How much time do you spend in meetings, dealing with
problems and knowing that the solution finally agreed upon
is merely adequate at best? If you find yourself wasting
valuable time in seemingly pointless meetings or find that
the intelligent and experienced people you have brought
together do not deliver the results you expected, then it
is worth considering a different approach. Businesses
depend on meetings to make decisions, solve problems and
share information. Getting the right people in the room is
only the beginning of being able to work together
effectively.
Cocreative problem solving is a facilitated approach to
complex problem solving that guides and supports
participants through the process of integrating facts,
opinions, values, hypotheses and questions into a
collectively inspired solution. It differs from the usual
approach in which problems are fragmented and simplified
through a pseudo-democratic 'group-think' in which only
ideas with consensus agreement go forward. This lacks
creativity and is rarely satisfactory or successful in
providing sustainable solutions to complex or difficult
problems. Can you really deliver on expectations with a
lowest common denominator approach to problem-solving?
Cocreative problem solving facilitates the emergence of
solutions that are not obtainable through logical/cognitive
thinking alone, by bringing into the process insights,
intuition and knowledge that is usually only accessible in
other contexts. The underlying principle is that
participants engaged in the problem solving process have
all the necessary competencies and knowledge to find a
sustainable solution to their problem and all that is
needed is trust and a shift in perspective to allow the
solution to emerge. The role of the facilitator is to
create a mutually supportive environment in which ideas can
be generated and challenged through deepening levels of
questioning and reflection.
Most importantly, cocreated solutions do not lack any of
the traditional goals of efficiency, productivity and
profitability, but will in addition always incorporate
meaning, motivation and values. It is a whole system
process, rather than the left-brained (logical and
analytical) processes we have tended towards since the
industrial revolution and is the result of decades of study
into the behaviours and attributes of knowledge-building
communities.
Cocreative problem solving can be used in any situation in
which a group of people are willing to work together and
can achieve rapid results from new and functionally diverse
teams. It can be exciting, fun, challenging and altogether
more satisfying than the usual process. However, if there
are significant trust issues within the group we would
advise that these are addressed first.
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Yolanda Dolling helps businesses reduce costs and increase
sales through partnership and collaboration.
For more on how to grow your business without destroying
yourself or the planet, go to:
http://www.advizory.com
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