Solve Problems and Make Decisions — A 2-Day Course

 Open Public Course Closed In-House Course

Course Synopsis

• Are you involved in problem solving and decision making activities and believe that these could be improved?
• Have you ever wondered whether there are different ways of solving business problems so that they stay solved?
• Do you know that there are several common traps that prevent effective decision making?
• Did you know that one of the biggest 'problem solving problems' is trying to solve the wrong problem?
• Did you know that many organisations waste significant resources by ineffective problem solving?
• Maybe you would like to improve your business analysis skills?

If the answer is "YES" - this is the course for you!

This fun and highly interactive course will take you through a proven problem solving and decision making process. You will work with your colleagues to write a problem statement, generate, select and evaluate possible solutions, and begin to plan for successful implementation. Using a simple case study, you can trial the techniques and practice your new skills in a safe environment, receiving supportive feedback and coaching on your performance.

On the way we will explore some useful and creative techniques that will help you from being caught by the common decision traps. We will also explore the need to involve others in problem solving and decision making exercises and look at ways of encouraging their input.

Course Objectives

On completion of this training course, delegates will:

• Be able to use a proven problem solving and decision making process
• Be able to recognise the pitfalls that can prevent successful decisions from being taken
• Share their problem solving and decision making experience with others
• Build their facilitation expertise
• Write problem statements which identify the real problem and emphasise the impact of the problem
• Use creative techniques to generate solutions and resolve problems
• Evaluate solutions to ensure they will indeed solve the problem, but that they are also workable and able to be implemented in the current environment
• Use techniques to support the planning stage of successful implementation
• Have had the opportunity to build a personal action plan to support application of the problem solving techniques when you are back in the workplace

In the Practical Workshops, students will:

• Have the chance to facilitate a group of people solving business problems
• Use the case study and be guided through the problem solving and decision making process and test out the techniques
• Experience at first hand some of the issues that can occur when solving problems
• See what the other case study teams produce and learn from the varied outputs and approaches

Intended Audience

This course is suitable for:

• Anyone who has to with others to resolve real business problems effectively
• Anyone who has a role in analysing business performance and suggesting improvements
• Anyone who works in a team who would like to develop their skills to enable others to help solve everyday problems
• Anyone who has some facilitation experience and would like to hone their skills in problem solving techniques

Benefits for your Company

Companies need people who have the ability to work with others to resolve business problems so that they stay solved. They also need people who can use proven techniques to keep control of problem solving activity and deliver value for money solutions. Confident and capable problem solvers will quickly share their skills enhancing the quality of the business decisions taken.

Benefits for You

You will learn new skills that will help you in many areas of your life. The tools and techniques can be applied effectively in your personal life too. One of the most important techniques you will learn is getting to the heart of a problem. This will prevent you from wasting time and energy on a symptom or follow an inappropriate solution. Too often we waste time and effort on so-called quick-fixes. The course will help you to use your valuable time wisely making decisions to solve problems so that they stay solved.

Publicly scheduled dates, locations, and prices

Outline Course Contents

Introduction & Welcome

You will be introduced to the other participants, and to the format of the course. The interactive style of the event will be introduced with initial exercises to consider the problem with problem solving and decision making.

The Nature of Problem Solving and Decision Making

Discussion and presentation of the key concepts associated with effective problem solving. This session will include the ten decisions traps which prevent effective problem solving. Exercises to identify key problem solving issues and test some of the common misconceptions of decision making. De Bono's Six Hats are introduced to make the point that problem solving and decision making need to incorporate all the thinking styles.

Facilitation

A Short workshop to introduce the concept of facilitation and identify the attributes of effective facilitators.

Problem Identification

Workshop to introduce and develop techniques for building a problem statement which is not a symptom of a deeper problem or a preferred solution.

Case Study

This extended session considers ways of gathering information to understand the current problem situations without falling into the trap of 'analysis paralysis'. Different information gathering techniques will be considered. Why, why, why technique and Ishikawa (Fishbone) Diagram will be used to establish cause and effect. Pareto Analysis will be introduced as a way of managing and interpreting data and Critical Review technique will help problem solvers ensure they have sufficient information to understand the problem and generate possible solutions.

Facilitated application of techniques to gather information to understand the case study problems more fully.

Creative Thinking and Solution Generation

Group exercises and workshops to compare traditional brainstorming technique and nominal group technique. Creative techniques such as Reversal to generate different and 'off the wall' solutions will be introduced. Facilitated application of techniques to identify solutions to case study problems.

Solution Selection and Evaluation

Discussion and explanation of techniques for selecting and evaluating possible solutions which include the effort / benefit grid, the evaluation matrix, benefits versus concerns analysis, the paradigm continuum and Force Field Analysis.

Facilitated application of techniques to select and evaluate suitable solutions to case study problems.

Solution Implementation

This session is in two parts. Firstly a short session to make the point that the greatest and best solutions to a problem have no value if they are unable to be implemented successfully. Discussion will focus on the role of project management to ensure a professional implementation.

Facilitated application of techniques to select suitable solutions to case study problems.

Problem Solving / Team Building

The second part of the solution implementation session will introduce the delegates to a pre-planned short facilitated workshop which encourages team work and embraces the key tenets of problem solving and decision making best practice.

The workshop will be facilitated by the trainer and the group will participate to respond to 'I wish I knew how to build an action plan' to successfully implement solutions.

Personal Action Planning

Sharing of learning from the two day course and building personal action plans for success back in the workplace when solving problems and making decisions.