8.3. THE PROBLEM WITH PROBLEM SOLVING
While performing a traditional problem-solving analysis, Cooperrider noticed a negative change in the demeanor of his interview subjects. He observed that the questions he was asking to uncover possible problems focused on negative issues and actually appeared to be draining energy from those he interviewed. Even if a given problem didn't actually exist in the organization, it seemed that just asking questions about it had the power to change perception (at least momentarily) in the workplace.
It turns out that this focus on the negative is precisely the problem with traditional problem solving. Looking for what is broken is a fine approach for troubleshooting a piece of equipment, but often backfires when ...
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