Chapter 5: Successful Problem Solving & Task Management

Learning outcomes:• Understand what is meant by problem-solving• Develop techniques and approaches associated with

successful problem solving• Develop the confidence to take on tasks, problems and

projects• Become a “good-starter”• Understand all the processes involved in basic project

management • Audit your own “competitiveness”

Contents

• Introduction• Tasks and Problem• Basic Approaches• ‘Similarity Approach’• The ROSA-E strategy• Problem Solving Techniques

Introduction

• Problem-solving skill is highly valued by employers.• They want graduates being able to manage problems

and pressures effectively, being able to apply skills to new situations and deal with new tasks with minimum supervision.

• Almost every activity, task or problem will draw on the following set of processes and skills:

1. Strategy: tactics and an overall plan.2. Techniques: methods to use.3. People skills: working with others in appropriate ways to

achieve the goal.4. Self management: managing your time, personal issues,

feelings and performance.5. Creativity: finding ideas that contribute towards a

solution.

• People who are very good at problem-solving usually bring people skills, self management and creativity to the task.

• These three factors are so important that they each have chapters dedicated to them.

Tasks & Problems

• Task can be defined as “a piece of work assigned or done as part of one's duties”. It also referred as “a function to be performed or an objective”.

• It covers a wide range of circumstances. • Task is used flexibility to refer to any activity or part

of a larger project.

• On the other hand, problem refers to:- any question that calls for an answer- a puzzle waiting to be solved- a situation requiring a response- a challenge to be met

• To solve a problem, it involves a few tasks that need to be undertaking before we could reach for a final decision. This process called as “decision-making”.

• Decisions could be classified whether as structured (programmed) decision or un-structured (non-programmed) decision.

• Programmed decisions are made using a rule, procedure, or quantitative method. For example, to say that inventory should be ordered when inventory levels drop to 100 units is a program decision because it adheres to a rule.

• This kind of decisions are easy to solve because the problem is routine, and it can easily computerize using traditional information systems.

• Meanwhile, non-programmed decisions refer to a decision that deals with unusual or exceptional situations.

• Not easily quantifiable.• E.g.: determining the appropriate training program

for a new employee, deciding whether to develop a new type of product line, and weighing the benefits and drawbacks of installing an upgraded version of a system within an organization.

• Unique characteristics (where standard rules or procedures might not apply to them)

• Today, decision support systems (DSS) help solve many non-programmed decisions, in which the problem is not routine and rules and relationships are not well defined

Types of decision-making

Characteristics Programmed Decisions Non-programmed Decisions

Type of problem Structured Un-structured

Managerial level Lower level Upper level

Frequency Repetitive, routine New, unusual

Information Readily available Ambiguous, incomplete

Time-frame solution Short Relatively long

Solution relies on Procedures, rules, policies Judgment & creativity

Goals Clear, specific Vague

Activity: Structured or Un-structured Decision?

Define each of these problems/decisions whether it is structured or un-structured:1) A bakery shop need to decide how many quantities of ingredients need to be ordered from suppliers to produce 10,000 piece of sandwiches.2) A company must determine how many workers that need to be employed for operating its new production plant in Spain.3) A CEO of a big company has been resigned recently, so the Board of Directors (BOD) conduct a meeting to discuss who’s the best candidate to replace him.

4) You just been appointed as a new operation manager at KLIA. You must make sure that all passengers manage to board on the plane on time (on time departure), so you must coordinate all aspects related to selection and management of cabin crews, cargo, passengers, air-traffic control and so on to be effectively done.5) Nokia Corp conduct a meeting to find solutions to increase their market value due to inflation in Europe and decline of sales in North America market.

Basic Approaches to Problem Solving

There are few basic approaches that might be use in order to solve a specific problem as listed below:Talking to others ListsFinding out informationCalculatingFollowing the rulesTrial and errorVisualizingCharting

1) Talking to othersAsk other people for ideas, their experience , what they

know about the persons and places involved. People are a key resources in problem-solving.

2) ListsMany people organize their lives by lists.They are quick and easy tools to use and excellent starting

points for any problem.

3) Finding out informationMay have included approaches such as browsing the

Internet, checking catalogues and looking in books.

4) Calculating Some problems are solved more easily by using

mathematical formula. For example: You may have used calculations to work out

how much time there would be different aspects of each of the two essays, or how to meet budget for the meal or holiday.

5) Following the rules It is easier to follow procedures laid down for the activity. For example: mixing chemicals for a particular purpose

requires very precise measurements specific chemicals.Another example: if you are not used to cooking, following

the recipe step by step will be very helpful.

6) VisualizingYou may also have visualized each of the different

activities, seeing yourself performing each. For example: successful sportspeople tend to use

visualizing techniques to see the exact details of how they will achieve victory.

7) ChartingWe may used a chart, flow diagram or other graphic

device to draw out the problem, so that you could work it out visually.

For example: finding a solution on how to increase sales for product A based on results obtained from a survey using questionnaires.

8) Trial and ErrorsYou may prefer to jump in at the deep end, trying out

various ideas until you hit the right one. For example: run a computer-programming script using C+

+

The ROSA-E Strategy

• This is a method or tool that could be use for problem analysis purpose, so it might help you find the best solution to solve your problem later on.

