7.6 Problem Solving in Groups

When

All groups of individuals, be it in the home, school, or workplace, sometimes need to come together to make decisions. The problem-solving process involves thoughts, discussions, actions, and decisions that occur from the first consideration of a problematic situation to the goal. The problems that workplace groups face are varied, but some common problems include budgeting, raising funds, planning events, addressing customer or citizen complaints, creating or adapting products or services to fit needs, supporting members, and raising awareness about issues or causes.

The decision-making process may seem like it should be simple and straightforward but, in reality, it rarely is. People can actively disagree or agree to avoid conflict, ultimately leaving unsatisfied regardless of the outcome achieved. “Groupthink” can also happen, where in the process of trying to achieve consensus, people set aside their own personal beliefs and adopt what they believe to be the opinion of the rest of the group (Cherry, 2022), often sacrificing the best solution as well as their own satisfaction. When trying to problem solve, a mindful approach by the group can streamline the process, allowing the best solution not only for the initial problem, but also for the team and its members.

What

We will explore two strategies to group problem solving. The first strategy is to examine key considerations, and the second is to engage in a structured group problem-solving process.

Why

Problems of all sorts have three common components:

1. An undesirable situation: Even though it may only be a vague idea, there is a drive to better the undesirable situation. The vague idea may develop into a more precise goal that can be achieved, even though solutions have not yet been generated.
2. A desired situation: When conditions are desirable, there isn’t a problem.
3. Obstacles between undesirable and desired situations: These are things that stand in the way between the current situation and the group’s goal of addressing it. This component of a problem requires the most work, and it is where decision making occurs. Some examples of obstacles include limited funding, resources, personnel, time, or information. Obstacles can also take the form of people who are working against the group, including individuals who are resistant to change or anyone who disagrees or agrees too readily.

(Adams & Galanes, 2009)

Discussion of these three elements of a problem helps the group tailor its problem-solving process because each problem will vary. Although these three general elements are present in each problem, the group should also address the specific characteristics of the problem.

In any workplace, the team makes decisions in an effort to carry out their services. A high-performance team is one that achieves desired outcomes by consistently working together with purpose and shared vision, optimizing the abilities of each member.

According to Fonseca (2023), high-performance teams have the following characteristics:

1. Leading with trust and respect for one another: Committing to act and communicate with trust and respect puts value on different perspectives. It allows each team member to bring their ideas forward and facilitates difficult discussions and transparent communication.
2. Clear and aligned goals: Committing to the goal and each person’s task in accomplishing that goal allows the team to remain focused and connected.
3. Well-defined roles and responsibilities: Roles and responsibilities are created with diversity and purpose in mind. Everyone knows and commits to what they need to do and when they need to do it.
4. Collaboration: This is characterized by a high level of participation and engagement by all members. Questions, ideas, and feedback are regularly shared and encouraged. Responsibility for outcomes is shared by the team.
5. Flexibility: When the team focuses on the goal and regularly asks “Why am I/are we doing this?” the team can adapt and shift as needed. Team members can make decisions based on an assessment of priorities instead of tasks. Teams encourage each other in the face of change, which can be uncomfortable even for high-functioning teams.
6. Learning is engrained in the team’s culture: The team desires to achieve goals, and thereby equally desires the development of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to achieve those goals. Professional development is seen as proactive, and mistakes are seen as a normal part of the process. Feedback is a priority for team members. Meaningful reflection on mistakes is seen as an opportunity to maximize growth.

Structured group problem-solving strategies, such as the ones we are about to explore, are a method to becoming a high-performance team and maintaining a high level of achievement. Structured strategies allow the problem to be defined and aligned with team goals and the team members’ voices to meaningfully contribute to the outcome.

How

Strategy 1: Examine Key Considerations

When a problem arises, it should be given careful consideration. Five common and important characteristics to consider are task difficulty, number of possible solutions, group member interest in problem, group member familiarity with problem, and the need for solution acceptance (Adams & Galanes, 2009).

