PROBLEM SOLVING

MEETINGS
READING MATERIAL
“Small-Group Communication and
Problem Solving”
 Learning Outcomes
• Describe the importance of problem-
solving meeting at work;
• Identify the problem and its underlying
causes;
• Explain motion and its protocols - the
process of problem-solving;
• Discuss how to solve a business problem
during a meeting.
Characteristics of Effective Problem-
Solving Teams
Successful problem-solving teams have
seven basic characteristics in common. They:
1. Are well prepared and organized;
2. Receive periodic training;
3. Examine assumptions and opinions;
4. Evaluate possible solutions;
5. Avoid groupthink;
6. Manage cultural diversity; and
7. Can operate virtually.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
• To ensure productive meetings, both the leader
and the team members should be trained in
using the basic problem-solving procedure;
• Problem solving is a procedure that groups use
to move from a current problem to a desired
solution or goal;
• There are many useful procedures available, but
in this session, we will learn the basic problem-
solving procedure, which will direct group
members toward a solution that is usually
arrived at faster, involves less conflict, and is
acceptable to all or most group members.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
• Decision making, on the other hand,
refers to the act of choosing among
alternatives;
• Before jumping into the problem-solving
procedure, even if the team members
already know each other;
• It is a good idea to highlight members’
talents and skills so that they can
“develop a deep appreciation for their
colleagues”.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
The basic problem-solving procedure
includes six steps adapted from Dewey’s
classic reflective thinking process:
1. Define the problem;
2. Research and analyze the problem;
3. Establish a checklist of criteria;
4. List possible alternatives;
5. Evaluate each alternative; and
6. Select the best alternative(s) and discuss
the implementation.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 1: Define the Problem
• Step 1 is often omitted because the team
members assume that everyone already knows
exactly what the problem is;
• This is especially true when the team’s task has
been decided by management or someone
outside the group;
• Eliminating step 1, however, can waste valuable
time;
• Teams often are unaware that everyone’s basic
understanding of the problem is different until
they are unable to agree upon a solution.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 1: Define the Problem (cont.)
A) Discuss the Problem’s Symptoms, Seriousness
and Impact
B) Write the Problem in Question Form
 Written in a manner that allows for the
widest range of answers;
 Specific rather than general;
 Specific about who should act;
 Written in an unbiased manner;
C) Define Any Confusing Terms
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 2: Research and Analyze the Problem
• Teams that omit step 2 usually arrive at
unsound solutions because they do not
know enough about the situation to make
an effective decision;
• Even teams that do analyze the problem
often reach ineffective solutions because
their discussions are disorganized;
• To prevent these difficulties, follow the
three simple guidelines in next slide:
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 2: Research and Analyze the Problem (cont.)
A) List topics needing research/discussion
B) Gathering information
C) Discuss information/opinions in organized fashion,
how:
 Identify a topic;
 Allow all members to give research/ opinions on
that topic;
 Ask if anyone wishes to add additional thoughts;
 Summarize the group’s findings;
 Identify the next topic and repeat until finished.
Gathering, analyzing, and discussing information relevant to
the problem are necessary components of the team’s problem-
resolution process.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 3: Establish a Checklist of Criteria
• Establishing criteria is one of the most
important steps of all;
• Without criteria, the procedure we have been
discussing would not be “the basic problem-
solving procedure”;
• To clarify the importance of criteria, we will
examine them from four angles:
 what are criteria,
 the types of criteria,
 when in the procedure to establish criteria, and
 how to use criteria in reaching quality solutions.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 3: Establish a Checklist of Criteria (cont.)
What are Criteria?
• Criteria are the guidelines that a group agrees
to follow to reach a solution;
• You can also view criteria as a checklist of
requirements that a possible solution must
meet in order to be selected by your group;
• For example, a checklist of criteria for the
selection of a chief executive officer of a
corporation might be as follows in next slide:
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 3: Establish a Checklist of Criteria (cont.)
What are Criteria? (cont.)
 Should meet all requirements listed in the by
laws;
 Should have at least 10 years’ experience in
policy-making positions;
 Should be a good public speaker and present
self well on camera;
 Should have prestige with major companies
in the United States and abroad.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 3: Establish a Checklist of Criteria (cont.)
Types of Criteria
• First, criteria can be either task or operational.
Task criteria relate to the actual problem or task
being discussed. Operational criteria relate to
group procedural matters;
• Second, criteria can be divided into “musts”
and “wants”;
• Must criteria are required items, and want
criteria are desired items.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 3: Establish a Checklist of Criteria (cont.)
When to Establish Criteria
• Deciding when to establish the criteria to be
used in evaluating possible solutions is almost
as important as deciding what your criteria will
be;
• Other than requirements specified by
management and given to the group at its first
meeting, criteria should not be established
before step 2 (researching and analyzing the
problem) because the group will not know
enough about the problem.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 3: Establish a Checklist of Criteria (cont.)
How to Use Criteria Effectively
• Once a team has decided when to establish
criteria, they must focus on producing quality
criteria;
• Criteria are easy to confuse with solutions;
• Criteria are not solutions, but guidelines for
reaching solutions;
• For example, in discussing whether city police
officers should be allowed to strike, “The strike
should not last longer than 48 hours” is a solution,
whereas “Citizen safety should be considered” is a
criterion.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 3: Establish a Checklist of Criteria (cont.)
How to Use Criteria Effectively (cont.)
