What are the most effective ways to follow up after a problem-solving session?

1 Document the outcomes

One of the first things you should do after a problem-solving session is to document the outcomes and the process. This means capturing the key insights, decisions, actions, and responsibilities that emerged from the session. You can use different formats and tools to do this, such as notes, diagrams, photos, videos, or digital platforms. The important thing is to make sure that the documentation is clear, concise, and accessible to everyone involved. This will help you communicate the results to stakeholders, track the progress and impact of the solutions, and avoid confusion or misunderstanding later on.

2 Celebrate the achievements

Another important way to follow up after a problem-solving session is to celebrate the achievements and recognize the contributions of the participants. This will help you build trust, rapport, and appreciation among your team, and foster a positive and supportive culture. You can celebrate in different ways, such as sending a thank-you note, giving a shout-out, sharing a success story, or organizing a fun event. The key is to make sure that the celebration is genuine, timely, and inclusive. This will help you boost the morale and motivation of your team, and encourage them to keep up the good work.

3 Implement the solutions

Of course, the ultimate goal of a problem-solving session is to implement the solutions and solve the problem. Therefore, you need to follow up on the actions and responsibilities that you agreed on during the session. You need to assign clear roles and deadlines, provide adequate resources and support, and monitor and report on the progress and outcomes. You also need to be flexible and adaptable, and ready to adjust or revise your solutions if needed. This will help you ensure that the solutions are effective, feasible, and sustainable, and that they deliver the desired results.

4 Evaluate the results

Once you've implemented the solutions, you need to evaluate the results and measure the impact. This means collecting and analyzing data and feedback from various sources, such as customers, users, stakeholders, or team members. You need to compare the results with the goals and criteria that you set during the problem-solving session, and identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your solutions. You also need to report and share your findings and recommendations with relevant parties, and acknowledge and celebrate the successes and learn from the failures. This will help you demonstrate the value and effectiveness of your problem-solving session, and justify your decisions and actions.

5 Learn from the experience

Finally, you need to learn from the experience and improve your problem-solving skills for future challenges. This means reflecting on the process and the outcomes of the problem-solving session, and asking yourself and your team some questions, such as: What worked well and what didn't? What did you enjoy and what did you struggle with? What did you learn and what can you do better next time? You also need to act on the feedback and suggestions that you received, and apply the lessons and best practices that you discovered. This will help you enhance your creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, and become a more effective problem-solver.

6 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?