Collaborative Problem Solving

A Guide to Improving your Workplace

Chris J. Shannon

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781000389456
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

Drawing on knowledge from process improvement, organisation theory, human resource management, change management, occupational health and safety, and other fields, the book is a practical, easy-to-read guide to problem solving.

Illustrated with a series of short case studies, this book provides an integrated approach to problem solving in the workplace. Collaborative Problem Solving walks through the steps in the problem solving process, introducing dozens of tools, techniques, and concepts to use throughout. Chris J. Shannon describes the behaviours to practice which are most conducive to creating a positive problem solving culture based on curiosity, collaboration, and evidence-based thinking. This book explains why successful problem solving is a collaborative process and provides tools and techniques for responding to other people's behaviour when designing and implementing solutions.

Offering practical advice on problem solving in an easy-to-understand way, this book is aimed at people working in office environments, service industries, and knowledge organisations, enabling them to feel confident in applying the knowledge from the book in their own workplace.

Chapter 1

The Problem Solving Model

The model presented in this book has been developed through many years of experience participating in and leading teams in knowledge organisations, along with years of research and study. It is set out in simple language and a logical sequence. The intention is that the readers will quickly make sense of it and use the book to start their own problem solving efforts at a local level. Given the failure rate of organisational process improvement programmes have been estimated at anywhere between 50% and 95%¹ and change management failure has been estimated at up to 75%,² it is not feasible for people to sit back and wait for their organisation to change for them. The model borrows from many different sources and assembles them in an easily accessible way. Hopefully, by the end of the book, you will feel empowered to start using this approach.

Problem Solving Overview

The problem solving model in this book can be thought of as three concentric rings (Figure 1.1). The inner ring contains the problem solving process. The middle ring contains the tools that can be used at each step of the process. The outer ring contains the beheviours to practice when solving problems. Each ring is described in this chapter, leading to a more detailed view of the model on page 4.

Figure 1.1 Problem solving overview.

Within the inner circle, there is a problem solving process consisting of six steps arranged in a circle (Figure 1.2). The steps are:

1. Perceive the problem
2. Define the problem
3. Investigate the problem
4. Select a solution
5. Implement the solution
6. Review the results (and adjust as necessary)

Figure 1.2 Problem solving steps.

This model, or something similar to it, will probably look familiar. There are many variations on it, not only in problem solving but in other fields as well (see Similar Features). Many problem solving models stop at this point. They describe the steps and you are expected to simply go and do it. That does not seem particularly helpful. You can think of the problem solving process as the frame on which many problem solving tools are hung. However, using the tools in the steps is still not enough. You will achieve better outcomes if you also practice behaviours conducive to successful problem solving. It is the combination of all three which produces a powerful problem solving model that you can work with.

Each of the steps in the problem solving process is described in more detail below. Before getting into the detail, it is worth looking at the process diagram as a whole (Figure 1.2). The choice of a circle is deliberate, as is the use of arrows between each step. Circles signify a holistic approach and interconnectedness. They represent cyclic behaviour rather than specific events that have a beginning and an end. It is not about one-off events or dedicated change projects, but about developing skills to define and fix problems that you can use whenever you need to. The arrows between each step reflect the cyclic nature of problem solving. The arrow between Review and Perceive shows that problem solving is ongoing. There is always more improvement that can be made. It acknowledges that despite everyone’s best efforts, attempts to solve problems do not always go to plan. They can sometimes reveal other problems which were not apparent earlier. There might be unintended consequences of the solution which are first noticed as new problems, triggering the cycle to run again. It might seem obvious to start with a circle, but as described above, problem solving models come in many different shapes.

The middle ring of the model represents the tools that support the different steps of the model. The tools are listed near the end of this chapter and described in detail in the following chapters. Due to the number of tools described in the book, they are represented by a single ring around the problem solving process. You will see later in this chapter that they are set out in a table which sits under the circle. As you progress through the book, you will see that the tools presented can take several different forms. Some are document templates (such as a scoping document) or diagram templates (such as a fishbone diagram). Other tools are actually concepts (such as the eight wastes) and theories drawn from other disciplines. It is simpler and easier to use the word ‘tools’ to describe them all rather than using different terms like templates, or models, or concepts throughout the book.

Figure 1.3 Problem solving steps and tools.

Many of the tools described in the book are applicable to more than one step. For instance, five whys is a classic open-ended questioning approach which can be used at any step of the problem solving process. Similarly, customer journey maps can be used to investigate a problem as well as to review the results of a changed process. In writing the book, it has been assumed this is your first time through the problem solving process and so each tool has been introduced at the point where it is likely to be most useful on first use. However, the reader should not assume the book describes the one best way of doing things. There is no ‘one best way’ that will work equally well in every organisatio...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 The Problem Solving Model
• 2 Problem Solving Behaviour
• 3 Perceiving the Problem
• 4 Defining the Problem
• 5 Investigating the Problem
• 6 Selecting the Solution
• 7 Implementing the Solution
• 8 Reviewing the Results
• 9 Responding to Other People’s Behaviour
• Conclusion
• Index