Reviewing Problem Identification, Problem Solving, and Decision Making Techniques

Professor Perry Barton

Team Project
MGMT 2215

Renee Lacy
Website Design Team

February 23, 2015

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Problem identification, problem solving, and decision making techniques are a large part
of everything that is done to make a business successful. An understanding between all three
business needs is needed because of the differences that they bring to a business. They are all
different but they go hand in hand to complement each other. This paper will discuss the three
techniques to give a clear understanding of each role and their benefits to an organization.
What is problem identification and how does an organization go about finding out what
issues they are having? When taking a look at problem identification, the problem has to be
identified first in order to move to the solution. Some problems are hard to identify unless
research is done to see where the start of the problem came from. To identify a problem, all the
facts will be needed and it is necessary to narrow down the source of this issue. If only half the
information has been collected, the problem cannot be completely solved. If all of the facts are
not collected for the problem, it will be a waste of finances and resources used during this
process. It is very important to start identifying the problem with all research in hand. Also, all
information collected needs to be examined by the entire team to make sure that what is collected
is correct. After collecting valid information, the team should check the accuracy of the data to
see how and where the problem started, along with the measures it will take to correct these
issues. Once the problem has been identified, the details of the problem must be gathered. A few
ways that the details can be gathered is by using diagrams which describe the cause and effect of
the issue. The diagrams will help in getting to the origin of the problem by reviewing documents
from the past to the present and how the current process works. Another recommendation for
identifying the problem is to review what process is being used now and ask the question Is this
process helping or hurting the project now? Identifying a problem is important before a team is
able to function correctly. When a company has found the source of the problem but does not
take the steps to make sure they have found all of the details that started the problem, their
company will continue to have the same unresolved problems in the future due to the steps that
were overlooked during the process.
When problems arise every section of the project has to be observed. For some
companies, this is considered risk management which is assigning the task of finding out what is
causing the problems and how they can be solved. Risk management is the team that will take all
measures to find out how and what situations are possible threats to their organization. Once the
problem is identified, the next step will be problem solving.
How can we effectively solve a problem so the problem is less like to reoccur? The first
step was identifying the problem. Secondly, now that the problem has been identified, we must
work on solving the issue. It will never fail that when one problem is solved another problem
will always arise. The great thing about solving a problem is that a company can collect data and
store it for the next time issues arise. Having this data may be useful and less time consuming for
problems that arise in the future. Team working to solve problems can use a method which is
referred to as PDCA which stands for Plan, Do, Check, Act. This plan is very helpful because
it gives you a plan of things to follow that will help aid in the process of eliminating the origin of
the issues. The first step will allow the team to clarify what the problem is because not knowing
what the issue is. It is very important to be concise because if clarifying and solving the problem
is not done correctly, the result will cause long hours in identification due to something that is

