To be or not to be, that is the question...or is it? The importance of getting the question right in problem solving

I was privileged to share the stage at a recent conference with the dynamic Jasper Soonevelt who spoke about autonomy in problem solving. In particular he talked about the importance of "framing the question".

How often do we ask for advice, and if we are lucky, have many people come to our aid - only to reject them, potentially leaving a slightly bitter taste in the mouth for bothering? ...and that's in daily life - how much worse if you were a manager?

Jasper's advice was - if asking for a solution - to:

1. State the parameters clearly - the restrictions the barriers - and these could relate to constraints placed by the organisation, the person, and the values you want the solution to maintain. Therefore, thinking about it as a venn diagram, the appropriate solutions would fall within a small area, but at least they would be acceptable.
2. Frame the question as above and try not to micromanage - if you as a manager are doing that, you've not framed the question well enough!

I loved this little gem of wisdom, and it's something I now try and work within, and what better place to practice than social media. On a couple of occasions I've noticed that when I've set the parameters you often get four types of answers:

i) Helpful

ii) Unhelpful because someone is trying to be funny

iii) Unhelpful because they just haven't read the question properly!!!

iv) "Unhelpful" because we all don't think the same, and a parameter you didn't think of in the first place comes up because someone else thought of it and saw it wasn't a restraining factor.

Number 4 is probably the hardest to deal with.

It is always important to remember that we don't think the same, and it is very difficult to appreciate every single eventuality. It becomes even more interesting when you want to reject that idea, but many other people have taken to it and are adding more suggestions using it.

This is where flexibility is more important that ego.

If you are inclined to reject that because you genuinely don't like it - that's one thing - say so, and explain why that wasn't set out in the first place; but if it is just because you hadn't thought about it and at face value it may not work - there can be merit in thinking about its fit as a solution a little longer.

While it is the most helpful to frame a question clearly in the first place - because that is the only way to generate meaningful solutions, it is also important to remain open to what you didn't frame, and why - after all, isn't that the very reason you involved others in the first place?!

...and learning from that may broaden your own approach to future questions, and probably generate better solutions too.

Audrey Tang (CPsychol) embeds positive psychology techniques in her executive training and coaching using the FIRO-B psychometric scale to focus on emotional need and expression. She is a TV Psychologist (The Chrissy B Show Sky203), and her book "Be A Great Manager - Now" promoting interpersonal strength and pro-active leadership and is available on Amazon.

For more about Audrey or to book a FIRO-B coaching session or a personal development training workshop: www.draudreyt.com