The 11 Rules for Problem Solving & Brainstorming Success

Rarely is there a problem without a solution and often the solution is within your Team's capabilities to solve.  Here's how to facilitate your Team toward a solution.

The 11 Rules for Problem Solving and Brainstorming. 

1. Headline the Problem / Issue / Opportunity:  Newspaper headline terms
2. Provide Background: Current situation, Which are Symptoms and Causes, Give context in which a solution is sought, Define the ground rules for a successful solution
3. Re-define the Problem:  After discussions with the group working the Problem / Issue / Opportunity reframe the Problem.  Likely a new problem statement emerges
4. Define the Desired Outcome:  What is needed/wanted/must have?  How important and committed are the players to the solution? What does success look like? Begin with the end in mind. Work the outcome backwards – what do you have to believe to achieve the outcome, what are the assumptions?
5. Generate Ideas of Possible Solutions:  No idea is a bad idea, no critique of person with idea.  Look for relationships of ideas: Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive and Complete - MECEC
6. Select Ideas of Possible Solutions:  Prioritize selected ideas as compared to desired results
7. Get Benefits and Concerns:  What are the pluses of going forward?  Concerns – what I Wish I Knew – IWIK and How To – H2, Go through “what if” questions and scenarios - What if things go right? What if they go wrong?
8. Work the Critical Concerns:  What are the critical concerns that would impede success?
9. Define an Action Plan & Next Steps for Implementation – Rules of the Game, Urgency to act – why, who, what, when, where, how, mission – strategy/tactics
10. How to Sell / Persuade / Communicate in the other person’s interest – WIFME (What’s in It For Me) perspective, factor the people’s personalities involved and how best to communicate with them
11. Work Fast:  Keep the tempo up.  Go for the 80/20 solution.  Keep sessions short and flexible.  Focus on what you can do.  Identify issues that aren't important and urgent and assign a smaller group to work and report back.

This is one more area where our business coaches excel.  They know how to facilitate these important sessions so business owners and their teams are aligned. What would that do for your business productivity?