How the Meta-Problem Method can help you manage more effectively
Managers get things done through other people. It’s a role that is rife with interests to be balanced, tradeoffs to be weighed, and consequences to be anticipated, all within a dynamic and changing environment.
Those are exactly the circumstances where the Meta-Problem Method really comes into its own.
Teaching colleagues how to evaluate their options will help them be more effective and productive members of your team.
For example:
Part of a manager’s job is to help the team develop strong problem-solving strategies. Introducing them to the Meta-Problem Method helps them understand the consequences of different choices they could make as part of the group.
Faced with a new challenge, should you bring in an outside specialist, or invest in training someone on your team? When is it a good idea to invest in cross-training so you can keep everyone busy more of the time? Should you hire someone new to deal with an influx of work, or re-prioritize your existing projects to get through a temporary spike in needs?
Certain projects may need a lot of calendar time and repeated touches, but less of your total team capacity. Other projects might need a short stint from your most experienced employee or a much larger chunk of time for a more junior team member.
As you evaluate the portfolio you may identify synergies between projects, or areas where some sacrifices will need to be made.
Once you get into delivering a specific project, there’s a new set of challenges. A particular solution might seem the best, until you realize you don’t have the right expertise on your team. Or while one option might be the best in the short term, your organization will quickly outgrow it.
You are the expert in what your team can do and what you already have on your plate. You are also the liaison between your employees and the rest of the company.
Understanding the key dilemmas your organization is facing can help you see opportunities. Maybe someone on your team wants to learn a new technology just as your organization is looking for ways to start testing it. Or you may need some help with a project just as another group has some extra people looking to pitch in.
As always with the Meta-Problem Method, the key question to ask yourself is “what problems are the best ones to solve because of the eventual impacts they will have on my goals?”
