Finishing School Course Plan ACD

2511: Critical Thinking & Problem

Solving Skills

BizMentors Pvt. Ltd.
TM
7/4/2013 1 BizMentors Pvt. Ltd.
The Objectives of This Session
To provide insights to the participants, about the role of critical
thinking for success in any problem situation.
To expose participants to likely challenges of critical thinking and
problem solving, and help them develop their problem solving skills.
To thereby help participants develop convictions about the
importance of developing into good problem solvers for success.
TM
7/4/2013 2 BizMentors Pvt. Ltd.
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Significance of Problem solving - I
Children On A Railway Track
You are walking along a path running parallel to a railway track,
when you come across some children playing on the tracks.
You notice that its is a live track, with a disused track branching
off from it at a point. The disused track is separated from the
live one by a lever-operated track-change switch. You see that
while most of the children are playing on the disused track,
there is a small, blind boy of around six, who is playing all by
himself on the live track. Suddenly you hear the loud horn and
the thundering sound of an approaching train.

What will you do ?
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Significance of Problem solving - II
Problem solving involves :
Holistic understanding of the problem situation.
Gathering input data about the problem.
Analysis.
Solution generation.
Solution selection.
The need to manage conflicting pulls of :
Individual Vs. Team efforts.
Conventional Vs. Creative thinking.
Rational analysis Vs. Judgment ( Gut-feel ).
Quantitative Vs. Qualitative data / analysis.
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Definitions - I
What is a problem?
A problem occurs, when there is a difference between
the desired result and the actual result of a
process.
What is problem identification?
Realizing such a difference is identification of a
problem. Therefore, problem identification process is
limited by the knowledge available for the process.


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Definitions - II
What is problem selection?
When we have identified a multitude of problems,
all of which cannot be addressed with the resources
available, we need to prioritize the problems to be
addressed.
What is problem solving?
The process of analyzing the selected problem to
establish the root cause and then finding the best
way of eliminating the same.



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Dos and Donts of problem solving - I
Attitude towards problem solving:
Every problem is a challenge giving rise to an
opportunity.
One should enjoy the thrill of the challenge rather
than become stressed and look for relief / escape
from it.
Be positive, every challenge will eventually be
overcome if you persevere.
Recognize our jobs / roles exist for solving problems
or overcoming challenges.
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Dos and Donts of problem solving - II
People Focus :
Should be used to find and leverage useful strengths /
aptitudes that match required processes.
Should aim to improve understanding and execution of
processes.
Should not be aimed at finding who did it wrong, but
rather, who can do it right.
Objective interactions to keep minimize emotional
conflicts.
Create emotional bonds that removes boundaries of
functional structures.

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Dos and Donts of problem solving - III
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Process Focus :
Establish methods that ensure control on results.
Minimize dependence human memory / skills /
concentration / etc. for correct execution of processes..
Eliminate errors that occur due to human fallibility.
Establish objectivity in analysis by directing it at the
process rather than people involved.
Seamlessly link processes across boundaries between
functions / departments.
Improvements must be process oriented, with people
orientation being only to train them to support process
improvements.

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Challenges Of Problem Selection
What are the issues at hand ?
Which ones are the most crucial for the long term ?
Which ones are necessary for the medium term ?
Which ones are urgent in the immediate term ?
In which cases do we have a choice ?
Which are the forced choices ?
How do we prioritize resource deployment ?
How do we ensure consensus and buy-in by all
concerned while making these choices ?
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Challenges Of Problem solving
How do we ensure consideration of all inputs for the
solving process ?
How do we ensure that the root cause is correctly
determined ?
How do we ensure consideration of all possible solutions?
How do we evaluate probabilities of success or failure of
each component of the solution ?
How do we ensure that no opportunity is lost in forming
the solution ?
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Individual vs. Group Problem Solving
In establishing objectives, groups are probably superior
to individuals because of the greater amount of knowledge
available to groups.
In identifying alternatives, the individual efforts of group
members encourage broader searches in various
functional areas of the organization.
In evaluating alternatives, the collective judgment of the
group, with its wider range of viewpoints, often turn out to
be superior to that of individual decision makers.
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Brainstorming
Pareto chart
Cause& Effect
Run
Histogram & Normal Distribution
Scatter
Control
Problem
Identification
Problem Solving
Problem Solving tools
Flow Chart
Problem
Selection
5 Whys
QFD
DOE
Check Sheet
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Brainstorming With The Mind-Map Tool
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Exercise on Brainstorming
Brainstorm to find the possible solutions for the problem
of children playing on the railway track.




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7/4/2013 20 BizMentors Pvt. Ltd.