The five-step group problem-solving process

The five-step group problem-solving process: review the problem and develop a project scope, assign roles, engage in group problem-solving, identify consensus and put together a project plan, share out and reflect.

Step one: review the problem statement and develop a project scope. The team starts by getting on the same page about what they are solving and what they are delivering. Your scope from Module 3 anchors this. If the team disagrees about the scope, do not skip past it; that disagreement will resurface later as missed deliverables.

Step two: assign roles. Use MOCHA, DARCI, or RACI. Name a single Owner. Make sure each role is held by a real human who has accepted it. This is the moment to surface availability and capacity; do not assume.

Step three: engage in group problem-solving. Use a platform — a digital whiteboard, a working session, a structured agenda — to collate the group's ideas, thoughts, and solutions. Agile is key here: there will be times you can steer the group and other times where new priorities emerge that you should follow. The PM facilitates; the team decides.

Step four: identify consensus and put together a project plan. Find one solution where the group is in consensus. Build a plan that names key stakeholders, timeline, objectives, and deliverables. Step five: share out and reflect. Does the plan reflect the scope? What was this process like? Were there pain points? What worked, what did not, what would you do differently?