Appreciative Problem Solving:
The Power of Positive Inquiry to Make Improvements that Last
June 2006

If you're on a hike in the woods and you get a pebble in your shoe, you need to stop, take off your shoes, and remove the pebble. Otherwise, you're going to have a pretty miserable experience. In business, that pebble is called a problem. Effective business leaders need to be effective problem solvers who pay attention to the pebbles as they appear.

But what do you do when one of those stubborn pebbles keep coming back?

In every business, sometimes the same pebble somehow jumps back into your shoe over and over. Or more painful, you can't seem to get to it with traditional problem solving and it turns into a blister that causes the organization to limp. Left unattended, it becomes infected with pretty unhealthy consequences.

With these chronic cases, try a different approach.

It's hard to see the beauty in the forest, if the only things you notice are the pebbles in your shoes. In fact, they seem to multiply when they receive all your attention. I'm sure you've experienced organizations like this. There is an air of dissatisfaction and gloom. Often, people avoid problems to avoid the blame that comes with them, allowing the negative outcomes to continue. You see lots of CYA instead of honest dialogue and collaboration. This is neither fun nor healthy.

It's time to expand your view of problem solving.

Sit by the stream for a minute. As you gaze out at the incredible surroundings that inspired you to take this hike in the first place, take stock of the great equipment you have and how well the rain gear you bought at REI is working for you. You imagine it may be time to invest in those spiffy hiking boots to replace the old shoes that have a hole in them. This is an appreciative approach to problem solving - recreating what's working. When a chronic undesirable outcome occurs or negative atmosphere exists, focus on the desirable outcome or environment you really want. Take the time to reconnect with the big picture of your highest intention. This will add perspective, motivation, and a positive image of the future.

A big problem led to a huge breakthrough - a story from the Lion's Heart.

One of our clients used this approach and completely transformed a chronic situation that had plagued them for years. Human Resources constantly received complaints about how the operators on the manufacturing floor were being treated by their leads. The leads distributed the work to be done and provided training. Complaints centered on perceived preferential treatment for some operators and disrespectful communication. The operator group is very ethnically diverse with almost 100% speaking English as a second language. The leads, promoted primarily based on their excellent technical skills and work ethic, had no previous supervisory experience. Something was missing in their management skill set.

They'd tried traditional problem solving many times with no lasting success.

This is an excellent company with an overall reputation for being one of the best places to work in the state. They took these complaints seriously and tried many remedies: focus groups, all employee meetings, reviewing policies to assure fairness, individual coaching and counseling for the leads, and a host of other approaches. Nothing stuck.

Appreciative problem solving in action.

First, we invited a group who had repeatedly confronted the HR Director about this problem to a meeting to give them a chance to air their grievances fully with the promise we were taking fresh action.

Next, we met with the six leads who were the target of the employee complaints and shared what had happened with the operator group. They expressed dismay and frustration. "Why are they saying this?" "Don't they know how hard we try?" Many incidents of how they'd bent over backward for an operator were shared as they became more and more upset. To end the escalating reaction we took a stand: "You're upset, the operators are upset, and everything we've tried so far hasn't worked. Are you ready to try something new?" "Yes! Please!"

Building trust through real life stories.

It was apparent from the interaction among the leads that there was an undercurrent of mistrust within their group. So we divided them into pairs with the assignment to interview each other on the topic of leadership. Each received a set of questions designed to bring out stories about the best and highest experiences of leadership in their lives. The final question asked the interviewee to describe the best imaginable team environment possible.

When the interviewers shared with the group what they had learned from their partner in the interview you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was deeply moved by the stories of courage it took to flee oppression in their native lands and the hope they carry for a better future. The level of intimacy and honor the process generated made a lasting impression. The new trust created by sharing their stories laid the foundation for moving forward as a team.

Creating a new future.

Next, we used the best imaginable team environment descriptions from the interviews to create an image of what the group really wanted, not the negative environment they found themselves in now. We listed themes that captured what qualities would be present in that positive future vision. Words like inspiring, respectful, listening, humility, and trusting were common among the group. The behaviors listed were clear expectations, acknowledging good performance, helping each other when needed, being friendly and supportive. This day launched a year long development program specifically for the lead group.

Eureka! A whole new world opens up.

About two months into the program, a huge breakthrough occurred. One of the leads, I'll call Joe, who had the reputation as the toughest task master, participated in an exercise called "Catching What's Right". One person played an operator for this exercise and had the HR Director 'train' him on a task of drawing lines on a flip chart. After three attempts to perform the task with each one resulting in clearer and clearer instructions and better and better results, he tried one more time. The task was to draw ten vertical, parallel lines. Nine were perfect with one slightly longer and at a slight angle to the others.

We asked the group for their feedback on his work. Most of them immediately pointed out the one wrong line. But Joe was silent for a while and then a big smile lit up his face; "You did nine perfect", he said, "Just make that one look like the other nine and they will all be perfect". "I caught you doing what's right," he declared.

At that moment, he understood what appreciative problem solving is all about - seeing what's right and replicating it.

The results prove the process.

The previously dour and critical Joe became the model for positive and encouraging interaction with his team members. A year and a half later, the number of complaints has dropped significantly, productivity is well ahead of goal, and the leads are operating as a tight, effective team pushing their supervisors for more challenging work.

Appreciative problem solving isn't the right approach for every problem or situation. If you've just been bitten by a poisonous snake, gathering your fellow hikers around to tell stories about their most enriching experience with snakes is not the best idea! But, for those recurring problems that are important - maybe even life-threatening, but definitely energy draining - try an appreciative approach:

See our free resource #8 on Appreciative Problem Solving or contact our office at 503-632-8572 for help with making the difference you really want to make.