A Team That Stares at the Problem Statement

An interesting thing happens when team members grappling with a major decision or opportunity can stare at the problem statement. The many parts or facets of the problem will stand out like flashing lights. Confrontation with a visual of the problem statement serves to keep the team on task and in focus. 

Occasionally providing everyone in the room with this gentle reminder is a great way to wrestle a problem to the ground. Different parts of the statement become magnified during the discussion. The words used to describe the problem create a focus and gather attention. Team members are then more likely to debate the meaning of those words and describe why they accurately or inaccurately reflect the root issues. 

A visual representation provides a reference point for the discussion, ensuring the conversation revolves around the problem and not a tangential issue. When team members are forced to view the problem on a white board or screen, they are more likely to contribute their thinking about the complexities involved. Simply by keeping the problem statement front and center, leaders create a more open and collaborative environment for the discussion. 

It's hard to fully comprehend how such a simple tactic can have such a marked impact on the group discussion, but it does. By visually writing out the problem statement, team members instantly see key components and sub-issues associated with the problem. 

This structured approach helps in analyzing the problem from different angles and vantage points. As team members stare at the statement, the root causes underlying the problem come into sharp relief.

Try it with your team and see what influence it has on the discussion. Make sure everyone in the room can see the visual clearly and it is represented in a graphic large enough so it can’t be ignored. 

You are likely to find this simple tactic works wonders to keep the team in focus on the problem. But its bigger impact is with how it changes the discussion. Problem visuals create clear thinking. Leaders need all the help they can get when solving complex problems. This one is too easy to pass up.