Guidelines to Problem Solving and Decision Making

Much of what people do is solve problems and make decisions. Often, they are "under the gun", stressed and very short for time. Consequently, when they encounter a new problem or decision they must make, they react with a decision that seemed to work before. It's easy with this approach to get stuck in a circle of solving the same problem over and over again. Therefore, it's often useful to get used to an organized approach to problem solving and decision making. Not all problems can be solved and decisions made by the following, rather rational approach. However, the following basic guidelines will get you started. Don't be intimidated by the length of the list of guidelines. After you've practiced them a few times, they'll become second nature to you -- enough that you can deepen and enrich them to suit your own needs and nature. (Note that it might be more your nature to view a "problem" as an "opportunity". Therefore, you might substitute "problem" for "opportunity" in the following guidelines.)

1. Define the problem

This is often where people struggle. They react to what they think the problem is. Instead, seek to understand more about why you think there's a problem.

Define the problem: (with input from yourself and others). Ask yourself and others, the following questions:
1. What can you see that causes you to think there's a problem? 2. Where is it happening? 3. How is it happening? 4. When is it happening? 5. With whom is it happening? (HINT: Don't jump to "Who is causing the problem?" When we're stressed, blaming is often one of our first reactions. To be an effective manager, you need to address issues more than people.) 6. Why is it happening? 7. Write down a five-sentence description of the problem in terms of "The following should be happening, but isn't ..." or "The following is happening and should be: ..." As much as possible, be specific in your description, including what is happening, where, how, with whom and why. (It may be helpful at this point to use a variety of research methods.

Defining complex problems:

If the problem still seems overwhelming, break it down by repeating steps 1-7 until you have descriptions of several related problems.

Verifying your understanding of the problems:

It helps a great deal to verify your problem analysis for conferring with a peer or someone else.

Prioritize the problems:

If you discover that you are looking at several related problems, then prioritize which ones you should address first. Note the difference between "important" and "urgent" problems. Often, what we consider to be important problems to consider are really just urgent problems. Important problems deserve more attention. For example, if you're continually answering "urgent" phone calls, then you've probably got a more "important" problem and that's to design a system that screens and prioritizes your phone calls.

Understand your role in the problem:

Your role in the problem can greatly influence how you perceive the role of others. For example, if you're very stressed out, it'll probably look like others are, too, or, you may resort too quickly to blaming and reprimanding others. Or, you are feel very guilty about your role in the problem, you may ignore the accountabilities of others.

2. Look at potential causes for the problem

It's amazing how much you don't know about what you don't know. Therefore, in this phase, it's critical to get input from other people who notice the problem and who are effected by it. It's often useful to collect input from other individuals one at a time (at least at first). Otherwise, people tend to be inhibited about offering their impressions of the real causes of problems. Write down what your opinions and what you've heard from others. Regarding what you think might be performance problems associated with an employee, it's often useful to seek advice from a peer or your supervisor in order to verify your impression of the problem. Write down a description of the cause of the problem and in terms of what is happening, where, when, how, with whom and why.

3. Identify alternatives for approaches to resolve the problem

At this point, it's useful to keep others involved (unless you're facing a personal and/or employee performance problem). Brainstorm for solutions to the problem. Very simply put, brainstorming is collecting as many ideas as possible, then screening them to find the best idea. It's critical when collecting the ideas to not pass any judgment on the ideas -- just write them down as you hear them. (A wonderful set of skills used to identify the underlying cause of issues is Systems Thinking.)

4. Select an approach to resolve the problem

 When selecting the best approach, consider: Which approach is the most likely to solve the problem for the long term? Which approach is the most realistic to accomplish for now? Do you have the resources? Are they affordable? Do you have enough time to implement the approach? What is the extent of risk associated with each alternative? (The nature of this step, in particular, in the problem solving process is why problem solving and decision making are highly integrated.)

5. Plan the implementation of the best alternative (this is your action plan)
1. Carefully consider "What will the situation look like when the problem is solved?" 2. What steps should be taken to implement the best alternative to solving the problem? What systems or processes should be changed in your organization, for example, a new policy or procedure? Don't resort to solutions where someone is "just going to try harder". 3. How will you know if the steps are being followed or not? (these are your indicators of the success of your plan) 4. What resources will you need in terms of people, money and facilities? 5. How much time will you need to implement the solution? Write a schedule that includes the start and stop times, and when you expect to see certain indicators of success. 6. Who will primarily be responsible for ensuring implementation of the plan? 7. Write down the answers to the above questions and consider this as your action plan. 8. Communicate the plan to those who will involved in implementing it and, at least, to your immediate supervisor. (An important aspect of this step in the problem-solving process is continually observation and feedback.)

