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Solution Seeking System

Leadership Tools

Putting the protocol to work

The Solution Seeking System layers onto existing leadership styles — you don't need to change your structure, just improve how people communicate within it. These are the tools we use at Beanchain. Use them, adapt them, or build your own.

01

One-on-Ones

Regular, proactive check-ins to build trust, catch issues early, and grow relationships. The relationship-building basic — how you listen for problems people may not be aware of yet or are afraid to raise.

How it works → 02

Feedback

Correcting behaviors and creating understanding while offering a chance to ask questions. Should teach the reason behind a rule or practice — and can reveal outdated policies. The whole process should take 30 seconds to 5 minutes, leaning toward brevity.

How it works → 03

Targeted Conversations

For when feedback isn't enough — when something is complicated, involves emotions, or is more nuanced. Always private, working toward mutual understanding and then a solution, while building trust and showing good faith.

How it works → 04

Solution Seeking Sessions

Formal, collaborative problem-solving. Almost identical to a Targeted Conversation, but more formal and documented. It signals a more serious problem and works to produce a solution that can be implemented — and provides the mechanism for handling bad actors who may not be ready to find a solution with you.

How it works →

Build your own

Adapt the protocol into your existing tools

Building the Communication Protocol into your leadership tools is straightforward. Through this process you may find some existing tools are redundant — the more concise your toolset, the easier it is to teach.

  1. 1

    List the tools you use. What are their goals, use cases, and triggers? Why did you create that process in the first place?

  2. 2

    Determine which parts of the Communication Protocol could be used within that tool, and make a note of it.

  3. 3

    Use best practices from the protocol in your tools, and keep track of the Solutions created so your system can grow as more are found.