Some Ways to Work Together John Shea Allen, Shea & Associates 2/2/98


From time to time, we all work on problems with groups of people. Here is an outline of several ways that we have found helpful in that work.


Traditional Problem-Solving: (1) PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: What's the problem? Whose problem is it? (2) ANALYSIS OF CAUSES: What are the causes of the problem? (3) POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: How can we fix things? (4) ACTION PLANNING: Who will do what by when?


Resolution Process: (1) MISSION: As a group, what are we trying to accomplish? (2) BARRIERS: What sometimes gets in the way? (3) IDEAS: What ideas do we have to remove, go around or over the barriers? (4) COMMITMENT TO ACTION? Who will do what the group feels can be accomplished, by when?


Appreciative Inquiry: (1) TOPIC: What do we want to discuss? (2) QUESTIONS: What questions, related to the topic, will get people talking about what has gone well (e.g., peak experiences)?

(Example: If communication were the topic, questions might be something like: (a) Describe messages from team members that were clear and helpful? (b) What was it about such messages that you liked? (c) What do you value most about the way people communicate with you?)

(3) PROVOCATIVE PROPOSITIONS: What themes or threads emerge, and can we express them in affirmative, bold, present-tense terms? (4) COMMITMENT AND INNOVATION: What will we do in support of the provocative propositions, which reflect what has gone well and what we would like to do more of?



Harvard Negotiation Principles: (1) IDENTIFYING INTERESTS: What do JRJ and their representatives want and need? Helpers? Housemate? Others? (2) OPTIONS AND CREATIVE RESPONSE: What can we do to get everyone's legitimate, priority needs and interests met as well as possible? (3) PRINCIPLED DECISION-MAKING: What process and criteria do we use in coming to agreement on what to do? (4) MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS: How should we relate to one another and work together in a way that maintains effective working relationships?

(The Harvard Negotiation Group recommends that each person be unconditionally constructive, which means (1) doing things to maintain an effective working relationship, while (2) doing what is in each person's best interest. This means expressing one's own needs, interests and concerns, while doing things (e.g., approaching team decisions) in ways that support effective working relationships.)




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