1. Task difficulty: Difficult tasks are also typically more complex. As a group, spend time researching and discussing a difficult and complex task to develop a shared foundational knowledge of what it will take to resolve the problem. At times, group members may need to do research and bring points to a meeting. Knowing all the key factors to solving a problem sets the stage for success in the next steps.
2. Number of possible solutions: There are usually multiple ways to solve a problem or achieve a goal, but some situations have more potential solutions than others. In some situations, you may be more bound by rules and regulations in your agency or laws in your area, so solutions are ultimately limited. However, you may also have a problem or goal that must be achieved but that no one has ever faced before or where the resources have never been as limited. Group decisions in these situations are often made more complex by the number of solutions.
3. Group member interest in the problem: When group members are interested in a problem, they will be more engaged and invested with the problem-solving process and in finding a quality solution. Groups with high interest in and knowledge about a problem may want more freedom to develop and implement solutions, whereas groups with low interest may prefer a leader who provides structure and direction.
4. Group familiarity with the problem: Some groups encounter a problem regularly, whereas other problems are more unique or unexpected. When group members aren’t familiar with a problem, they will need to do background research on what similar groups have done and may also need to bring in outside experts.
5. Need for solution acceptance: In this step, groups must consider how many people their decision will affect and, in turn, who needs to “buy in” to the solution for it to be successfully implemented. Some groups have many external partners to whom the success of a solution depends. Other groups are answerable only to themselves. Groups will want to brainstorm and then poll those who will be affected by the solution. Groups may want to do a pilot implementation to see how people react. Imposing an excellent solution that doesn’t have buy-in from all involved can still lead to failure.

Strategy 2: Group Problem-Solving Process

As you read through the steps in the problem-solving process, think about how you can apply what we have learned regarding the general and specific elements of problems. Although you may think that some of the following steps are logical things to do when faced with a problem, remember that a deliberate and systematic approach to problem solving has been shown to benefit group functioning and performance.

Although a deliberate approach is the conscious habit of a high-performance team, it is especially beneficial for groups that do not have an established history of working together and will only be able to meet occasionally. When thinking about how to implement the steps, the group should complete each step of the process, but it is not necessary for the steps to happen in exact order, and enough time should be set aside for each step. Individualizing the experience for your group and being flexible will allow for team engagement and ultimately result in the best decision being made.

Step 1. Define the Problem

Define the problem by considering the previously mentioned three elements shared by every problem: 1) the current undesirable situation, 2) the desired situation, and 3) obstacles in the way (Adams & Galanes, 2009). At this stage, group members share what they know about the current situation without proposing solutions or evaluating the information. Here are some good questions to ask during this stage:

• What is the current difficulty?
• How did we come to know that the difficulty exists?
• Who or what is involved?
• Why is it meaningful, urgent, or important?
• What have the effects been so far?
• What, if any, elements of the difficulty require clarification?

At the end of this stage, the group should be able to compose a single sentence that summarizes the problem, called a problem statement. Note that in the examples below, it is not all about addressing negative issues. Positive issues require problem solving, too. Problem solving is really about bridging a gap that exists between the undesirable and the desired situations. When writing a problem statement, avoid wording in the problem statement or question that hints at potential solutions.

Examples of problem statements:

• Our agency is chronically understaffed in front-line roles.
• We need to make changes to manage the increase in demand for our services.
• The fundraising events have gone well, and other organizations want us to teach them how to do it.
• We are required to use a new software to conduct our business, and the software doesn’t do some of the key tasks that our current software does.
• Our customers frequently come to their appointments unprepared.

Step 2. Analyze the Problem

During this step, the group should analyze the problem and the group’s relationship to the problem. Whereas the first step involved exploring the “What” related to the problem, this step focuses on the “Why.” At this stage, group members can discuss the potential causes of the difficulty. They may also want to begin setting out an agenda or timeline for the problem-solving process, looking forward to the other steps. To fully analyze the problem, the group can discuss the five common problem variables discussed earlier.

Once the problem has been analyzed, the group can pose a problem question that will guide the group as it generates possible solutions. Let’s use the following problem statement to illustrate this step. The initial problem statement was “Our customers frequently come to their appointments unprepared.” After analyzing the problem, the problem question that will guide the discussion of possible solutions is “How can we provide the right information, at the right time, to the right person so our appointments are efficient for everyone?”

As you can see, the problem question is more complex than the problem statement because the group has moved on to more in-depth discussion of the problem in this step.

Step 3. Generate Possible Solutions

During this step, group members generate possible solutions to the problem. Again, solutions should not be evaluated at this point, only proposed and clarified. The question should be “What could we do to address this problem?” not “What should we do to address it?” It is perfectly fine for a group member to question another person’s idea by asking something like “What do you mean?” or “Could you explain your reasoning more?”

