How to Involve Your Team in Problem Solving

Resolving problems in organizations often requires managers to take off their usual supervision hat (telling their employees what to do) and put on their facilitation hat (asking their employees what to do). As these managers have learned, seeking the input of their employees who do the work often brings the most practical and lasting solutions to problems.

To begin the facilitation process with your employees, you can use this three-step approach:

1. Explain the problem (what’s not working currently and how is this problem negatively affecting the workplace now)
2. Identify your desired solution (what outcome are you seeking and what’s better about your outcome than the current way of doing things)
3. Facilitate a brainstorming discussion (encourage your team to give you their ideas on how to solve this problem)

Since you are facing this problem in the workplace, steps 1 and 2 probably need little work from you. Getting your employees started in the brainstorming process may be difficult however particularly if the problem is complex. One approach you can use to accelerate this process  is to set goals for your brainstorming discussion. Using a tool called Idea Quota, you can create an environment that encourages your employees to help you with organizational problem solving.

How Idea Quota Works

This is how Idea Quota works:

1. Set a quota for the number of ideas that you want your employees to come up with for the problem that you face. (Keep the number realistic so your employees do not become resistant to participating.)
2. Encourage them to brainstorm different ideas. (Keep your employees focused on generating ideas without evaluating them so they do not cut off the flow of suggestions.)
3. Establish a deadline for generating the ideas. (This could be a time limit during a meeting you are leading or a certain period of time outside of the meeting to come up with the ideas.)
4. Refine the ideas. (Have your employees develop the best ideas for implementation.)

Some strategies you can use for Step 4 (Refine the Ideas) is to have your employees identify the best ideas and then further develop them as necessary. For example, some of the employees’ current ideas might build on previous ideas that someone suggested for this problem. You can also combine ideas among the current list to develop new ideas.  Finally, you can take what seems like a good idea and purposely ask the employees to take an opposite approach to see if they can make that idea more feasible.

As you facilitate the discussion in Step 4, be careful to keep your facilitation hat on and keep your supervision hat off until you’ve finished your Idea Quota facilitation work. You can cut off employee discussion and some good ideas by inserting your opinion too much. You can also do this by signaling your preferences too early either through your body language or by steering the questions in a certain direction too obviously. In general, let your employees do this work as much as possible. Until you’re ready to finalize a recommendation, your role here is more about asking questions, encouraging participation, restating different ideas, ensuring all team members have an opportunity to participate, and generally leading your team to the best solution.

Why Idea Quota Works

Idea Quota takes some time but it can be a powerful tool to help you manage workplace innovation. Idea Quota is a powerful tool for problem solving because it combines goal setting with brainstorming. First, skilled brainstorming facilitation is very motivating to employees as you are sharing your power in the organization with them.  Second, there is something about setting goals that helps to focus organizational efforts. Establishing a number of ideas that you want to generate for a problem is a goal. When you involve your employees in setting goals with you that are realistic and challenging, they will often rise to meet the goals.

Here’s some final advice from me on this approach: You can create excitement and potentially better ideas by offering some form of rewards, making it a fun competition, and recognizing and celebrating your employees’ efforts. The next time you face a difficult problem try imposing an idea quota on yourself and your employees.