BUILDING TOMORROW’S GENERATION OF WORKPLACE PROBLEM SOLVERS

Bob WendoverCommon Sense Enterprises

Today’s decision making is wearing us out.

“. . . an invisible tax on the bottom line.”

Daniel Hahnemann Economist and Nobel Laureate

Routine- manual jobs

Non-routine cognitive jobs

CAE40% of graduating college seniors lack the complex reasoning skills to manage white-collar work.

Teaching the principles of critical thinking does not produce critical thinkers!

Good judgment comes from experience.

Experience comes from bad judgment.

Get everything done? Get the right things done?

Develop expertise Maintain broad understanding Embrace responsibility Work collaboratively Act decisively Leverage learning Improve the performance

of others

The best decision makers . .

It’s not about the position. It’s about the behavior.

Who is the best decision maker you know?

The more you understand how people think, the easier it is to help them make better decisions.

cor$sol—stress

adrenaline—fightorflight

DO-OVER!

When our desire for comfort is too dependent on our tolerance for discomfort, even the slightest aggravation can drive our stress through the roof.

How comfortable are you with being uncomfortable?

State of mind: Your clarity of thinking in the moment

How do you maintain an inside-out state of mind?

Always mindful of situational context

Respectful of bureaucracy, but not stifled by it.

Embrace responsibility for decisions.

How do people perceive your approach to decision making?

“Take the initiative!”

“Use your common sense!”

“Think for yourself!”

The 5Cs of Problem SolvingClarify the problem.

Collect your resources.

Consider your options.

Choose the best option.

Cogitate on the outcome.

Benefits of

Trial and Error =Problem Solving Skills The Confidence to Make Decisions

The best decision makers are students of error!

Encourage thoughtful risk.

Model and explain your reasoning.

Compel those around you to think critically.

“Think-aloud”

90% of those we supervise can solve 90% of the problems they encounter.

*We just don’t ask them to.

We can’t

Google our way to wisdom!