• ROSA-E strategy is a cycle that can be applied to the overall project and also for tasks within a project. Reflection is at the core of the cycle, and is applied to all processes.

• Step involved in ROSA-E strategy:o Orientationo Strategyo Actiono Evaluationo Reflection

Problem-Solving Techniques

This section introduces some common problem-solving techniques difficulties. These include: Setting goals; Setting criteria to evaluate a solution; Identifying priorities; Setting targets and drawing up an action plan; Planning project time; Getting down to it; Becoming a good ‘self-starter’; Sticking with a task; Completing a task

1) Setting goals• Is an important part of the orientation stage of your

strategy. When considering your goal:– Visualize what it would be like to achieve it.– Identify how will know when you have achieved it: what

will be different?– Evaluate whether it is realistic;– Identify what you will have to sacrifice in order to achieve

it. It is worth it?– Think about your beliefs and values. Is it’ you’?

2) Setting criteria• Develop criteria that give you what you want but which are

achievable.• Identify relevant criteria for a solution in term of:

– Maximum cost– Value for money– Total time in hours– Desired finish date– Meeting deadlines– Quality issues– Design features– Meeting assignment criteria– Meeting client criteria– Health and safety issues– Legal considerations

3) Identifying priorities• One common reason for not getting under way with

a many problem or project is that there are too many things competing for your attention.

• To help set priorities, Neenan and Dryden(2002) suggest dividing tasks into one of four categories, called priorities sheet:– Urgent and important– Not urgent but important– Urgent but not important– Not urgent and not important

Priorities Sheet

REDUrgent and important

YELLOWNot urgent but important

ORANGEUrgent but not important

BLUENot urgent and not important

1. Red – Category 1: urgent and importantDeadliness, crises, tasks timed for today, task which must come first in a sequence.

2. Yellow – Category 2: not urgent but importantCategory 2 activities enables you to plan ahead. These should be addressed before they become urgent.

3. Orange – Category 3: urgent but not importantIf possible, leave these until category 1 tasks are completed. Email are a good example of this.

4. Blue – Category 4: not urgent and not importantThese are often are good time wasting activities.

4) SMART-F target setting• Most tasks benefit from clear, achievable goals.

SMART targets make it easier to see what must be done and then to evaluate the success.

• SMART-F targets build in reasonable flexibility, so you can plan for unexpected contingencies. SMART-F stands for:

1. Specific: ‘I will complete the first section of my essay by this evening.’

2. Measurable: ‘I will produce the first three draft pages of my essay by this evening.’

3. Achievable: ‘This should be achievable because I have completed the research, organized my notes, and already produced the outline plan.’

4. Realistic: ‘I should be able to write three pages as I have written up to ten pages in a day before, and have done the preparatory work.’

5. Time-bound: ‘I will finish by 8:30 p.m.’6. Flexible: ‘I could continue until 10:30 p.m. if necessary. If I

find I have additional research to do for those pages, I can slot that in tomorrow between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.’

5) Planning project timeGood time management may require you to use several time-management tools simultaneously:– Actions plans: set targets and deadliness for each step.

Action plan are organized according to theme.– Schedules: organize all tasks and steps in the order they

must be completed. For large projects, there is software available to organize the work schedule.

– Diaries: organize tasks more closely within a week or day.

Action Plan

Target Milestones (steps to be taken)

By date By whom Evidence that milestone is completed

Done (√)

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

6) Getting down to it• Do you delay beginning an activity because:

You get easily distracted into irrelevant activities?The time isn’t right?You need more experience?You work better at the last moment?Tomorrow is better?You worry that the outcome won’t be right?You think something will go wrong?Everything else is more important?

• If so, procrastination prevents you from following through on an action plan.

7) Becoming a good “self-starter”• Self-starters tend to be:

Highly motivated;Have strategies for ‘getting going’Open to the possibility of successSolution focusedOrganizedSelf-confidentGood at finding support and asking for help when they

need itGood at people skillsAware of their own limitations

• Each time you undertake any assignment, you can practice techniques that are relevant to being a good self-starter.

8) Sticking with a task• One of characteristics of successful people is a

willingness to ‘do what it takes’, even if this means working very long hours, and developing patience.

• In general, how good are you at sticking with tasks so that you finish what you start?

9) Completing a task• The following characteristics are usually needed to

take tasks through to completion on a consistent basis:– Enthusiasm– Ability to see or conceptualize the ‘end product’– Perseverance– Patience– Self-belief – Being prepared to practice– Accepting constructive criticism– Searching out a point of interest – Keeping the goal and benefits in mind– Pride in a job well done

Conclusion• Problem solving is essentially a way of getting things done,

and therefore can be applied to a very wide range of circumstances.

• This includes such processes as defining the task, elaborating the problem, setting priorities, developing an appropriate strategy, setting SMART-F targets, developing an action plan, monitoring performance against targets and indicators, and taking a task to completion.

• A good problem-solving strategy, along with developed people skills, will enable you to take on such new tasks with developed skills, will enable you take on such new tasks with greater confidence.