Interest-Based Problem Solving

E-Learning What stuck out to you in the E-Learning? What questions do you still have?

Review of Main Concepts More than skills, it is a mindset Characterized by being open to perspective and influence Language is inclusive and supportive It’s not about being “nice”; it’s about being respectful of self and other It’s about being direct, assertive and empathic

Non-Defensive Responding Complete the Non-Defensive Response worksheet Take 5 minutes to share your responses with a partner

Preparation Preparation is all about what you both need for your journey or your conversation. It is ensuring that you are both ready, have enough time, where you will have the conversation and what you both need in order to be ready for the conversation. Conversation: At your tables, take five minutes to talk about what you currently do that is working and what will you do differently in order to prepare for a future problem solving conversation.

Step 1: Setting Tone and Establishing Process This is all about creating a collaborative space, gauging readiness, willingness and process elements, and how you will be with one another in the negotiation. Depending on the formality of the process it can include, confidentiality, authority to make decisions, and who else needs to know about the decisions made. Conversation: What if any challenges have you faced when initiating a collaborative process? How have tried to address these challenges? You will have five minutes to share your responses with a partner.

Step 2: Creating the Agenda Goal: Generate an agenda of topics which need to be resolved. Frame issues in a collaborative and neutral manner Differentiate between negotiable issues and topics for discussion Establish a starting point. An interest based approach is moving away from an adversarial, position taking approach, which is one or both parties presenting their solutions, which are non-negotiable. Focusing on framing positions to neutral topics/issues for resolution. Then exploring and sharing what is important to both about the particular topic/issue which then creates the opportunity for mutual understanding.

Step 3: Exploring Interests Goal: Is to give and receive information. Explore interests related to each issue. Exchange & clarify relevant facts & figures. Identify and build on common interests. Clarify different & competing interests. Take your time, continue to maintain a collaborative space, curiosity, self-management and assertion skills for maintaining respectful interactions and self-disclosures.

Reframing Exercise Complete the Reframing Exercise worksheet Take 5 minutes to share your responses with a partner

Step 4: Building Agreement This is the joint problem solving phase. An effective transitional statement here is summarizing the motivators to be incorporated in the creative process of the agreement. An example of this is, “Given that fairness, included in decisions and managing workload and staying on budget are important to you and I, let’s figure out a plan for making this happen. If the motivators are not identified at this point, it is easy for the party to back to their position/solution.

Step 4: …continued Building agreement from joint understanding and based on the drivers identified. It makes sense to you both. It is doable. Evaluating any options. Choosing an option(s). Specify the terms, who, what, how and when. Contingencies, “what ifs”. Follow up. Formal and informal.

Scenario Practice Groups of two One participant is skilled in IBPS, one isn’t 20 minute rounds 5 minute debrief after each round Rotate roles

Skilled Participant’s Role Manage the four stages Help both of you to use the skills: reframe, listen, ask open questions, etc. Assist each other to reframe rather than defend – model this Keep each other focused on underlying interests prior to arriving at solutions Help test solutions against mutual interests

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Evaluation On a scale from 1(low) – 10 (high) rank: Your knowledge about this topic before you completed the pre-work and before you walked in the door today Your knowledge after the session The likelihood that you will change your behavior based on what you learned during this module Your overall impression of this learning experience On the back of your note, write one thing that would improve your #4 score First evaluation: Hand out stickie notes to participants. Tell them that this is an anonymous evaluation aimed at helping us evaluate and improve our module. Tell the participants that you are to ask them 4 questions. Ask them to write whole numbers down to rate their response on a scale from 1 (low) to 10 (high). Please list the numbers one under the other like shown on stickie note on the slide. You may need to remind them of what was covered during your module. This module covered…. Ask the questions. If the participants have already attended a module (before yours), hand out a second stickie note. Ask them think back to their answer to #3 last time. Ask them to write a YES or NO to indicate if they followed and incorporated what they learned into new behaviour / enhanced leadership actions.