Summary
This practical and participative module is suitable for managers who are involved in identifying, clarifying and solving organisational problems and need to have access both to a range of practical tools and techniques and interpersonal skills that will maximise effectiveness.
Problem solving and decision making is central to the management role. Problem solving is often seen as a learned skill and often it’s just a case of using a structured approach and allowing our brain to utilise different techniques. This session is designed to help create a structured approach to problem solving and decision making for managers that we all have the ability to use.
What we will cover
- What do we mean by ‘problem solving and decision making’?
- The elements of an effective problem solving and decision-making process.
- Defining the problem, clarifying outcomes, identifying and exploring alternatives, choosing a strategy, implementing it and managing the follow up.The merits of group and individual problem solving.
- Balancing intuition and analysis, creativity and logic, ‘gut feel’ and ‘hard facts’.
Practical problem-solving tools and techniques:
Selected problem solving and decision making tools will be explained, practised and their merits and applications to workplace scenarios considered by the group.
These can include:
- Root cause analysis
- Decision tables and decision trees
- Nominal group technique
- Matched pairs analysis
- Force field analysis
- Cause & effect
- Payoff/implementation grids
- Affinity diagrams & meta planning
By the end of this course you will:
Describe the key elements in effective problem solving and decision making
Select and use practical tools for defining, clarifying and solving problems
Draw on a range of interpersonal skills and techniques to promote effective group problem solving and decision making
Create and implement a personal action plan to enhance the effectiveness of their workplace problem solving and decision making as a manager
