Problem Solving and decision making

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Problem Solving and decision making

Your name goes here Your course position goes here
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• As a result of this session, you will be able to
• Analyze a problem and submit it to a systematic
  problem-solving process.
• Understand the relationship between problem
  solving and project management.
• Put into action many of the skills and ideas
  learned during the Wood Badge course.
• Prepare yourselves for the upcoming Problem
  Solving Round-Robin.

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FIVE STEPS OF TEAM-BASED PROJECT PLANNING

1. Project overview
2. Work breakdown structure
3. Activity assignments
4. Action on the plan
5. Closeout report

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PROJECT PLANNING PROBLEMS

• Within the context of a larger project.
• Independent of the project.

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FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING

1. Describe the problem.
2. Gather information.
3. Determine the most important factors that
   contribute to the problem.
4. Visualize what success looks like.
5. Create action steps that will lead to that
   success.

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FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING

• Describe the problem.
• Accurately
• Completely

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FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING

• 2. Gather information.
• quantitative
• (facts that can be measured)
• qualitative
• (how people feel about situation)

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FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING

• Determine the most important factors
• that contribute to the problem.
• Timing
• Personnel
• Setting
• Any combination of all three

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FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING

• Visualize what success looks like.
• Describe how things will be when the
• problem is solved and everything is
• working well.

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FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING

• 5. Create action steps that will lead to that
  success.
• Close gap between current situation
• and visualization of success.

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ADVANTAGES OF SYSTEMATICALLY SOLVING PROBLEMS

• Time-saver.
• Teams solve problems more quickly efficiently.
• Increases the odds of success.

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MAKING DECISIONS

• Brainstorming
• Consensus
• Multi-Voting
• Parking Lot

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MAKING DECISIONS

• Brainstorming
• Encourage everyone to participate.
• Think outside the box.
• Piggyback ideas.
• Consider how similar problems have been solved in
  the past.

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MAKING DECISIONS

• Consensus
• Team works in atmosphere of trust and agrees to
  abide by group agreement.
• Possible solutions assessed evaluated to see if
  they fit vision of success.
• Give consensus decision a trial run before
  finalizing it.

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MAKING DECISIONS

• Multi-Voting
• Each team member has an equal number of votes.
• If sorting list, members rank items if reducing
  list, members cast out poorest choices.
• Cast votes, total scores, repeat if necessary.

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MAKING DECISIONS

• Parking Lot
• Acknowledge that issue is not immediately
  relevant.
• Write brief description of issue for discussion
  at later time.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• As a result of this session, you should now be
  able to
• Analyze a problem and submit it to a systematic
  problem-solving process.
• Understand the relationship between problem
  solving and project management.
• Put into action many of the skills and ideas
  learned during the Wood Badge course.
• Prepare for the upcoming Problem Solving
  Round-Robin.

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Thank You!
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GROUP ISSUES FOR PROBLEM SOLVING ROUND-ROBIN
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Change control log Change control log Change control log Change control log
Date Version Changes By
Jan. 14, 2009 0.1 template Fred M. Stringer