What's the Right Answer? Team Problem-Solving in Environments of Uncertainty
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1080569909334558
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  peer-reviewed

Jameson, Daphne A.
Business Communication Quarterly
2009

Abstract:

Whether in the workplace or the classroom, many teams approach problem-solving as a search for certainty—even though certainty rarely exists in business. This search for the one right answer to a problem creates unrealistic expectations and often undermines teams' effectiveness. To help teams manage their problem-solving process and communication better, I teach a systematic comparison approach that transforms the search for certainty into a search for the best alternative based on clearly defined and weighted criteria. With this method, team members realize that all problem- solving involves subjective judgments, but that making that subjectivity transparent increases the chances that an adopted solution will in fact solve the business problem at hand.