Page 195 - 4- Leading_from_Within

is often helpful to begin a problem-solving session by asking the involved
parties to state their areas of agreement, rather than their differences.
Periodically during the defining process, the parties should be asked to list
the things upon which they have agreed. By doing this, it is possible to get

people to see how many agreements they have reached rather than how
many disagreements they have left to resolve.

As was discussed concerning conflict resolution and negotiation, the key to
creative problem-solving is an understanding of the needs and desires of
the other party. Unless you have a good idea of what the other person

thinks the problem is, what they want, why they want it, and what they
think might be fair, you will be groping in the dark for an outcome that
will meet their interests as well as yours. If a negotiation is to be
successful, both sides must learn to say, “If I were in their place, maybe I
would take a similar position.” Until you have managed to see the

problem from the other person’s perspective as well, you haven’t really
defined it.

Step 2: Researching the Problem

Good research and information-gathering is also key to defining and

ultimately resolving a problem or set of problems. It is important at an
early stage in this process to learn as much as possible about the problem,
including talking with those individuals involved in and/or familiar with
the problem. Asking insightful questions can go a long way in gaining a
better understanding.

You can see a lot by looking. Yogi Berra

The organization needs good information to make good decisions. In the
absence of good data and information, members waste time in pointless
discussion over opinions, and the problem with opinions is that we all

have different ones.

Collecting appropriate and accurate information is actually essential

David Kolzow 195