Discussions at this stage may reveal a need to return to the previous steps to better define or more fully analyze the problem. Because many problems are multifaceted, it is necessary for group members to generate solutions for each part of the problem separately, making sure to have multiple solutions for each part. Stopping the solution-generating process prematurely can lead to groupthink.

For the problem question previously posed, the group would need to break down the problem question and generate solutions for each part of the problem. Generating possible solutions can be done just among group members, but seeking input from others can also be valuable. Let’s build on the problem question generated in Step 2: “How can we provide the right information, at the right time, to the right person so our appointments are efficient for everyone?” Possible solutions for the first part of the problem (the ‘”right” information) may include time, location, pre-preparation, things to bring, and so on. Possible solutions for the second part of the problem (the “right” time) may include after initial contact, weekly, and so on. Possible solutions for the third part of the problem (the “right” person) may include a designated staff member, client, caregiver, and so on. Last but not least, possible solutions to the final part of the problem (appointments are efficient for everyone) may require further analysis and consultation with all group members and indivuals outside the group to ask them for ideas on possible solutions.

Step 4. Evaluate Solutions

During this step, solutions can be critically evaluated based on their credibility, completeness, and worth. Once the number of potential solutions has been narrowed down based on obvious differences in relevance and/or merit, the group should analyze each solution based on its potential effects, both harmful and helpful.

Groups that are required to report the rationale for their decisions or whose decisions may be subject to public scrutiny would be wise to make a set list of criteria for evaluating each solution. Additionally, solutions can be evaluated based on how well they fit with the group’s charge and the abilities of the group. To do this, group members may ask, “Does this solution live up to the original purpose or mission of the group?” and “Can the solution actually be implemented with our current resources and connections?” and “How will this solution be supported, funded, enforced, and assessed?” Group members will need to employ effective critical-thinking and listening skills.

Decision making is part of the larger process of problem solving and plays a prominent role in this step. Although there are several fairly similar models for problem solving, groups can use a variety of decision-making techniques. For example, to narrow the list of proposed solutions, group members may make a decision by majority vote, by weighing the pros and cons, or by discussing them until a consensus is reached. There are also more complex decision-making models like the critical-thinking models discussed earlier in this chapter. Once a final decision is reached, the group leader or facilitator should confirm that the group is in agreement. It may be beneficial to let the group break for a while or even to delay the final decision until a later meeting to allow people time to evaluate the decision outside the group context.

Step 5. Implement and Assess the Solution

Implementing the solution requires some advanced planning and should not be rushed unless the group is operating under strict time restraints or if delay may lead to some kind of harm. Although some solutions can be implemented immediately, others may take days, months, or years. As was noted earlier, it may be beneficial for the group to poll those who will be affected by the solution as to their opinion about it or even to do a pilot test to observe the effectiveness of the solution and how people react to it. Before implementation, the group should also determine how and when they will assess the effectiveness of the solution by asking, “How will we know if the solution is working or not?” Since solution assessment will vary based on whether or not the group is disbanded after implementation, the group should also consider the following questions:

• If the group is disbanded after implementation, who will be responsible for assessing the solution?
• If the solution fails, will the same group reconvene or will a new group be formed?

Once a solution has been reached and the group has the “green light” to implement it, implementation should proceed deliberately and cautiously, ensuring that all possible consequences are considered and addressed as needed.

Certain elements of the solution may need to be delegated to various people both inside and outside the group. Group members may also be assigned to implement a particular part of the solution based on their role in the decision making or because it connects to their area of expertise. Likewise, group members may be tasked with publicizing the solution or “selling” it to those outside the group. Lastly, the group should consider its future. In some cases, the group will get to decide whether it will stay together and continue working on other tasks or whether it will disband. In other cases, outside forces may determine the group’s fate.

In some cases, you may need to dive deeper into a problem or look at the problem using a much different lenses to understand or solve it. Consider some of the strategies for critical listening, critical thinking, and critical ignoring discussed in another section of this chapter.

Although the problem-solving strategies given above need time and practice to learn, become proficient in, and become habit, the efforts are worthwhile because it will result in decisions that are made based on sound information and team input.