How to Problem-Solve Using a Team Approach

By Linda Bambacus

“Change alone is unchanging.”   The words ring as true today as when uttered almost 2,500 years ago by the Greek philosopher Herakleitos.  In an era marked by unrelenting change and global competition, organizations face new problems—and the solutions can sometimes seem elusive.  That’s why the ability to anticipate and adapt to change is an increasingly valued skill among growing and successful organizations. 

But many individuals and workgroups lack the skills needed to separate causes from effects and apply critical thinking to devise solutions.  All too often, they use old solutions to tackle new problems. 

Fortunately, defining and solving problems doesn’t require the wisdom of an ancient philosopher.  Problem solving lends itself to a structured approach that can be applied to develop innovative—and sometimes startlingly simple—solutions to conquer even the most deep-rooted organizational problems.  Not surprisingly, it starts with people.

Step One: Involve the Right People

Establishing a cross-functional team comprised of technical and process experts from across the organization is the crucial first step to removing barriers to performance.   Why cross-functional?  Most of the processes (and problems) that impede quality, productivity or customer satisfaction cut across department or functional lines.  Gaining a detailed understanding of the problem(s) and developing solutions that produce sustainable improvement requires a diverse set of individuals, each of whom brings unique knowledge and perspective to the table.

By involving the right people, with the right breadth of experience, organizations can piece together the “big picture” of the current state of things and begin to develop solutions that work for the total organization—not just for one area.  This approach avoids the “law of unintended consequences,” the unintended outcome in which improvements in one area are offset by declines in another because the right people weren’t in the room to weigh in about the current situation and possible upstream (or downstream) implications of proposed solutions. 

The individuals tapped to participate on a cross-functional team may not normally work together.  In fact, they may come to the team with deeply rooted feelings about what “those guys” in “that department” are doing that cause problems.  Good!  Those perceptions may or may not be factually correct, but it’s absolutely necessary to get them out in the open so that the group can separate opinions from facts and paint a full and accurate picture of the current state.  Armed with the facts, it’s not unusual for the team to debunk long-held opinions (sometimes called “corporate myths”) about how things work, or the amount of resources being applied to a certain activity, etc.  These interactions can be intense, sometimes even uncomfortable.  Different backgrounds, cultures and experiences don’t necessarily make for a smooth or easy process.  But those differences enrich the team and help them move the problem-solving process forward.

Team participation tip: Members of the team should be involved throughout all five steps outlined here.  Rotating members in and out (or pulling members due to daily operational demands) only fragments accountability and interrupts continuity.  It may seem like a large investment to commit key people to the entire process, and it is.  But the rewards far outpace the investment.

Step Two: Define the Current State

Most of the problems we deal with are fundamentally process problems.  A process is nothing more than a sequence of activities that ultimately produces something that touches the customer (for example, a product or a bill).  Understanding how the process works today (the current state) is essential; a solid fact base is the foundation for recommending future state improvements.  Mapping the process will help the team clearly see gaps and redundancies in the current state – simply put, where it falls short of achieving the organization’s and the customer’s expectations. 

A critical phase during Step Two is achieving clarity around the root causes of the problem versus contributing causes.  Why?  Has your organization ever “fixed” a problem only to have the improvement fade or not be realized at all?  Failure to engage the right cross-functional experts could be a reason why this happens (refer to Step One – Involve the Right People).  It could also be that the fix was applied to a symptom rather than the real or root cause.  In complex processes, it can be tricky to isolate root from contributing causes.  Here’s a simple test to separate the wheat from the chaff: If we eliminate the issue in question, will it eliminate the problem?  If the answer is yes, then we’ve found a root cause.  If the answer is no, then the odds are we’re looking at a symptom or contributing cause—not the actual root of the problem. 

Step Three: Define the Future State

Once the current state is fully understood, the next step is to explore ways to change it and make it better.  Designing the future state—“how we want things to be”—challenges the creativity of the team.  There may be many options, but which one is the best?  This could involve redesigning the current process (adding or removing steps to reduce cycle time, or improve quality or productivity).  It could also involve a complete “ground-up” redesign of a process.  The key is to get all the ideas on the table so that the team can then assess feasibility, cost, potential barriers to success, and most importantly, whether each option fulfills the fundamental purpose or goal of the organization.  Defining the delta between the current state and the desired future state establishes the improvement opportunity—the benefit that can be achieved by implementing change.

Some guidelines for assessing the proposed solutions:

Step Four: Recommend the Solution

At this stage, the team should be able to take all the data and related learnings gathered during the course of its work and apply their best collective judgment to form a consensus around the best solution (future state).  The best solution is the one that best eliminates root causes and helps the organization achieve its goals (improved quality or productivity or reduced cost, etc.).   

Most likely, the team will have developed multiple solutions that need to be assessed.  But in most cases there will be one solution that clearly satisfies the initial imperative around quality, cost, etc. that appears most feasible to implement and that can produce sustainable improvement.  By systematically ranking alternatives while assuring key goals, facts and risks are taken into account, the team forms its consensus and settles on its recommendation, which in turn is carried forward to the approving individual or group.  Using established tools and techniques, many diverse perspectives converge on the optimal solution.

Another tip: Every process lends itself to measurement.  A solid, well-formed recommendation will incorporate the necessary performance measures that define success and help ensure the new process is “in control” and producing desired results.

Step Four: Test

The best laid plans… well, you know.  The more complex the issues and the magnitude of the proposed change, the more prudent it is to pilot test the redesigned process.

But, you say, we involved all the right people, we clearly defined root versus contributing causes, and we screened the recommendation using all the caveats listed above.  Testing will just delay our ability to reap the benefits of the team’s hard work. 

That may be true.  But it’s also true that you want the change to actually work.  If the proposed change is substantial and the potential resistance within the organization is likely to be high, all the more reason to validate that the intended benefits are achievable while, at the same time, work out any remaining “kinks” in the process.  Think of it this way:  If you’re willing to invest the time and effort of some of your best and brightest to fix a fundamental problem, and their proposal has the potential to drive quality, productivity or customer satisfaction to unprecedented heights, aren’t you willing to make sure the team (and your company) gets 100% of the benefit?

Step Five: Implement the Change

Here’s another good reason for involving a cross-functional team in the process.  Most people need and want to feel accountable – to have a direct stake in their company’s success and the rewards (and risks) that can come as a result.  Having the team highly involved in implementation applies their deep knowledge of the process, reinforces their accountability and allows them to make corrections, as necessary, during roll-out.   

The result?  A new and more effective process is implemented by a team of experts.  And you’ve built a group of loyal believers who will continually seek to improve processes by applying a combination of analytical and creative thinking.  Members of the team will recognize the opportunities that change offers and will encourage that same spirit in others. 

The Nolan Edge

The difference between change that succeeds and change that fails is often not the caliber of thinking or level of effort put forth.  Even the most successful teams need encouragement and guidance to keep the change process on track.  Experienced facilitators with extensive process skills and deep knowledge about your industry can add value to the problem-solving process outlined above.

Engaging a well qualified firm that offers the right combination of skill and experience is an important decision.  The Robert E. Nolan Company’s approach to problem solving is flexible and focused on producing customized solutions for your organization.  We understand that your company is unique and that pre-formed or generic solutions can’t achieve the significant and sustainable results you expect. 

If you’d like to discuss getting started or need facilitation help, give us a call at 877-736-6526.