Description
Creating a clear and agreed-upon Problem Statement BEFORE your team moves to identifying solutions is a proactive decision-making process.
A Problem Statement helps
- define the most critical elements for resolving a team conflict or it can help
- identify the boundaries for a team improvement opportunity.
Writing a Problem Statement
In developing your problem statement, you need to
- Finish the sentence “The problem is…”
- Test your problem statement against the guidelines below
Problem Statement Guidelines
A Problem Statement simply defines the problem.
- It does not suggest the solution
- It describes what needs improvement – not why
- It is specific (what is seen/heard or not seen/heard) in its definition of the problem, thereby avoiding generalities that leave room for varied interpretations
- It is not stated as a question
- It identifies or reports the cost of the issue which could be used as the business justification for action
- It identifies both the objective and subjective baseline measures
It takes a couple of meetings to create a clear Problem Statement because teammates may need to conduct more research to help the team to create a good Problem Statement.
Start Now
In the download, you will find some good and poor Problem Statement examples.
Download this exercise and get started creating Right-Minded Teamwork in your team, today!
Dan Hogan, Certified Master Facilitator
PS. I used this exercise many times in my four-decade team facilitation career. It works. I promise!
Dan Hogan –
Hello fellow teammates! Dan Hogan here. I’m the co-creator of Right-Minded Teamwork.
During my three-decade team-building facilitation career, I used the Problem Statement exercise many times. It was very successful in that it almost guaranteed that all teammates were working to solve the “right” problem in the “right” way. So, download this exercise and get started today!