What is a “How Do I?” #

A “How Do I?” is collaborative workshop designed to help people solve business problems by talking it through and getting suggestions from others. See “How it works” below for more.

Why join a How Do I? #

When facing problems we sometimes get stuck in a thought loop chamber and can’t break out. People outside the problem can provide solutions we might not think of. Plus, group efforts – especially with diverse groups – simply result in better outcomes. These workshops are also a great way to learn from the group discussion. Join the group and attend regularly or just drop in. Come listen, learn, and contribute. Don’t think you’re enough of an “expert” to contribute? You might be surprised. Come see.

How the “How Do I?” Works #

How Do I?’s are built around people, Cowork Frederick members, who commit to attending workshops and doing their part to help others and in return get to bring their own business problem(s) before the group. That said, any member can drop in to see what the workshops are like and to listen and contribute.

Workshops are held monthly (could be more often if there’s interest). Up to 3 people can bring a business problem to a workshop. There are currently no rules about how many problems one person can bring to a workshop or about bringing problems to consecutive workshops. As with everything, follow our playground rules. Be nice. Share. Play fair. (don’t make us make rules).

Anyone bringing a problem before the group must share the love by participating in at least 4 workshops to help others solve their problems (more is OK). TIP: Pay it forward by joining a How Do I group now. You’ll have the 4-month requirement taken care of. More importantly, you’ll already have a connection to the group when you have a problem to solve.

Before the workshop #

• If you have business problem you want help solving, post it in the #how-do-i Slack channel Something brief is fine (e.g., “How do I get clients to pay me on time?”, “How do I decide where to spend my limited marketing budget?”, “How do I know when its time to hire an employee?”.
• A week before the workshop, the facilitator of the How Do I?’s confirm the business problem(s) for the next workshop with a post in the #how-do-i Slack channel.
• A reminder will also go in the member news email so all members can see what’s going to be discussed in the upcoming workshop.

During the workshop: #

• Each person bringing a business problem gets 5 minutes to describe their problem.
• The group has 5 minutes to ask clarifying questions to help them (and often you) understand of the problem (this sometimes leads to a redefinition of the problem itself).
• Once the business problem is confirmed, the group has 5 minutes to offer suggestions.
• Suggestions are not discussed in the session; they are simply received with a “thank you”. This avoids knee-jerk reactions to suggestions or getting caught in “analysis paralysis”. The idea is for the “someone” to take time for the suggestions to sink in and to consider how (and if) they should be applied.
• We do this once a month and it’s A-OK to bring a problem back, with updates on what has been tried, to a future session.
• Allowing time for greetings, transition, and possible overruns (that the group OK’s), we can handle 3 business problems in each one-hour session.

“How Do I?” Rules

Outside of our usual Playground Rules, these three rules apply:

1. Business problems only
   • How to choose between projects, not the two people you’ve been dating.
   • How to deal with a difficult client, not friend.
   • How to on-board an employee, shift your marketing strategy, handle sponsor objections, etc.
2. What’s said in the room, stays in the room
   • (like Vegas, but without the alcohol)
3. Judgment free zone
   • Focus on the problem, not the person.
   • Each problem is addressed, in good faith, on its own merits.
   • Suggestions are made and accepted in good faith and with good intent.