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Problem Solving Skills

PCBN

Pacific Coast Business Networking

July 8, 2015

Everybody Has Problems!

Problems to Be SolvedMarketing Effectiveness

Client Retention

Difficult Clients

Generating Revenue

Health Issues

Sustained Growth

Adequate Resources

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fred-kofman/how-to-energize-yourself_b_7715952.html

Energize yourself

What is a Problem?Something that is difficult to deal with

Something that is a source of trouble, worry, etc.

Difficulty in understanding something

A feeling of not liking or wanting to do something

What are Problems?Problems are situations in which we experience uncertainty or difficulty in achieving what we want to achieve.

Problems arise when an obstacle prevents us reaching an objective.

Objective = something we have decided we need to achieve.

Obstacle = anything that prevents us achieving an objective.

Objective + Obstacle = PROBLEM

Types of Problems

Problems can be divided broadly into two groups:

Unexpected problems occur when something has happened that should not have happened, or something we expected to happen has not happened.

Obstacle problems occur when we want to achieve a specific objective but there are certain obstacles blocking our progress.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/22/pete-hegseth-ax_n_7641574.html

Unintended Consequences

Solving ProblemsSolving a problem involves finding ways to overcome any obstacles and ways to achieve our objective.

Although each problem is unique in terms of the information involved, and requires a unique blend of thought processes to find a solution, all successful problem solving follows a basic pattern.

The Stages of Problem Solving

To be a successful problem solver you need to understand what the stages involve and follow them

whenever you encounter a problem.

To be a successful problem solver you must go through these stages:

1.- Understanding the situation, recognizing and defining the problem 

2.- Finding possible solutions

3.- Choosing the best solution

4.- Develop an action plan & implementing the solution

5.- Evaluate the Solution

1. Understand the situation, recognizing and defining the

problemBefore any action can be taken to solve a problem, you need to recognize that a problem exists.

You need to identify the root cause of the problem.

A surprising number of problems go unnoticed or are only recognized when the situation becomes serious.

Opportunities are also missed.

There are specific techniques you can use to help you recognizeproblems and opportunities.

2. Develop an effective action plan by finding possible solutionsAnalyzing the problem involves identifying and collecting the relevant information and representing it in a meaningful way.

Analyzing unexpected problems helps you to identify all the possible causes and confirm the real cause, or obstacle, before looking for a solution.

With obstacle problems you are looking for information which will help to suggest a range of possible ways to solve the problem.

Analysis also helps you to decide what the ideal solution would be, which helps to guide your search for solutions.

3. Choosing the Best Solution

This is the stage at which you evaluate the possible solutions and select that which will be most effective in solving the problem.

It's a process of decision making based on a comparison of the potential outcome of alternative solutions.

This involves:

- Identifying all the features of an ideal solution, including the criteria it has to meet

- Eliminating solutions which do not meet the criteria

- Evaluating the remaining solutions against the outcome required

Selecting Solutions

Alternative Solutions

AbsoluteCriteria

Cost -Time -Risk -

Funding

DesirableCriteria

Nice to Have

1.- XXXXX

2.- XXXXX

3.- XXXXX

4. Implementing the Solution

Overcome Procrastination

Plan and prepare to implement the solution

Anticipate Unintended Consequences

Take the appropriate action

5. Evaluating the SolutionWhen the action is completed it's necessary to measure its success, both to estimate its usefulness for solving future problems of this type and to ensure that the problem has been solved.

If not, further action may be required.

Uh.. Guys?You’re not Finished Yet

Why People Fail to Solve Problems Effectively

- misinterpreting the problem

- lack of commitment to solving the problem

- lack of knowledge of the techniques and processes involved in problem solving

- inability to use the techniques effectively