We go to meetings to share information, to report on project
status, to make decisions, to get the free lunch, and because we
were invited. (Sorry that I digressed). This is only a partial
list ? there are many other valid reasons for holding meetings.
Perhaps the most common and best reason for a meeting though is
to solve a problem. A meeting is a great place to do this ? you
get a variety of people with a variety of experiences, knowledge
and perspectives together to ensure that the best possible
solution is identified and that all of the important
considerations have been taken into account.
The problem is, that while the venue and the people might be
correct, often the process is flawed. It is flawed because one
question hasn?t clearly been asked and answered.
The Typical Situation
Have you ever been in a meeting where 20 minutes (or an hour or
more) into the discussion of the problem, people start to
realize that they aren?t all working on exactly the same
problem, or are already assuming certain solutions? Most people
I have asked this question of over the years have nodded in the
affirmative. It is that this moment that a meeting must stop -
and clarification must begin.
It is also in these moments where frustration builds, rework
begins, and meetings get a bad reputation.
The solution to this situation is to ask and answer the one
question.
The Problem Solving Question
That question is: ?What is the problem??
It seems so simple. I mean, why would anyone ever start problem
solving without truly knowing what the problem is? People don?t
do it on purpose, of course, they do it because:
-The problem is clear in their mind (or at least they think so).
-They assume everyone knows the problem exists.
-They assume everyone agrees that it is, in fact, a problem.
Unfortunately these reasons prevail too often.
So, what is the problem?
Getting a group agreement and understanding of the problem is
one of best things you can do to improve the speed and
effectiveness of group problem solving. But how do you do it?
The Problem Statement
You do it with a clear concise, well written problem statement.
A problem statement succinctly defines what the problem is. It
is written to produce clarity of thought and to reduce the
assumptions people make regarding the problem. At least as
important as these reasons, a good problem statement keeps us
from assuming a solution, before we even state the problem.
In academic circles, problem statements are often long (one or
more pages), detailed (complete with lots of data and
statistics) narratives. This is not what we need in a meeting.
What we need is a short one or two sentence description of
-what the problem is
-who it affects
-when is it a problem
-where it is a problem
Your problem statement should not answer the ?why?? question -
as your problem solving process should lead you to a clear
understanding of ?why?? Remember the goal is to define the
problem so that everyone agrees to the problem and its scope.
Some Examples
While the format may vary, here are a couple of example problem
statements to help you get started:
-We (our team) don't have timely data to determine when to make
the switch from ?X? to ?Y?.
-Our turnaround time at the Madison facility is currently two
weeks, which puts us at a competitive disadvantage compared to
our competitors.
-Our enrollments for the summer program are 20% behind last year
and 30% behind projections.
The final format of this statement matters less than making sure
that it answers the questions above. Sometimes people state the
new desired result in the problem statement as well (e.g.
?currently the process takes four days and the desired time is
two days?). This can be a valuable addition if this end goal is
already known. Often at this stage we don?t have enough
information to know just how much improvement we can achieve.
A problem well stated is a problem half solved. By taking the
time needed to gain agreement on a clear definition of your
problem before starting the problem solving process, you truly
have reduced the total time for your problem solving efforts
drastically. This effort and discipline will improve your
results noticeably, and immediately.
About the author:
Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential
Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group
(http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company. To
receive a free Special Report on leadership that includes
resources, ideas, and advice go to
http://www.kevineikenberry.com/leadership.asp or call us at
(317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.
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