Conversation as a problem solving approach
Share this article:
In my last post I suggested a few possible ideas for topics to produce blog posts about. Thanks to those who sent me messages with their thoughts on the topics they would like me to write about. I will get to those as soon as I can.
In the meantime, I am on a train returning from a coaching session and am inspired to write about the importance of conversation. In the session, I somewhat recklessly described work as being about conversations and relationships. Of course, that’s open to dispute, and I was using those two areas of focus to make a point. But it is important to never underestimate the power of conversation in all that we do.
It is so easy to see think that we need to do everything ourselves and that opening work up to the involvement of others is an indication of weakness. It is the opposite. When we involve others in the work that we deliver we make it more relevant, more widely owned and we ensure that we are drawing on a vast array of strength beyond our own.
In discussing this, I was asked who we should draw on for conversation and came up with a few ideas:
- Direct reports – conversation with those who work to us a great way to get proper engagement with the work that our team needs to deliver
- Colleagues – peers at the same level in the organisation. Again, a good way to draw in the skills and influence of other teams.
- The Boss – conversation with the boss can be a great way to clarify a particular issue
- Friends – an outside perspective on the problems that we are struggling with can be incredibly helpful
- Mentors / Coaches – people who can help us with skilful questions and a safe place for conversation about challenges that we face
- Ourselves – yes, talking to ourselves can be a great way to engage in conversation about a topic. This can be on the page, or recorded monologue. We can also develop it into a dialogue if that is helpful, asking ourselves questions and then recording the answers
That was as far as we got in the session. Since then, here on the train as I whizz through the countryside, I’ve come up with some more ideas:
- Authors – focused reading can ensure that the books we are reading give us the opportunity to dig out ideas that can create a meaningful “conversation” about issues we are working through.
- Heroes – who do you admire? What would they do in this situation? I have written about this previously. It’s a great technique to get us to think differently.
- Looking for clues – do we notice coincidences, synchronicities. Does something seem to be giving us the answer that we are looking for? This is a form of conversation with the world around us. Don’t ignore it.
- Outside reflecting our intuition – similar to the previous one. How does what is going on around us reflect the powers of our intuition? If we bump into someone is that a great opportunity to solve the problem we are facing?
Plenty of different ways to think about conversation as a way to solve problems or move us forward with a challenge. Do you know of other ways?
1 thought on “Conversation as a problem solving approach”
I’ve been thinking about this too interestingly and drawn to the notion having many self states…. a bit like De Bono and 6 thinking hats, although I’ve gone for characters to name mine to make it a bit more interesting. Currently practicing my Yoda 🙂