[Free Activity] How to address the "Elephant in the room"? (Spicy)

Activity: Learn skills to define issues & address them proactively. 

Identify how proactively address the metaphorical "Elephant in the room" [obvious problem or issue that people are aware of but chooses to ignore or avoid discussing]. This can be used for known or unknow issues that need to be defined. 

Spice level: This is a data point to understand the conversations could get spicy (have strong feelings about topics and need to have opportunity to express it in agreed upon way). The spice level is going to be dependent on the topic and the audience. Below are starting points to discuss spice level or have some fun create your own.

• Spice level I - a few topics could be sensitive or need to addressed from different perspectives to resolve or improve. 
• Spice level II - multiple topics could be sensitive or need to be address from different perspectives to resolve or improve.
• Spice level III - lots of hot topics and requires resolution from multiple perspectives to resolve or improve 

Define It

Define the situation and the issues. There may be different definitions of what the issues are, the situation, or the challenges areas. There may be different opinions on the friction areas, or where something (process, resource, etc.) should be flexible or firm. Identifying up-front your definition and the other impacted participants definition will improve how you address and resolve issues. 

Collect Information Stage

1. Identify and define the situation and the information related to it needed for the conversation.  
   1. What do you "know" (supporting information/participant confirmed beyond observation)
   2. What do you "think" you know (observational, historical, single source, etc.)
   3. What is the answer (1 or 2) and is it true? [Use the Is it True? tool below]
2. What does the resolution look like?
3. Review situation using the Friction, Flex, & Firm tool [below]
   1. Where are the friction points? Why is there friction (growing pains or wrong direction)?
   2. What areas are you willing to be flexible to resolve the friction or mitigate the resolution?
   3. What areas are you unwilling to be flexible? Where are you currently firm and should flex? Where are you flex, and should be firm?
4. Identify participants or representatives from areas of the situation you want to address. How does this resolution take place? Identify options to have the discussion that works for all parties. 

Information Review Stage

1. Collect information related to the situation you would like to address. [can use Challenge Intake]
2. Review the information you've collected and vetted for quality. Are there any gaps in information? Do you need to research or drill down on any topics?
3. Prep Information. Prepare information in a way that is easy to share and talk to from your perspective. 

Action

1. Frame the conversation to make sure you are having the same conversation. Set the scope and hot topics that need participants would like to address. If decision makers are needed make sure they are either present or available to resolve issues or to keep the forward momentum going.  
   1. group topic together (in advance or create a working session to address)
   2. create a holding station for information not directly related to topics, but may need to be addressed at other times
2. Identify a process for sharing information with participants (informal, as a meeting, working session etc.)
   1. Make time for each participant to have concerns presented and discussed. People share and ingest information differently, when root causing it is important to take this into account and get to the information needed in a way that the audience can understand and respond to. 
   2. Drill down in areas that are not clear
   3. Ask clarifying questions if there is more background information needed (those closest to the process often have a short-hand description of experiences if you are unfamiliar and need the details--ask
   4. Take breaks.

Finalize & Stabilize/Support Stage

1. Recap end of the session with the participants. Reflect on the start, what topics where discussed, the progress in resolution, and next steps. 
2. Identify if any changes broke existing process or if resources/participants need to be aware of updates. 
3. Revisit identified friction areas to ensure the new solutions are working from the impacted audiences' perspectives. 
4. Repeat as needed. 

Tools

Is it True?

Testing information as we learn. 

1. What do you view as "True" (current state)
2. Review information that has come in on the topic. Does it impact the outcome? 

If you believe ____________ [fill in the blank] to be true; then be aware information that comes as you learn about a situation may impact that outcome. Reflect back to what you believe as "true" about the situation and do a quick check before moving forward. Conserve energy reduced wasted work, and improved outcome. 

Using the Friction, Flex, & Firm tool

1. Identify areas that may be competing for your time, energy, effort, resources, etc. (Friction Points) Track & address during discussion.
2. Identify where it needs to be flexible? Where does it need to be firm? (example: flexible to go on hike firm: Not during these hours
3. Is the end result still aligned with your goals? The teams? Did it break anything that needs to be addressed.
4. Repeat as needed throughout the process. This tool works on small and big topic alike.

Taking Action: Layered (not having to complete on first pass).

Take action in phases and build as you learn about the needs & tools. Less effort wasted on unknows and makes information easier to manage.

Information & Ideation phase

1. Start with simple and with a small amount of information
   1. What do you "know"
   2. What do you "think" you know
   3. What is the answer (1 or 2) and is it true?
2. Add & review information in smaller stages (easier to manage & scale)
3. View as a draft in progress until ready to push to review step
4. Create flexibility in you approach to the outcome providing you the ability to shift as information comes in (you have the ability to change & improve it at any time instead of rebuilding)
5. Adopt feedback & recalibrate from lessons learned earlier in the process