How do you lead problem-solving sessions with volunteers?

1 Prepare in advance

Before you convene a problem-solving session with your volunteers, you need to do some preparation work. First, identify the problem or challenge that needs to be solved, and gather relevant information and data. Second, invite the right people to participate, and inform them of the purpose, agenda, and expected outcomes of the session. Third, choose a suitable time, place, and format for the session, and ensure that you have the necessary tools and materials.

2 Establish ground rules

At the start of the problem-solving session, you need to establish some ground rules with your volunteers. These are the norms and expectations that will guide the behavior and interaction of the participants. For example, you can ask your volunteers to respect each other's opinions, listen actively, avoid interruptions, stay focused, and be constructive. You can also ask them to agree on a decision-making process, such as consensus, majority vote, or delegation.

3 Define the problem

The next step is to define the problem or challenge that you want to solve with your volunteers. This is crucial for ensuring that everyone has a clear and shared understanding of the situation and the desired outcome. You can use techniques such as brainstorming, mind mapping, or SWOT analysis to generate ideas and perspectives on the problem. You can also ask questions such as: What is the problem? Why is it a problem? Who is affected by it? How is it affecting them? What are the root causes and contributing factors?

4 Generate solutions

Once you have defined the problem, you can move on to generating possible solutions with your volunteers. This is the creative and divergent phase of the problem-solving process, where you want to encourage your volunteers to think of as many ideas as possible, without judging or evaluating them. You can use techniques such as brainstorming, nominal group technique, or six thinking hats to stimulate and organize your volunteers' thinking. You can also ask questions such as: What are the possible solutions? What are the pros and cons of each solution? How feasible and effective are they?

5 Evaluate and select solutions

After you have generated a list of potential solutions, you need to evaluate and select the best ones with your volunteers. This is the critical and convergent phase of the problem-solving process, where you want to apply criteria and logic to assess and compare the ideas. You can use techniques such as ranking, rating, or voting to narrow down and prioritize the solutions. You can also ask questions such as: How well do the solutions meet the criteria? What are the risks and benefits of each solution? How confident are we in the solutions?

6 Implement and follow up

The final step is to implement and follow up on the selected solutions with your volunteers. This is the action and feedback phase of the problem-solving process, where you want to execute and monitor the results of the solutions. You can use techniques such as action plans, timelines, or checklists to assign tasks and responsibilities to your volunteers. You can also ask questions such as: What are the steps and resources needed to implement the solutions? How will we measure and evaluate the outcomes? How will we communicate and report the progress?

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?