Before you can start creating solutions, you need to truly understand the problem. Working through this “problem space” is where you begin to really understand what your constituents need, learn their true pain points, and elicit the hidden realities of the task at hand. The problem space can be messy and uncomfortable, but it’s also the place where good ideas are born.
I often get approached with solutions disguised as problems. With a little patience, and a half-dozen questions, I can usually stay in the problem space long enough to get to the heart of the challenge. For example, a colleague approached me recently to see if I’d help her design a new process for developing website copy. She thought the problem was the lack of process; it turns out the problem was lack of trust among the web team. If I’d designed a process as she’d asked, they’d have likely ended up no better than they were. Instead, we addressed some of the trust issues first and the team ended up working out their own process (which was much better than anything I’d have been able to conjure up).
I’ve found that staying the problem space is particularly difficult for technology professionals. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing: Many of the IT people I know have an extreme customer service orientation and they just want to solve their client’s problem quickly. Translation is often a big part of this challenge: The client and the IT professional aren’t always speaking the same language, and it’s sometimes just easier to accept the problem as it’s stated and move on. When I’m coaching IT leaders, I encourage them to take a step back and spend some time to find out what’s really going on:
Approach the conversation with curiosity and humility. You’re not asking them questions to make yourself look superior or to point out their mistakes. You’re genuinely interested in what they have to say, but you don’t have all of the answers—you’re simply trying to learn more.
Ask open-ended questions. As a questionologist, I’m a big fan of the problem space. Questions can challenge the status quo, introduce diverse perspectives, and keep people in the problem space rather than jumping to solutions. The classic “Tell me more…” can go a long way here. If you’re fortunate enough to have the time and opportunity, ask them to walk you through the problem first hand. If you’re exploring the online checkout process, for example, sit down with them in front of their computer and have them show you how they do it.
Listen and check for understanding. Your job at this point is listening, not talking. But if you want clarification, or need to process what you’re hearing out loud, you can reflect the other person’s responses: “What I hear you saying is…”
Stay in the problem space. When the conversation inevitably starts to stray into Solution Land, gently guide it back. Sometimes reframing the proposed solution as an outcome can help: “That idea sounds like it might address a need for more efficient communication…”
Avoid defensiveness, judgement, and assumptions. This one is really hard, especially when you’re talking about a problem in which you’re implicated. If you’re sitting down to ask about someone’s experience with your website, it’s going to be really tempting to justify the decisions you made to build it. But the other person almost certainly doesn’t have the same experience as you. Be empathetic and start from the premise that what they’re saying is not intended to be personal.