Interest Based Problem Solving

04/21/23

Prepared by Best Practices referencing and adapting materials from Restructuring Associates Inc.1

Quick Reference Guide

Interest Based Problem Solving Guiding Principles

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• Focus on the issue to be solved and not the personalities by understanding interests and not positions

• Foster working relationships by sharing relevant data freely and openly

• Embrace the mindset that your problem is my problem (sort of) while satisfying others interests as well as your own.

• Be Interest Based Problem Solver role models by actively demonstrating use of IBPS techniques and tools

• Be open to possibilities and use consensus to make decisions

Interest Based Problem Solving is neither soft nor hard – it is “principled”

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Soft Hard Principled Interest Based Problem Solving

Friendships . Soft on people. Gives in and accepts one sided loss

Adversaries – hard on people. Demands one sided loss

Problem Solvers – hard on the problem and soft on people. Invent options for mutual gain

Reaching quick agreements

Forcing victory Creating wise solutions

Quickly make concessions

Demand concessions Create solutions that address primary needs of each party

Trusting everyone Distrusting everyone – “out to get us” mentality

Proceed independent of trust by building relationships

Change position easily

Digs In Focused on interests and not positions

Discloses bottom-line

Misleads Avoids having bottom-line

Interest Based Problem Solving Approach To Solving Problems

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Tips For Defining An Issue Statement

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• State the problem to be solved. Issue statements are not the recommended solutions or demands

• Must depersonalize by separating the people from the problem

• Should be in a question format not an accusation

• Should be free of judgment wording • Does not have to be perfect – just good

enough to begin the dialogue

Things To Remember When Defining Interests

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• Remember to identify each “stakeholders” interests. A stakeholder is anyone directly impacted by the issue.

• Positions are different than interests. Positions are one parties solution to the interests. Interests are the needs and concerns underlying the issue.

• Interests open the way to a dialogue so the things that people care about can be discussed and understood and addressed

• A dialogue is required to understand issues. It is simply not enough to just “list” the interests. Dialogue can help to disclose interests that may have not been initially shared.

• Ask clarifying questions and confirm what you heard in positive terms. Remember, attempting to understand interests does not mean you have reached agreement on a solution.

Things To Remember When Generating Options

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Options are potential solutions - not agreements or commitments. Don’t debate options

Creating options that address other parties interests is an opportunity to foster trust and build relationships

When generating options , the focus is to stimulate creative thinking that addresses mutual interests and separate interests. It sometimes is also helpful to survey best practices and consider all other relevant data

Seek to understand options generated by the other party by paraphrasing your understanding of options

Things To Remember When Crafting A Solution From Options

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• Seldom is there ever one perfect option that meets needs of both parties. You many need to piece components of options together to arrive at a solution

• Talk through the options and by consensus determine which options address the key interests of both parties

• Your job as Interest Based Problem Solvers is to determine which options best meet the interests and solves the problem

Critical “To Do’s” When Reaching Agreement On Solutions

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“Peeling Back The Onion”

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Interest Based Problem Solving Tools/Techniques

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Paraphrasing

A technique that helps you to understand what was said and helps you to clarify in your own words what you believe the other person said.

It’s ok to ask someone to paraphrase correctly and it is equally ok if they don’t paraphrase correctly.

If they don’t get it correctly the first time it does not mean they are not listening to you. It means you both have more work to do to help each other understand each other’s

interests.

Pausing

A technique that allows enough “quite time” before jumping to the next discussion point. Pause before asking a question or responding to a question.

Pausing can bring out other information enhancing dialogue and discussion.

Probing to understand

A questioning technique where you would use gentle open ended probing questions to help reveal additional information that is important to the issue trying to be solved.

It looks something like this….. “Please say more about that” or “I would like to hear more about that” or “how interesting” or “help me to understand more”.

Probing to understand will give the other party time to expand on what is being said and can help you increase your clarity around what is being said.

Listening for the unspoken

Allows you to key in on unspoken or hidden interests. Sometimes referred to as reading between the lines.

Meaningful dialogue is facilitated when each group member is conscious of self and others and is aware of not only what has been said but also using a sixth sense to interpret the unspoken.

Asking Why 5 times

A tool that encourages you to probe deeply by asking "Why?" five times in an effort to get to the root of a requirement or issue

Contacts: Best Practices Facilitators

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Debra Arcangelo-VitaleLorraine Skibitcky Michele Potter Michael SchoenBrian Wingate