6. Monitor implementation of the plan

Monitor the indicators of success: 1. Are you seeing what you would expect from the indicators? 2. Will the plan be done according to schedule? 3. If the plan is not being followed as expected, then consider: Was the plan realistic? Are there sufficient resources to accomplish the plan on schedule? Should more priority be placed on various aspects of the plan? Should the plan be changed?

7. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not

One of the best ways to verify if a problem has been solved or not is to resume normal operations in the organization. Still, you should consider:

1. What changes should be made to avoid this type of problem in the future? Consider changes to policies and procedures, training, etc. 2. Lastly, consider "What did you learn from this problem solving?" Consider new knowledge, understanding and/or skills. 3. Consider writing a brief memo that highlights the success of the problem solving effort, and what you learned as a result. Share it with your supervisor, peers and subordinates.

Rational Versus Organic Approach to Problem Solving

Rational
A person with this preference often prefers using a comprehensive and logical approach similar to the guidelines in the above section. For example, the rational approach, described below, is often used when addressing large, complex matters in strategic planning. 1. Define the problem. 2. Examine all potential causes for the problem. 3. Identify all alternatives to resolve the problem. 4. Carefully select an alternative. 5. Develop an orderly implementation plan to implement that best alternative. 6. Carefully monitor implementation of the plan. 7. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not. A major advantage of this approach is that it gives a strong sense of order in an otherwise chaotic situation and provides a common frame of reference from which people can communicate in the situation. A major disadvantage of this approach is that it can take a long time to finish. Some people might argue, too, that the world is much too chaotic for the rational approach to be useful.

Organic
Some people assert that the dynamics of organizations and people are not nearly so mechanistic as to be improved by solving one problem after another. Often, the quality of an organization or life comes from how one handles being on the road itself, rather than the arriving at the destination. The quality comes from the ongoing process of trying, rather than from having fixed a lot of problems. For many people it is an approach to organizational consulting. The following quote is often used when explaining the organic (or holistic) approach to problem solving. All the greatest and most important problems in life are fundamentally insoluble They can never be solved, but only outgrown. This outgrowing proves on further investigation to require a new level of consciousness. Some higher or wider interest appeared on the horizon and through this broadening of outlook, the insoluble lost its urgency. It was not solved logically in its own terms, but faded when confronted with a new and stronger life urge. From Jung, Carl, Psychological Types (Pantheon Books, 1923)

A major advantage of the organic approach is that it is highly adaptable to understanding and explaining the chaotic changes that occur in projects and everyday life. It also suits the nature of people who shun linear and mechanistic approaches to projects. The major disadvantage is that the approach often provides no clear frame of reference around which people can communicate, feel comfortable and measure progress toward solutions to problems

Problem Solving and Decision Making

Much of what managers do is solve problems and make decisions. Decisionmaking is a key role of a manager and leader. Some managers find this to be one of the most difficult tasks to perform. They have a fear of failure, and procrastinate mainly because they have a lack of a structured approach. One of two things usually happens, they either put off making the decision in the hopes that someone else will bail them out, or even worse, make a decision using a knee jerk reaction. It is best to think of making a decision, as drawing a line between two points. If you cant draw a straight line between the two points, then that decision should most likely be rejected. When the line goes off into tangents, there might not be a realistic link between the proposed action and outcome.
New managers often try to solve problems and make decisions by reacting to them before they fully understand all of the possible factors. They feel that the quickness of a decision is more important than the long-term outcome. There are times when a quick decision is needed, such as dealing with a violent act in the workplace. However, most decisions are not needed immediately and you do in fact have the time to make the right decision. That is the key, making the right decision. Just be careful to not let decisions accumulate, or else you will have a backlog of both small and complex decisions to make. You need to find the perfect balance of knowing when to make quick and easy decisions on the fly, and when to take time with the complex decisions.

Dont be afraid to talk to your boss or upper management about major problems or needs that concern you. You do not want to be known as a manager who keeps secrets because you are scared of the possible repercussions. It is better to be upfront and honest, while at the same time showing you are diligently working on the resolution. You may even find yourself working with other department managers to rectify issues affecting your department. There is nothing wrong with this as it shows your commitment to your department and the company.

Define the problem or need before you make the decision. Ask yourself, and others if needed, the following who, what, when, where, how and why type of questions. In lesson 9 we will discuss costbenefit and task management tools, however, here are 12 steps to follow to use as a guideline when making important decisions:

1. Who should make the decision? First of all, you might be looking at a problem or need that is not your decision to make. Be sure you are not stepping on anyones toes, even though your heart is in the right place. If you are the one to make the decision, go to the next step.

