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Problem Solving and Decision Making in Groups 235

Understanding the Type of Questions to Be Addressed
A second important factor is making sure the group understands the type of question
it must address. Four common types of questions that groups address are questions of
fact, questions of conjecture, questions of value, and questions of policy. You must know
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which type of question you face because each question requires a different discussion
emphasis. A question of fact asks whether something is true, whether something actu- Question of Fact
ally happened. For example, O’Fallon’s city officials needed to determine whether the A question that asks
water table in the area was actually falling. They relied on objective, credible experts whether something is
to help make that determination. A question of conjecture asks a group to speculate, or true, or actually
make an educated guess, about what might or could happen in the future. O’Fallon happened.
officials asked, Based on what we know is true right now about the water table and the
population growth, how long do we think the current water treatment facility will be able
to handle the demand? As you can see, making a good educated guess depends on hav- Question of Conjecture
ing accurate information and facts. A question of value refers to what is right, good, A question that asks
preferable, or acceptable. In O’Fallon, the group had to decide how much members a group to speculate
valued local control of their water supply. One of the cheapest alternatives, in the or make an educated
short run, was to buy water from neighboring districts— but that would put O’Fallon at guess about
the mercy of others! How important is it, officials asked, to keep control of our water something.
supply and pricing? A question of policy asks what course of action a group will take:
What are we going to do, recommend, or decide about something? The bottom line for Question of Value
O’Fallon was a decision about which option to choose: buying water from another
district, building another treatment plant, or building a state- of-the- art membrane A question that asks
whether something is
plant. right, good,
As you can see, it is usually easier to decide questions of fact because their preferable, or
answers can usually be verified. Today with it becoming increasingly an issue of acceptable.
whether a fact is a myth or a myth is a fact, groups must determine the credibility of
the sources used for the verification of their facts. This is not the case with questions
of conjecture or value. Sometimes, members’ perspectives and values are so different Question of Policy
that they will answer questions of conjecture or value differently. And, of course, if A question that asks
those are answered differently, members will likely decide things differently. You can what course of action
also see from the O’Fallon examples that, with complex problems, groups have to deal a group will take.
with all four types of questions. Groups need to understand what questions they must
address so that members know where to put their efforts. For instance, if the group
must come to consensus about a question of value, then members must share what
they believe and be willing to look for common values they all agree on, so they can
recommend a solution that does not violate those mutual values. That isn’t always
possible.

Discussing Criteria for Evaluating Solutions
The group must establish and agree on criteria, or standards against which to evalu- Criteria
ate the various options, before they can begin to evaluate their options. Criteria Standards against
establish the group’s standards and express the values shared by members. Two which alternatives
people with different values will use different criteria to evaluate options, thereby are evaluated.
arriving at quite different solutions. For example, Rubenstein asked Arab and

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