One of the first things I have to do when I engage with a new client is decide what problem we are solving. Should be easy, huh? After all, they told me what the problem was when they brought me in, didn’t they?

Unfortunately, our perception of a problem depends on our emotional attachment to what we think the solution is. For instance, frequently the people I work with at the client company either fear that THEY are the problem (it always amazes me when one or more of the team members say “are you are here because I….”) or are certain that they have nothing to do with the situation that they are unhappy about.

So we start with getting agreement on the issue — what do we observe that is not how we would like it to be. Notice I said “what we observe” not “what we think it happening”. Generally I can get a group to agree on the results they are not getting, or the behavior that is getting in the way. It gets a little trickier when I ask them to each describe for me what “fixed” would look like — the characteristics of the desired state. Sometimes just the exploration of what each sees as the desired state — and the identification of places where they want something different — can lead the team to an insight about the source of the issue.

Once we know where we are trying to go, we begin the search for the “root cause”. Sometimes issues are “over-determined” — a great psychological term that means there is more than one contributing cause. My job is to help identify one or more root cause — the deepest level of the dynamic that is played out in the behavior that people see. It is common that there are contributing causes at the business (an issue or a lack of clarity in the business model), the team (a collective behavior or norm) and individual (a more psychological issue with one or more of the individuals) levels.

The key is not just to identify the root cause, but to begin to formulate the recommended actions. Notice I don’t say “the solution” — just like there can be many contributing causes, there are many possible actions that could impact the situation. The key is finding an action people are willing to take, and then measuring the improvement.

Actually, as important as it is that I diagnose the problem accurately, it is even more critical that I manage the implementation of the solution appropriately. The people involved in the client company usually feel quite vulnerable — as if they are being judged (perhaps unfairly) by an outsider with her own agenda. Therefore, it is critical that I manage appropriately and respectfully the communication and buy-in of the observations, the diagnosis, the options for solution and the plan for implementation. The reality is, there is no way I can manage the process carefully enough that no one feels tense or afraid — in fact, part of the solution is usually to help people accept tension and conflict and learn to communicate and manage the relationships through the tense times.

The process of you solving problems in and with your own team is similar. The attached graphic illustrates one way of thinking about the stages of solving a problem. The key to success is to move through the process in a way that promotes good team behavior around communication, decision-making and collaboration.

Problem-solving Process