Inside Cover or Main Title Page, with Logo (add carriage return if only one line)

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Group Problem Solving and Facilitation

Gemini Skills Workshop July 1998
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Contents

• Group problem solving
• Problem solving/team building (PS/TB) approach
• Facilitation skills and the facilitator role

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Why Use Groups for Problem Solving?

• Collective experience is more powerful than
  individual experience
• Building on the ideas and knowledge of other
  creates positive synergy
• Efficiency and productivity are enhanced
• Group interactions ensure face-to-face
  interaction of all involved parties resulting in
  more effective communication
• Creates automatic ownership of solutions for
  those involved.

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What is Effective Group Problem Solving?

• A planned and informed attack on a problem which
  is conducted in a cooperative manner and draws
  out the collective best from the assembled
  resources to achieve the best resolution of the
  problem through an action plan that has the
  commitment of the implementors

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Key steps in the problem solving process
1. Determine criteria 2. Determine decision
process
1. Determine what we know and what we
dont 2. Gather information 3. Identify
constraints 4. Determine if you should proceed
1. Measure expected benefits 2. Collect
feedback 3. Incorporate feedback into ongoing work
1. Identify possible causes 2. Design
tests 3. Perform tests 4. Determine causes or
re-test 5. Determine to proceed
1. Determine solution approach 2. Develop
solutions
1. Compare with decision criteria 2. Decide on
solution(s) 3. Validate
1. Prepare action plans 2. Prepare follow-up plan
and measures 3. Implement
There are many variations of this process, but
these are the basic steps you should follow.
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PS/TB Approach
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What Is PS/TB?

• Structured approach
• Iterative participative process
• Team building experience
• GETS RESULTSSOLVES PROBLEMS!

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7-Step Team-Building/Problem-Solving Approach

• 1. Headline the problem
• 2. Provide background
• 3. Generate ideas
• 4. Select ideas
• 5. Get benefits/concerns
• 6. Work critical concerns
• 7. Get action plan/next steps

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PS/TB Problem Statement

• Initial statement of problem, task, opportunity
  and challenge
• Must be concise and accurate
• Should be action oriented, "How to

ProblemStatement
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PS/TB Background

• Additional information
• Clarification, definitions
• Constraints
• What we tried before (and the outcomes)
• Motivating statements

Background
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Problem Solving/Team Building Flow
1. Headline the problem 2. Provide
background 3. Generate ideas 4. Select
ideas 5. Get benefits/concerns 6. Work critical
conditions
1. Headline the problem 2. Provide
background 3. Generate ideas 4. Select
ideas 5. Get benefits/concerns 6. Work critical
conditions
Yes
None
7. Get action plan/next steps
None
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PS/TB Where to eat tonight?

• H2 identify and make plans needed for my wife and
  I to eat dinner out this evening

• Problem Statement

• Dont want to cook
• Ate Chinese last night
• Dont want to drive more than 30 minutes

Background
1. Herr Grubers German Restaurant 2.
McDonalds 3. Chi-Chis Mexican Restaurant 4.
Madame Frenchys French Foods 5. Guiseppis
Italian Cuisine 6. The Backfin Seafood Restaurant
Idea Generation/Restaurant
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PS/TB Where to Eat Tonight (cont.)
Selection
6. The Backfin
Benefits of the Selected Idea

• 10 minutes away
• New place
• Recommended by friends (great swordfish!)

• Concerns

• IWIK how much it cost
• H2 get specified directions
• H2 deal with my wifes allergy to fish
• IWIK if there were a table available this evening

ID Critical Concerns

• H2 deal with my wifes allergy to fish

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PS/TB Where to Eat Tonight? (cont.)
(New) Problem Statement

• H2 deal with my wifes allergy to fish

Background

• If even she smell fish, she throws up

• Idea Generation

1. Oxygen tent 2. Gas mask 3. Fumigate the
building
Killer concern
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PS/TB Where to Eat Tonight? (cont.)
Make New SelectionRestaurant

• Chi-Chis Mexican Restaurant

Benefits of the Selected Idea

• 12 minutes away
• Allergies no problem
• Good past experiences
• Great margaritas!

• Concerns

• H2 know if theres a table available with less
  than a 30 minute wait
• No reservations

ID Critical Concerns

• None

Action Plan

• Plan to leave for Chi-Chi's at 500 p.m. tonight
  (to avoid the dinner rush)

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Facilitation
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Good Facilitation Skills Apply in Many Meeting
Situations
Facilitating
Controlling
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Leader is responsible for decision making
80
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Team members and leader share responsibility
for decision making
50
80
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• Facilitating Leaders Role
• Listen
• Ask questions
• Direct group process
• Coach
• Teach
• Build consensus
• Share in goal setting
• Share in decision making
• Empower others to get things done

• Controlling Leaders Role
• Tell
• Sell
• Direct
• Decide
• Delegate
• Solve problems
• Set goals
• Use authority to get things done

Source How to Lead Work Teams Facilitation
Skills, Fran Rees.
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Good Facilitation Includes Specific Behavioral
Skills

• Ask open ended questions
• Positively respond to contributions from the
  group
• Ask for more specific examples
• Redirect comments or questions to other group
  members
• Avoid stating your opinion while facilitating
• Paraphrase for clarity and understanding
• Role model and encourage good meeting behaviors

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Meeting Roles Facilitator

• Guides the process
• Make it safe for everyone to participate
• Records group ideas and decisions
• Monitors time contract
• Brings team back on-track when needed
• Helps headline and clarify ideas
• Aids team performance
• Provides feedback

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The Group Memory Flipchart Recordings

• Helps the group focus
• Provides instant record of meeting content
• Encourages participation
• Depersonalizes ideas
• Increases sense of accomplishment

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Meeting Roles Client/ Team Leader

• Owns the meetingsets the objectives
• Determines the participants
• Provides support, information, and resources
• Sets the tone
• Encourages creativity
• Makes decisions

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Meeting Behavior The Leader Sets the Tone

• Demand serious preparation, attention, and effort
• Set highbut reasonable, achievable expectations
• Speak in terms of we instead of I
• Make the team realize that the task is important

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Meeting Roles Resource/ Team Member

• Generates ideas and recommendations
• Adheres to the agenda
• Practices good meeting behaviors
• Completes assigned tasks
• Participates actively