Technique 2.106 Problem-solving
Introduction
Problem-solving is an important skill to have.
You need to know how to approach the problem systematically and be comfortable that you are making the best decision on the available information.
NB Never underestimate the unpredictable nature of problems and the need to fix the causes, not just the symptoms.
Tick the appropriate column that best describes how you are (not how you think you should be)
| Statements to Answer | not at all |
rarely |
sometimes |
often |
very often |
|
| 1. Once you choose a solution, you develop an implementation plan with the sequence of events necessary for completion. | ||||||
| 2. After a solution has been implemented, you immediately look for ways to improve the idea and avoid future problems. | ||||||
| 3. To avoid asking the wrong question, you take care to define each problem carefully before trying to solve it. | ||||||
| 4. You strive to look at problems from different perspectives and generate multiple solutions. | ||||||
| 5. You try to address the political issues and other consequences of the change you're proposing so that others will understand and support your solution. | ||||||
| 6. You evaluate potential solutions carefully and thoroughly against a predefined standard. | ||||||
| 7. You systematically search for issues that may become problems in the future. | ||||||
| 8. When you decide on a solution, you make it happen - no matter what opposition you may face. | ||||||
| 9. You find that small problems often become much bigger in scope, and thus very difficult to solve. | ||||||
| 10. You ask yourself a lot of different questions about the nature of the problem. | ||||||
| 11. After your solution is implemented, you relax and focus again on your regular duties. | ||||||
| 12. You focus on keeping current operations running smoothly and hope that the problem don't appear. | ||||||
| 13. You evaluate potential solutions as you think of them. | ||||||
| 14. When you need to find a solution to a problem, you usually have all of the information you need to solve it. | ||||||
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| 16. Making a decision is the end of your problem-solving process. |
Comments
1. Except for questions 8, 11 & 12, the more your ticks are in the right-sided columns, ie 'often' and 'very often', the better your decision-making will be.
2. Some application of questions:
- 7 & 12 refers to problem finding
- 10 & 14 refers to the fact finding
- 3 & 9 refers to problem defining
- 4 & 13 refers to idea generation
- 6 & 15 refers to evaluating and selecting
- 1 & 16 refers to planning
- 5 & 8 refers to selling the idea
- 2 & 11 refers to implementation
(main sources: MTCT 2024d & e)