How can you create a collaborative problem solving training program?

Additionally, the designer of a training program should create personas of the people that are going to participate in the program. Objectives are helpful but provide only limited value without the context of the target group. Also, understanding the current level of knowledge of the participants, their sentiment towards the topic and general motivation should be defined as early as possible in the process.

Effective collaboration starts with setting participant expectations by cultivating a framework characterized by openness, transparency, and respect, thereby constructing a secure environment conducive to honest dialogue. This sets the stage for trust-building among stakeholders, facilitating open discussion for all potential solutions. Moreover, there must be incentives for individuals to actively stay engaged. Those who lack a personal investment or "skin in the game" may pose a risk to the collaborative process or hinder the progress of others. This approach enhances engagement and instills a sense of victory for those involved; contributing to a positive and thriving environment where collaboration is a shared endeavor.

Start by identifying the objectives and assessing the needs of your organization or team. Design a comprehensive program that includes theoretical knowledge and practical exercises. Incorporate interactive activities like case studies, simulations, and group discussions to encourage collaboration. Select skilled facilitators who can guide participants through the training. Emphasize the importance of teamwork and provide opportunities for active participation. Offer feedback and evaluation to measure progress and provide constructive guidance. Finally, reinforce the skills learned through ongoing support, resources, and continuous improvement of the training program based on feedback and organizational needs.

In my experience, always follow the reverse engineering method while creating any collaborative problem-solving program. By reverse engineering, I mean sitting together with the beneficiary of the program. Take all opinions where they have realised a program should focus on. It's always about the problem that really exists, not about those that authorities or leaders feel exist or generalising for all. Every collaborative program must be a 100% package of already discussed problems that are most relevant, realistic and came out from the right source. Once you are able to achieve that, blending your personality, experience and character into it will make the whole program highly effective, engaging and result-driven.

Building on Robin's focus of user persona is the consideration of the developmental level of your team, the immediacy of the team's need to implement the problem skills, and the time the company has to commit to training.

Once objectives get articulated and crystalized, the next steps involves taking a call on instruments to render learning. Different types of mode of facilitation & learning exists such as:- #1. Case Studies - Best for mid to senior or senior executives who like to see data, context, background of a real scenario and case and their point of view gets elicited. #2. Role Plays - A fool-proof mechanism to trigger conversation on role play or simulate on ground based dialogue between two individuals. It's a remarkable way to replicate on real scenarios that participants grapple in their day to day work lives and trigger thoughts and perspectives of larger cohort for deeper introspection.

One way to effectively solve collaborative problems is by implementing a systematic approach that involves identifying the issue, understanding everyone's perspectives and potential solutions, and collectively deciding on the best course of action. This can be achieved through activities such as role-playing scenarios, group discussions, and utilizing problem-solving techniques like the "five whys" or brainstorming. It is also important to establish clear communication and create a safe and respectful environment where all team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions.

To boost a collaborative problem-solving training programme, focus on real-world scenarios that mirror your team's day-to-day challenges. This makes the training directly relevant and engaging. Also, weave in regular feedback opportunities, allowing team members to shape the training with their insights. This builds ownership and morale. Mixing methods like case studies and interactive games caters to diverse learning styles, ensuring inclusivity and better outcomes. Remember, a practical, responsive approach is key !!

To properly assess the training, you need to understand the learning methodology. Blooms Taxonomy is a helpful framework to use to identify the focus based on the personas you have identified. If you are with senior leaders it may focus on analysis, synthesis and evaluation. If it is with junior team members, knowledge and comprehension.

When defining the method, sometimes is useful to balance group activities with opportunities for individual inputs. This is specially important if you have a number of introverts in the group, that might feel less inclined to share their views and ideas in a large setting.

To create a collaborative problem solving training program, start by designing activities that align with your organisation's objectives. Clearly communicate the purpose and goals of the program to your team, emphasising the benefits it will bring to their collaborative skills. Create a positive and supportive learning environment, where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and experiences. Facilitate the activities effectively by providing clear instructions, guidance, and feedback, and encouraging participation, cooperation, and respect. By following these steps, you can successfully develop a collaborative problem-solving training program that will benefit your team and enhance their ability to work together effectively.

The first step is grounding expectations and rules of engagement. Collaboration and problem solving is often not easy and setting guidelines for disagreement is essential. Second, prioritize relevancy. This factor is critical to engagement and how you structure the teams and times. It helps with the taxonomy goal of application. It is nice to have fun but not vital to a training.

Additionally, incorporating team-building exercises and trust-building activities can foster strong relationships among team members, leading to more effective collaboration and problem-solving. Consistent practice and reinforcement of these strategies through team meetings or workshops can further solidify the skills gained from the collaborative problem-solving training program. .

Personally I’ve never been a fan of inventing scenarios for training. I think teams learn a lot faster when working on real world problems that are relevant to them and their work. Progress can lead to making an impact which drives intrinsic motivation to stretch ourselves and go outside our comfort zone for a cause. If you set the bar high enough (but not too high) you’ll find peer learning occur which means those who grasp concepts and frameworks faster, will help those who are step or two closely behind. This benefits everyone ??

Defining a (or more than one) facilitator is key. A good facilitator can be key to success. A bad facilitator can derail the whole program.

Extremely important phase ! This is the part where in leaders commitment makes the difference and will set the future course of action

Try a roll over approach where past learners become trainers. Teaching embeds our own understanding of new concepts. It also empowers teams and helps you identify emerging leaders in your organisation ?

This step can be broken into two areas. First is your long-term training objectives, and the second is the training itself. The long-term training objectives should be implemented into performance assessments throughout the year. The training evaluation should focus on how you can improve the program. Focus on the taxonomy for learning you created for the program.

Ultimately, by emphasizing collaboration and providing the necessary tools and techniques, organizations can successfully overcome challenges and achieve their goals through effective teamwork.

Consider also using a tool for anonymous feedback, as it tends to bring to surface issues that might not appear through other methods.

In addition to the functional aspects of above, consider stakeholder engagement and management. Having buy in, political support and a psychological safe space can create a true sense of belonging and contribution. This maximizes the number and diversity of solutions and increases the value of the impact

When organizing several training programs with more or less the same team over the years, consider blending successful past activities with new, exciting ones to keep the team interested and engaged. Also try to blend "analogic" activities with tech-based ones. A bit of tradition; a bit of "avant-garde".

Here's a step to also include. Adjust as you implement and revise action and re-train. This is done to help mitigate the problems or challenges reoccurring. Monitoring is then assigned. The foremost reason is to be as inclusive as possible.