It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It’s that they can’t see the problem -G. K. Chesterton 

There are a number of systematic ways of solving problems. Some are useful in very specific situations, while others are powerful but very complicated. One of the ways we teach people to solve problems at Totem is using the 5 eyed method.

IDENTIFY what success looks like

You can only really solve a problem when you know exactly what outcome you are after.  When the problem is solved, what situation will you be in. Step one is to sort out what it is you are trying to achieve.

ISOLATE the real problem

If you have ‘flu which has given you a headache, you can stop the headache with an aspirin but while it might make you feel better, you will still have the ‘flu. You have tackled the symptom not the cause. The key to problem solving is to be able to look at all the symptoms and decide what the underlying problem that is causing them is.

INNOVATE multiple solutions to the problem

Once you have isolated the problem, you should come up with multiple solutions to the problem. It is unlikely that your first idea will be the best so produce as many as you feel necessary before committing to one course of action. This is known as ‘divergent thinking‘

IMPLEMENT the chosen solution

You then must chose a solution from the many that you came up with. Consider the merits of each and the drawbacks, eliminate one at a time if you need to until you have your chosen path of action. This process is known as ‘convergent thinking‘.

Once you have chosen a solution you must implement it to the best of your abilities.

INVESTIGATE whether the solution solves the problem

Finally, it’s important not to assume that because you chose the best solution from the ones you thought up, it will automatically work. Put a system in place for investigating whether your problem has really been solved. Make sure that all of the symptoms have gone away and the underlying issue has really been resolved.

Resources

A set of poker chips. 200 in four colours works fine, the less you have in more limited colours, the harder the task will be.

Instructions For Tutor

Give the group a box of poker chips. Tell them

“You have 20 minutes to create a means of transferring a message from one half of the group to the other using only the chips placed on the table.

No paper or pencils are permitted.

After 20 minutes I will split the group in two and half of you will be asked to leave the room. I will give the remaining participants a 20-30 letter message that may involve letters or numbers but no punctuation, which you must pass to the other group using only the poker chips”

Facilitate the creation of the code. This is where the bulk of the team dynamics and personal development takes place as the participants try to refine their aim, then develop the code and finally to ensure that everyoe understands the code.

Use whatever means you like to capture this discussion, we have successfully used video, notes, phrases used jotted on a blackboard and having observers taken from within the group.

When they have a code, split the group into two and send half out of the room. Give the other half a short (20-30 letter) message on a piece of paper and help them encode it.

The messages are best if they have several words, and aren’t too easy to guess once you have 2-3 of the words. We’ve used short Shakespeare quotes and the names of the building we are in.

Invite the other half back in to decode it and ensure that there is no  cheating.

Swap the two halves of the group over and try with a different message.

Using it elsewhere

We have used variants of this task in a number of places.

• On a beach with different coloured stones.
• In a forest using sticks.
• On a draughts (checkers) board using the pieces.
• In a park using “whatever you can find”.
• In a mountain campsite using “the contents of your rucksack”.

Doing it outside makes it a much more physical, tactile task and adds whole new areas of discussion such as role allocation “You go and collect black stones” or even “What shall we use?”.

Equipment: Post-Its, Whiteboard/Flipchart/Flat Surface and chalk/markers

Down the left hand side or along the bottom of the board write the numbers 0 to 5. Ensure they are spread out along the whole width to give the maximum room and that they are evenly distributed.

Ask each person to write their name on five post its. Then get them to write five activities or concepts that you have chosen underneath that. These activities/concepts should be things that people are commonly afraid of and should be pertinent to the course you are running or the daily lives of the group. For example, a group about to embark on an adventure week might be given “Deep Water, Heights, Confined Spaces, Mud and The Dark”. There is a list of possible ‘fears’ below but try to think about what fears the group might have already.

Once they have done this, ask the group to bring their post-its up to the board and stick them onto it in the appropriate position. Explain that the numbers have the following meanings.

0 – No fear at all
1 – Mildly Concerned
2 – Apprehensive
3 – Scared
4 – Very Scared
5 – Absolutely Terrified

Once the group have stuck their post-its on the board, you can look at it as a group and discuss the results. Particular attention can be paid to those that have a lot of high or low placements or those who are mostly low with one especially high one.

Done at the start of a course or session, this provides the trainer with a good feeling for both the general ‘fear factor’ in the group and specific concerns of members. It also allows members to make their fears public in a manner which is easy to articulate and reduces the chance of humiliation when those fears surface during an activity/session. By looking at the spread, it also allows others in the group to realise when members might need support.

If possible the arrangement should be left in place and displayed during the course/session so it can be referred to when appropriate.

Possible Follow Up

After the discussion, or after the course, ask the group to move their post-its to represent how they now feel about the fears and whether it has changed at all. If it has, there can be a discussion as to why

Possible ‘Fears’

Deep water, heights, confined spaces, mud, the dark, public speaking, confrontation, creepy crawlies, betrayal, letting people down, getting hurt, technology, flying, spiders, death, crowds, clowns, responsibility, failure