Diagnosis

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Diagnosis

• Jenny Erickson and Catherine Neiswender with
  guidance from David Hinds

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What is Diagnosis?

• A method for gathering information about how an
  organization or community functions problem
  identification.

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The purpose of diagnosis is to determine which
purposeful activity would best initially address
the organizations or communitys issues.

• Organization/Community

Planning Design
Research
Learning
Operating Supervising
Evaluation
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UW- Extensions Role

• Help the client to discover objective
  information, to better understand the situation
  to be faced, and to achieve a self-diagnosis.

Coach McCarthy
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Back Up!

• Many times clients have to be backed up to get
  at the root of what is going on
• What problem are they tackling?
• Who has been involved?
• What alternatives have
• been looked at?

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Back Up!

-Conclusions What we believe based on what we
think and feel. -Interpretations How what we
see or hear makes us think or feel. -Data What
we actually see and hear.
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What are the underlying issues? Use questions
to help clients determine what the underlying
issues are -- not just address the obvious
symptoms.
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Diagnosis is Underrated.

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Two Approaches to Diagnosis

• 1.) Checklist approach
• 2.) Branching questions

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Diagnosis Checklist Approach
1.) Reacts strongly to tastes/smells 2.) Dislikes
anyone coming close 3.) Easily loses
attention 4.) Acts immediately on
impulse 5.) Difficulty getting
started/initiating activities 6.) Reacts slowly
7.) Functions best in routine situations when
he/she knows what is going to happen next
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Diagnosis Branching Questions

• If you do not ask the right questions, you do
  not get the right answers. A question asked in
  the right way often points to its own answer.
  Asking questions is the A-B-C of diagnosis. Only
  the inquiring mind solves problems.
• Edward Hodnett, British Poet

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PRACTICE The Phone Call

• Hello UWEX Agent. I am a member of a local
  organization, and we need your help to develop a
  survey.

NOW WHAT?
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Start with Questions

• What is the purpose of the survey?
• What concerns or issues do you hope it will
  address?
• How will you use the information?
• Have you done surveys before? How did it go?
• What alternatives have you considered?

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• Your skills may not be what is needed.
• Find out what is needed.

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Listen for Clues
They respond, The purpose of the survey is to
determine if the members want to dissolve our
organization.
What question would you ask next?
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Listen for Clues
They respond, The purpose of the survey is to
determine if the members want to dissolve our
organization.

• Evaluation How do you determine if your
  organization is effective?
• Planning Design Tell me more about the purpose
  and vision of your organization?
• Learning Do your members have the information
  they need to make this decision?

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Listen for Clues
UWEX Do your members have the information they
need to make a decision? They respond, I am
really surprised, but ask any of our members and
they cant tell you what we do.
How would you respond?
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Diagnosis is an Art

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In the End

• Hopefully, the client learns how to
• ask better questions
• challenge their assumptions
• better diagnose their issues in the future

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Lessons Learned
Listen or your tongue will make you deaf. -
Native American Proverb
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Buy Some Time

• Lets set up a meeting with key stakeholders to
  discuss this further.
• Let me get back to you with some ideas.
• Have you contacted

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Build Strong Relationships

• Create an environment where the client feels free
  to speak and share.
• They are relaxed
• They feel comfortable with you
• Respond to the clients emotions and language
  both are vital

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Diagnosis Gone Wrong

• 1.) Thinking is guided by a prototype and you
  fail to consider the possibilities that
  contradict that prototype.
• I have seen this one before.

Adapted from Groopman, 2007
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• It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a
  hammer, to treat everything as if it were a
  nail.
• Abraham Maslow

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Diagnosis Gone Wrong

• 2.) The client fits a negative stereotype and we
  fail to contradict that stereotype.
• This organization is lead by a jerk and he is
  the problem.

Adapted from Groopman, 2007
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What does Readiness look like?

• Reasonable time frame
• Core of interested leaders willing to do the leg
  work.
• Adequate resources
• Willingness, consensus and commitment from the
  organization on direction and complete next
  steps.
• Demonstrated willingness to stick with the plan.

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Practice

• Break into teams of two
• One person takes on the role of the UWEX Agent.
• Practice asking questions to help the client
  diagnose their organizations issues or
  opportunities.
• Determine which purposeful activity may be the
  best fit.
• Then switch roles and work through the second
  situation.

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Questions?