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All of us are involved in some kind of problem solving every day, both in our personal and professional lives. One of the most effective is a model for collaborative problem solving.
The advantages of working collaboratively to solve problems:
- Working with interests often results in the identification of more possible solutions than were originally considered;
- By "expanding the pie", we end up with fair agreements that potentially meet more of our needs and are "win-win" rather than "win-lose"
- Creates greater satisfaction for all of the parties and promotes a foundation for future problem solving that is respectful and energizing rather than negative and depleting.
A Model for Collaborative Problem Solving:
1. Share Perspectives
- Use our communication skills to understand the other’s perception of the situation and their needs
2. Define the Issues
- Clarify the topics for discussion
3. Identify the Interests
- Go beyond the stated positions or solutions to figure out what the parties really need to have satisfied in order to reach agreement
- Look for the common ground between all parties
4. Generate Options - brainstorm and generate ideas, looking at the problem from all angles and considering as many different ideas as possible
5. Develop a Fair Standard or Objective Criteria for Deciding
-Using an agreed upon criteria, combine and reduce options
-Strive to "expand the pie" and create agreements for mutual gain.
6. Evaluate Options and Reach Agreement
agree with eliza................
