.
6. Evaluate the Solution
- Purposefully examine what happened and how lessons learned can be passed on within the team and to other teams.
- Review your measures – have you achieved the desired state initially expressed?
- What were the teams strengths & weaknesses throughout the process?
- What additional improvements could be made?
- Have any new problems been created? If so, cycle back to Step 1 and begin working the next issue.
Method
(Words in "quotes" are suggested phrases for a facilitator or leader.)
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Feedback |
Try for:
- A group discussion
- A record of the results and
- A chance for individual members to contribute written comments.
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Strengths/Weaknesses |
What to look for: "What does the team feel are the strengths of the project as implemented?" "The weaknesses...?" |
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Improvements/
Feed-forward |
Making it better: "Is there anything we might have done better? How can we improve it next time?"
Passing it on: "Now we're finished. How can we make sure that future groups will benefit from our experience?" |
Problem solving is one of the most critical and complex competencies in leadership development. Skilled use of this competency positively influences a leader's ability to get the job done and to keep a team together in many difficult situations.
The effective use of problem solving will do more than any other competency to advance both getting the job done and keeping the group together. It is an "umbrella" competency in its effect on a variety of issues. Problem solving is useful in team situations and in one-on-one’s.
It is the same competency as planning, useful for outlining a course of action in order to achieve an objective. Problem solving can serve as a "core curriculum." It offers a general conceptual framework to integrate different skills, such as Planning, Scheduling, Time Management, Performance Appraisal, Negotiation, and Conflict Resolution. Principles of Problem-Solving
When making decisions, applying a few key principles will enhance the problem-solving process.
- Present a win/win attitude.
- Legitimize all perceptions, problems, misunderstandings, and bad feelings in the early phases.
- Establish ownership and responsibility for the problem.
- Get agreement on the problem before going on to solutions.
- Be explicit about each phase of problem solving.
- Look for little successes first, before tackling the "big" problem.
- Look for ways of breaking fixation and redefining the problem/solution space.
- Seek agreement on criteria before evaluating the alternatives.
- Keep backing up to the phase and level of generality where a foundation of agreements can be developed.
- Avoid premature motions.
- Use formal "majority" voting as a last resort, for it is a win/lose approach.
So if problem solving is so critical,
how do you maximize your team’s problem solving performance?
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We use and recommend DiSC® Classic 2.0
We have used DiSC® as the foundation in all our workshops
because it’s so important for each of us to:
- Be aware of our own behaviors in the workplace
- Understand why co-workers behave the way they do
- Learn the simple behavioral modifications that will improve interpersonal effectiveness and bottom line business results
DiSC® Classic 2.0 is best facilitated by someone familiar with the theory, who will make each participant in the room feel comfortable with who they are, but help those participants realize the importance of taking responsibility for personal behavior and successful interactions with others.
So take advantage of the comprehensive Facilitator Kit available to administer this profile; it will provide everything you need to facilitate a session.
DiSC® Classic 2.0 itself can be responded to online or in a paper version.
Visit our web site to learn more about DiSC® Classic 2.0 or contact ALD for additional details.
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ALD, Inc
Enabling Competency Based Performance Management Systems
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