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What’s the first thing that happens when people get together to solve a problem?
Questions start to fly:
“What do you mean?”
“Have you tried . . . ?”
“Are you sure you want to . . . ?
Rapid fire questions feel productive and, if your ideas survive the gauntlet, you even feel successful. But a careful look at the kind of exchange described above reveals a chaotic and inefficient process. One where the loudest ideas have a better chance of surviving than the best ideas, where assumptions are unlikely to be examined, and where people compete for their solution instead of collaborating on the right solution.
If you really care about getting to the best solutions, you need to take control the questioning process and create structures where questions are approached methodically and in the appropriate order, and where all voices are
heard.
And the single most important question is the first one – what we call the “Focusing Question”. The person responsible for the problem should bring the first draft of this question. Write it down on a big piece of paper or on a white board. Help the group slow down, stop jumping to conclusions and help take some time to reflect on it – is it the right question? Does it really solve the problem? Does the person seeking a solution need a total solution, or just a barrier removed so they can go to the next step?
Taking time the work on this Focusing Question does several things.
- It brings the group together to focus on the the same thing at the same time.
- It creates quiet moments where people are really thinking and during which the less pushy group members have a chance to talk.
- It imposes order on the group and helps disconnect from the competitive rush to answers.
Do you have examples of times when focusing questions could have improved you group problem solving? Or maybe stories about times when group solving really failed? We’d love to hear about them. Please comment below, or contact us.
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