For Teams
How to help teams problem solve with the meta-problem
Teams, like organizations, are united by a common goal. Ideally, everyone on the team understands that common goal, and their personal role in helping the team accomplish it.
​
Sports teams are a great example as the goal is always clear - win. However, when you think about it a bit harder, you quickly realize it isn't really that simple. Yes, winning is the one thing everyone is working towards... But how do different decisions help with that goal? Should you train harder today to do better in the game three weeks from now, or save some energy for this week's game? And what about cases like when your personal goals conflict with the team's goal?
​
Work teams have similar challenges, though the setting is a bit different. Should a member of the team develop their skills by learning something new, or should they get help to get the task done faster? Do you go with the old technology that is more stable, or try something new with more features that might pay off in the long-run?
What are (all of) our goals?
To use the meta-problem in a team setting, it helps to have an open culture. Ideally the team would decide together on the right solution based on how it will help not only the team goal, but individual people's goals too. Consider these scenarios:
-
Should we use this project to learn a new (and more risky) technology? It depends on the skills on the team, if people want to give it a try, how risky it is really, how important the project is, and probably a variety of other things that members of the team can prioritize and decide based on.
-
Should we assign the junior person to lead this project, or someone more senior? It depends what other projects the team is supporting, how much time everyone has available, how well the junior / senior person will be able to run the project, how important the project is, and many other criteria the team may consider.
​
If you are a member of the team, the simplest way to help them use the meta-problem is to help frame decisions people are debating in terms of goals and effort. When people are torn between different options, you can ask "do we think these two options will be equally successful, or what is the difference between them?"
Recognize if you need new options
Making your choice explicitly about the costs and benefits of the different options makes it easier to see the situation clearly. Sometimes the biggest insight is that no one wanted to pick one of the options you had because they were all lousy. Once you've made that realization, everyone can focus on finding better options instead.
​
If you have a situation with your team and you'd like to see how you can use the meta-problem to help you navigate it, click on "Contact" to ask your question.