• Establishing criteria is the key to the basic
problem-solving procedure;
• Once a group agrees on the criteria to be used
in evaluating the solutions, the most difficult
part of the process is over.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 4: List Possible Alternatives
• List as many alternative solutions as are feasible
within your team’s time and budget limits;
• Most teams have trouble listing possible
alternatives without evaluating them at the
same time;
• But to use step 4 effectively, all evaluations
must be postponed until step 5;
• Evaluating alternatives as soon as they are
mentioned tends to hamper creative thinking;
• Remember to list first and then evaluate.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 4: List Possible Alternatives (cont.)
• Three (3) methods for producing innovative
lists of ideas includes:
A. Brainstorming, which is the spontaneous
contribution of ideas by all members of the
team. Neither a debate nor an evaluation
session, brainstorming’s sole purpose is to
generate lists of items.
B. Electronic Brainstorming Systems (EBS), ideas
are generated individually (and anonymously) by
typing them and sending them electronically.
The ideas are recorded by the software program
and combined for later group viewing.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 4: List Possible Alternatives (cont.)
• Three (3) methods for producing innovative
lists of ideas includes (cont.):
EBS thus allows team members to interact with
their individual identities revealed or concealed.
C. Nominal Group Technique (NGT), which gives all
team members an equal chance to participate, it
has some advantages over brainstorming. It
encourages shy members to participate freely and
prohibits overly talkative or negative members from
dominating. NGT can be used both for generating
lists of ideas and as a method of decision making.
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 5: Evaluate Each Alternatives
• If the team has done a good job of determining
criteria, step 5 in the basic problem-solving
procedure should be amazingly simple;
• The following guidelines will enable your group
to evaluate the possible alternative solutions:
1. Read through the list of alternatives, eliminating
those that the team feels do not meet the criteria
agreed upon in step 3;
2. Further reduce the list to a workable number by
combining any similar alternatives;
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 5: Evaluate Each Alternatives (cont.)
3. Discuss each remaining alternative’s strengths and
weaknesses (referring to research presented in step
2 when necessary). If no one feels comfortable
playing the role of devil’s advocate, assign one or two
members to criticize and question each solution;
4. Determine how well each alternative meets the
criteria; eliminate those that do not meet all the
must criteria;
5. Continue reducing the list by relating the remaining
alternatives to the want criteria and assign numerical
values (which is better than just giving check marks);
6. Calculate totals and determine the best alternative
(or alternatives).
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 6: Select the Best Alternative(s)
• The best solution is simply the solution (or
solutions) that best fulfills the group’s criteria;
• Sometimes, however, even after using criteria
to eliminate poor solutions, the team is left with
several alternatives - a decision must still be
made;
• A decision can be reached by one of several
methods: consensus, compromise, or vote;
• The best decision is the consensus;
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 6: Select the Best Alternative(s) (cont.)
• In a consensus decision, all members agree to
accept a particular solution even though it
may not have been their original choice;
• Commitment to the solution is greater in
teams that can reach consensus, but the team
needs to beware of groupthink, discussed
previously;
• If a consensus cannot be reached, the next
best decision is a compromise;
The Basic Problem-Solving Procedure
Step 6: Select the Best Alternative(s) (cont.)
• Of course, no one completely wins in a
compromise; all parties must forfeit some of their
requirements, but at least no one completely loses
either;
• If a consensus or a compromise is not possible, the
group may have to vote for the best solution,
which would be the alternative that receives more
than 50% of the vote;
• Voting should be used only as a last resort because
it often causes resentment by creating
winners/losers and can silence contrary viewpoints
that might be very important for guarding against
groupthink.
 Meeting Dos and Don’ts
While there is no comprehensive list of what you
should and should not do in meetings, still some
important suggestions while participating or
presenting yourself in meetings:
• Be on time;
• Stick to the topic;
• Leave personal issues behind;
• Be prepared;
• Have handouts ready, if appropriate or require;
• Give an update of where you are on the project, if it is
project meeting (optional);
• Be positive when you ask questions of other members;
• Keep in mind that the goal is to stay on task;
 Meeting Dos and Don’ts (cont.)
• Remember the difference between being critical of
an idea and criticizing an idea or person;
• Don’t keep a critique to yourself to appear to be
popular;
• Use the proper tone when being critical of an idea;
• Be honest about what you can/can’t do;
• Follow through;
• Express as early as possible any difficulties you are
having so other members can help you;
• Respect and recognize the contribution of every
member and represent it with a nod or a smile;
 Meeting Dos and Don’ts (cont.)
• Speak pleasantly and politely in the group;
• Agree and acknowledge whatever you find
interesting;
• Disagree politely because it is a group meeting and
not an argument;
• Do a mental revision of what you are going to say.
Think of how you can best answer the question or
contribute to the topic;
• Stick to the theme of meeting and not get engaged in
other irrelevant topic/discussions;
• Follow good manners/mannerism while speaking;
• Be confident;
 Meeting Dos and Don’ts (cont.)
• Don’t lose your temper;
• Don’t speak loudly or aggressively. Always use a
moderate tone and a medium pitch;
• Don’t do gestures like finger pointing and table
thumping. This can appear aggressive, so limit your
body gestures;
• Don’t dominate the discussion. As confident speakers
should allow the quieter, a chance to speak up and
contribute to the discussion;
• Don’t draw too much on personal experience;
• Don’t interrupt when someone else is speaking. Wait
for a speaker to finish before you speak.