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For a project manager (PM) the art of problem solving is a basic requirement. Think of a project manager having to deal with some issues in construction of a skyscraper. Even one week’s delay in the construction can result in increase in the total budget by hundreds of thousands of dollars. That’s the reason why a PM needs to be on top of his game in order to complete a project.
Collaborative problem solving skills can result in solving issues with clear goals in mind. It helps in creative solutions helping the entire project team. Coming up with precise steps can be difficult for a PM with little or no experience. The following 5 tips are written exactly for this scenario.
The Right Attitude
A collaborative problem solving approach starts with the PM having the right attitude and patience when coming to a meeting. Working together means presenting a variety of ideas and finding useful ways to draw connections instead of treating the project as a competition. This doesn’t mean every suggestion must be considered for a change in the process but even noting the drawbacks sometimes can yield good results. So a positive and correct attitude from the PM is the requirement for team collaboration.
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Individual Problem Solving
Though fresh perspectives are helpful, connecting with the group is often not the best starting point for working through complex issues. The PM can take the support of a task management software for group collaboration in this regard but the need of a problem solving model is essential anyway. Too much discussion during this phase is simply not good for the creative side of the team and can discourage members from thinking independently.
Splitting Bigger Groups into Smaller Ones
When it is precisely the time to bring together people from different teams for collaborative problem solving, keeping the size of them smaller is one way to do it efficiently. Staying connected and getting assistance from across the teams can help a great deal during the information gathering process. That’s why breaking into smaller groups can generate more effective problem solving activities that is also easy for the PM.
These focused clusters will come up with a wider range of theories and potential answers. You can also term it as a type of brainstorming but with far more reaching consequences as many smaller groups are involved in it. This results in lots of ideas shared with the PM with a wide range of theories and potential answers that can be evaluated and implemented among the larger team.
Space for Innovation and Conflict
Group discussions typically yield the best results when it comes to sharing problems and looking for solutions. But group discussions also serve another purpose well; they allow the top management or the project managers room for flexibility and let the conversation go down some unexpected paths. The following guidelines are important when you are leading such meetings:
- PM should strive to create a space where talented people are free to speak so that their voices can be heard. It is also a way to deal with procrastination for PM as lower staff tend to delay work or wait for an explicit order from their manager.
- For collaborative problem solving to work, team members need to feel like even thoughts that may be a little unusual or difficult to understand at first are welcomed in such meetings.
- At the same time, the group should be comfortable expressing disagreement and pointing out problems.
Transparent Communication and Progress
With the passage of time, leaders must keep the lines of communication among the team members open. Every individual taking part should understand how each assigned task is related and how they ultimately contribute to the overall goals. Tools for task management comes handy in these situations.
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