A Framework and Set of Tools Helps Teamwork Happens

By Paul Wright

Originally appeared in the International Creativity Network Newsletter, volume 5, number 1, 1995, pages 1-2, 5.

Author's note: In order to improve teamwork and problem solving within the modern "delayered and empowered" organization, individuals must be given the tools for working effectively in teams. By improving unstructured "people processes" such as problem solving and decision making, both business effectiveness and staff morale is raised.

Business Process Reengineering is great fun for consultants and business gurus, but it can leave managers and executives feeling disoriented. As a result, change can be undermined if company staff feel sidelined by events beyond their control.

To counter this, it is common to tell staff that they are now empowered to make decisions and run their own lives. Unfortunately, what is often lacking is any framework or tools to help them handle decision-making within the new teams that spring up to replace the old hierarchies. What is needed is a reengineering of the ways that individuals work together on unstructured and "fuzzy" problems which is what most of the important ones tend to be!

Teamwork does not just happen automatically. Jon Katzenback and Douglas Smith in their book Why Teams Matter describe a team as "a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals and working approach, for which they hold themselves mutually accountable." Clearly, areas like common purpose and mutual accountability have to be worked on; they rarely exist when a group of people first meets.

With luck and plenty of time, a true team may evolve to tackle problems effectively, but this can simply take too long. An agreed framework and tools help speed up the process of team building and action planning.

Creative Problem Solving as a Framework for Reengineering

A framework which has been widely used in Bull and a number of other companies to help the work of teams is Creative Problem Solving.

Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is a structured approach to investigating problems, developing solutions and planning actions to implement them and a set of tools and techniques to help the problem solving process.

CPS is usually applied by groups of 6-12 people helped by a facilitator. However, larger groups are feasible and the CPS approach can also help individuals tackle problems on their own.

It normally requires three types of participants: a Client who "owns" the problem to be solved; a Resource Group which will work on the problem; and a Facilitator who understands the process and will guide the Resource Group's efforts on behalf of the Client.

During the CPS session, the facilitator guides the process but the resource group is responsible for the generation content. The facilitator does not contribute any of his/her own ideas to the ideas to the session, although the client may join in with the resource group if he or she wishes.

The client's essential role is to help guide the development of the problem solving session. Normally, the facilitator will invite the client to comment at key points in the session and the client may select particular ideas or proposed actions that he/she would like the group to develop further. CPS sessions will often deviate in this way from their original plan because promising new approaches are thrown up during the session.

The full CPS process has three components: Understanding the Problem; Generating Ideas; and Planning for Action. Prior to the CPS session, the client and facilitator meet to discuss the problem to be solved and which stages of the process would be most appropriate. The purpose of this meeting is to ensure that the problem is correctly stated and to agree to the content and expected output of the planned session.

Stages and Phases of CPS

Studies of creativity have identified the importance of both "divergent" and "convergent" thinking. Divergent thinking is characterized by a free wheeling, uncritical flow of ideas, some of which may be extremely novel and/or apparently impractical. Convergent thinking is more analytical and deliberate, and pays more attention to weighing pros and cons.

Divergent thinking is often inaccurately thought of as the "creative" phase. Both divergent and convergent thinking can be creative in generating novel solutions to problems. The difference is that divergent thinking tends to generate ideas which break with the past approaches, while convergent thinking tends to build on past approaches and add value incrementally.

In fact, the most useful ideas often emerge from a combination of these two ways of thinking. Divergence ensures that you consider as many options as possible; convergence identifies and consolidates the most promising ideas. The CPS process deliberately alternates between these two modes of thought in order to maximize practical creativity.

Advantages of a Structured Approach

CPS has shown the following key advantages over unstructured approaches to problem solving:

• Speedy progress can be made and useful CPS sessions can be as short as an hour;
• A broad range of options for problem solution are considered, helping to introduce innovation;
• There is better participation by each group member, since because using basic tools and a "common language" ensures that many ideas and views are aired;
• There is improved group collaboration and commitment to the resulting action plan since it is perceived as a joint effort; and
• CPS sessions are usually fast paced and fun, raising group morale and motivation.

Problem Solving Tools

Using the right tools makes the teaming process more exciting and involving. Most of us would not rate business meetings as the high spots of our lives. They often fail us both as a way of organizing business and as a way of feeling more involved with our colleagues. Meetings can be bureaucratic events where real questions are not asked and real opinions are not aired. Yet most of us would like to feel part of a team with a common purpose and mutual support. The right tools can help bring all views and options into the open and build consensus and enthusiasm.

A variety of tools for aiding divergent and convergent thinking are available within CPS. Many of these are not unique to CPS, but become especially effective when used within the CPS framework. Some key tools include:

• Brainstorming with Post Its. Like standard brainstorming but quicker and better for shyer participants.
• Brainwriting. A variant of brainstorming which encourages progressive build up of ideas.
• Forced Relationships. Use of pictures and objects unrelated to the problem to stimulate original thinking.
• Highlighting. Grouping options into categories to help further development.
• Hits. Selecting options with adhesive dots.
• Paired Comparison Matrix. Used to compare and prioritize options.
• Evaluation Matrix. Used to evaluate options against agreed selection of criteria.
• The use of the tools is guided by the facilitator so a group does not need prior experience or training.

Keeping Track of Output: Audit Trails

A typical CPS session may last from an hour up to a full day and can result in a number of outputs (ideas, proposed actions, etc.) that need further development.

This is why the audit trail is so important. The facilitator and client will collaborate after each session to ensure that relevant inputs and outputs are documented and fed back to the appropriate people. This record can then be used as input to follow up CPS sessions, even if a different resource group is involved. Fortunately, much of CPS is self documenting and audit trail work consists mainly of typing from piles of PostIt[TM] notes!

Conclusion

People need a framework and tools with which to tackle problems in business, especially when the world is changing so rapidly. Both business effectiveness and personal satisfaction are increased by using an approach that encourages creativity and recognizes each individual's unique contribution. "People Process Reengineering", exemplified in the CPS framework, is a natural complement to Business Process Reengineering.

Adapted from People Process Reengineering by Paul Wright.

Contact Information: Paul Wright, Bull Information Systems, Maxted Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 7DZ, England. phone: 011 44 1442 884998.

AJD 12/02