Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

In many cases it is a bad idea to have the problem solver in the room when a problem describer describes a problem for the first time.

About a generation ago, there was a movie about engineers and scientists at work in a small tech company. A couple of consultants arrive and talk to employees one at a time. One employee describes his job of talking to users to learn what they want and then talking to engineers to tell them what the users want. The consultants ask the obvious, “Why don’t the engineers talk to the users directly?”

That scene highlighted some of the folly of the work place in that movie. Still, there is some wisdom in this person who spoke with one group at a time and kept the two groups separated.

When a problem describer, like a “user,” describes a problem, they are baring their soul. They are saying something they are not supposed to be saying. We simply don’t like whiners and complainers in our culture, and when I am describing a problem I am a whiner and complainer. Describing problems is difficult both emotionally and technically.

When problem solvers hear a problem, they instantly move into problem-solving mode. That is why they are called “problem solvers.” Problem-solving mode usually brings pained expressions to the face. The problem solver is struggling to solve something that is difficult. Struggle brings such expressions.

Two things at this point:

(1) The problem solver is not listening any longer. Once we hear the first sentence, our brain shifts from listening to solving.

(2) The problem describer sees a pained expression on the problem solvers face and connects their words to pain in another person. This is not a good connection. The other person hates me or so it seems.

Sigh. Breathe.

There is some wisdom in that movie. Sometimes we don’t want to have the problem describers describe the problem directly to the problem solvers. This is especially true if it is the first time the describer describes the problem.

Try to create time and space.

If you want the two persons to meet face to face, allow the problem describer to describe the problem several times over a period of time before meeting the problem solver. The problem describer will lose some of my angst.

Have a third person (me), describe the problem to the problem solver several times over a period of time before having the problem solver meet the problem describer. The problem solver will have worked some of the problems and won’t be in as much struggle.

I am all for persons meeting one another. Let’s use a little judgement and time as we arrange these meetings.