E-mail in an Instant

46Evaluate Possible Problem Causes

Once you have received the group’s e-mails containing their ideas about what the problem’s causes are, cut and paste the possible causes into a new e-mail that you send to the problem-solving team. Everyone on the team will see all the input. This is the online equivalent of brainstorming on a flip chart in a face-to-face meeting.

Ask each team member to review the possible causes listed, evaluate them, and come up with the one or two causes that they feel are at the heart of the problem. For example:

Subject: Donut Problem CausesFrom: Howard UnoDate: Oct 12To: Donut Team

Dear Team:

Thank you for all your great input. Here are the main causes the group came up with: (1) Someone is eating more than his or her ...