2. What makes you think there is a problem, or why the need? Before you can start to make any decisions, you need to be absolutely clear the problem or need is valid. Make sure you consider those who will be affected by the decision. Talk to some key staff members to make sure you and your staff fully understands the nature of the problem or need. You want people who will speak up, are efficient, take necessary risks, have somewhat opposing views, and are strongly motivated. There are times when it seems like the problem or need comes at you like the sky is falling, but when you take the time to truly investigate the problem or need, you might find it is overly exaggerated. This happens quite often as emotions take over logic. For instance, is it one person complaining about a particular situation or does everyone feel the same way? Is there a common complaint from your customers or just one or two disgruntled people who will never be happy? Is there a common trend or is it just speculation? Do you really need to invest in a new database or can you work with what youve got? Dig deep to find if there is a true problem, and then start on finding ways to improve. You dont want to fix something that is not broke. If you indeed suspect there is a problem, follow steps 3 through 12:

3. Where is the problem or need? Is it internal or external? Is it in your department or somewhere else? Is it only in certain areas of your network? Is it one employee or the whole group? You need to know where the problem or need lies before you can begin to make the right decision to fix or buy.

4. When is it happening or needed? Is it certain parts of the day? Is it when there is over usage? Is it when shifts overlap? Is it always at the end of the month? Is it every time there is a new software release? By pinpointing when the problem happens, it helps greatly in detecting the root cause of the issue.

5. What is causing the problem or need? Is the problem process related? A lack of training? Old and slow computers causing longer handle times, which in turn is affecting customer

satisfaction? Are there not enough employees to handle the amount of calls? Is it a design or engineering flaw? Is it quality control issues? You need to get with key staff members to truly determine the root cause of the issue. Determining you have a problem is useless if you, or another department, cannot find the cause.

6. How complex is the problem or need? The more complex the problem or need, the deeper you will have to dig. Dont be afraid to go back to the drawing board until you are fully confident with the choices you have made.

7. What is the urgency and how should you prioritize? Some problems are more important than others. You would not want to work on a complex minor issue when you have an easy major issue that should be dealt with immediately.

8. What is the ideal outcome? When you are faced with a big decision, it is easy to get lost in the detail and circumstances. Write a list of pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages, and short term and long-term goals to make sure the outcome has the desired effect. Think about the objectives, alternatives, and risks. You need to be absolutely clear on exactly what it is you are expecting to achieve. Review the facts at hand then absorb them into your subconscious mind. Let these thoughts simmer for a while before going to the next step.

9. What are the possible solutions to the problem or need? Brainstorm with your key staff members for solutions to the problem or need, unless you are dealing with a confidential or personal issue. Note all of the ideas and alternatives on your whiteboard and then screen out the top solutions. Go over the pros and cons once again with everyone. Know the cost and risk associated with each alternative, and then be prepared to decide on what it is you are going to do.

10. Make the final decision. You should now know the direction you are going to take. Commit to your final choice or course of action. Recognize that you cannot know with 100% certainty that your decision is correct. You cant predict the future, but you can do everything possible to assess the problems or needs along with the benefits and risks. So make the decision, dont worry about the what ifs, and don't look back. Do not prolong or deliberate about the decision any more. Trust yourself to make the decision. You will be able to deal with any consequences appropriately and with confidence because you did your homework.

11. Plan and implement the final decision. Now that you have decided on what you are going to do, you need to determine how and when you will make it happen. Be realistic in your approach. Can you accomplish the task now? Do you have the resources? Is it in your immediate budget? Are there any time constraints? Do you have the facilities? What steps need to be taken? What systems or processes should be changed in your organization? Once you have a plan and know how to implement the solution to the problem or need, it is time to put the plan into effect. Write a schedule that includes the start and stop times, and when you expect to see certain indicators of success. If you are delegating the task, make sure the person realizes they are responsible for ensuring the implementation of the plan. Make sure the plan is communicated to all involved, including your boss and upper management if needed.

12. Monitor and verify whether the problem or need has been solved and/or is effective. It is a good idea to set up daily or weekly meetings to make sure all is well. Make sure all is going according to plan and is on schedule. You can then move to monthly meetings until you are 100% the problem or need has been solved. You will find out very soon how successful you are by checking reports, surveys, comments made in meetings, and whether there is any tension in the air. Use this opportunity to learn how to avoid future related problems. If you are still having problems, or your expectations have not been met, call in your key players again. Look at whether the plan was unrealistic, if you had the right resources, was it communicated enough, and did you prioritized correctly. If needed, the plan should be changed. Go through the steps again until you fully resolve the issue and find the exact solution.