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not related to what the issue is. Assigning a team to a certain solution which may not be needed
or problem solving could turn into a solution implementation rather the root-cause identification
and its remedy. Next the team needs to start collecting evidence of the problem and focusing on
information and data that has been obtained and demonstrated that there is a problem that does
exist. This is helpful because there should be a list of evidence that has been gathered, graphs to
illustrate that the problem does exist, and statements from those who realized the problem, how
large the problem is, and the nature of the problem at its critical level. The team has to be aware
of the impact or opportunities of the issues. This step should focus on the benefits if the problems
are solved successfully. It will also focus on how it will benefit the members involved to control
work by fixing the issues that are hindering the expected results or take the results to a higher
level of performance. This is a good direction because it will have a lasting impact and new
opportunities rewritten in a statement which will list if money is loss, work time, product and can
it be reworked, what the process time will be, and how is the morale of the team.
An additional step that can help with the plan of problem solving is the measurement of
the problem. Before a team can move to solve a problem, it needs to be clear of how large the
problem is by doing a check of how pertinent and reliable the data is with which the team has
collected to manage the problem. This evidence should be valid, accurate, and reliable data to the
end process because if the team has doubt or suspicions and is not significant to help solve the
problem, this would be the time to address; revised and different measures should be taken
before proceeding. Measure of effectiveness is a step that teams use to identify how to measure
the success of the problem solving efforts. This will be a strategy to help the team settle on the
how and why and what is going to be done.
The next in the PDCA strategy is Do. This step gives a to-do list after the plan is in
place. The first item is to generate possible causes. The team wants to avoid getting into a place
where it is solution implementation or trial and error because this should start out with
everything from the beginning with a plan laid out on all things that could have been the root
cause of the problem. Now the team can use data along with knowledge and experience to sort
through what may be the cause. This will help to get to the origin of the problem and not just the
symptoms and create the treatment for the problem. The second step is writing a plan of action
for the cause remedies. When a team has reached the goal to have an action plan written out, the
team should be brainstorming possible solutions and remedies for each cause. Prioritizing each
solution is helpful when the teams are split into sub teams so everyone has their own part to work
on and that nothing is overlooked in this critical step. The team must also join in together as a
whole to reach an agreement on what the next step will be in the solution of the problem which
will be agreeing on the plan of action. The team should now be ready to write out an
experimental test plan. This plan is documented proof of what tests have been performed to
verify if the cause of the problem has been identified and if the problem has an impact of what
the cause is. This plan should show what items should be kept constant, the time and how long
the test was, and how or if the cause factors need to be altered. Every team member needs to
know the importance of this plan, what the purpose is, their responsibility, and the key factor that
will ensure good test results.
The next step in the PDCA strategy is Check. Now a clear check can be made on what
is being done. Carrying out the action plan with all the solutions that where given by the team

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members is everything being used to the best of its ability and is used to make sure that members
are following the strategy that is being placed to solve the problems. Are the experimental tests
that where planned making sure that every process is being followed, is the data being analyzed
and all conclusions being made discussed and agreed to by the whole team? Now it is time to
implement the plan and making the changes permanent. After all the data has been gathered and
analyzed with the team agreeing on what should be the next step, it is time to make changes on
getting the problem solved. Also this plan should be written out for everyone to know what
direction is being taken. Management and team review is needed to make this move successful.
This is a critical stage in the problem solving process and if everything and everyone does not
operate together this will not work and the project will be doomed.
The final step in PDCA is Act. This step is where the team has finally decided on
carrying out the implementation plan which is written out and the whole team has a clear
understanding of what is needed and what is to happening. Communication plays a key role in
this process and everyone needs to know their role. Feedback is gathered from the team and this
is used as a form of questions being asked whether it is written or in an open forum. With
problem solving it could be best to answer questions from customers such as, why the product
not useful is this is how a lot of issues can be discovered if the product is poorly made and how
can the company make it better for the consumer. Customers have a lot of input on what is being
sold and the company is there to please to consumer. There are other check lists that could help
in problem solving as well which are trying to prevent what may be a small issue from growing
into something much larger in the future. It is good practice to work on the small issues so not to
turn into to something larger tomorrow this could be costly to the company. Use management
and standard work tools to help catch problems before they start to become a larger problem.
Also, implement a plan for the future by building skill sets and a system to be able to deal with
problems that come up at any time. It is always good practice to understand that small problems
are somewhat a valuable result for contributing to future results.
Now the team has clarified the problem by knowing exactly what this issue is and the
cause. The key elements that have been identified to the problem is the information we collected
as being useful in solving what is broken and considered the critical cases of not fixing the
problems, being knowledgeable of what need to be done, and considering the level of this
problem. Problem solving shows that approaches to resolutions will help to create more
agreements, more winning outcomes and more satisfaction in short and long term which will
lead to more of a durable solution than something temporary. Problem solving comes together to
help team members who are concerned with the wellbeing of the company as well as self. How
can the team use decision making techniques to help with identifying the problems and solving
the problems? These two go hand and hand. Much of the decision making is done by managers
because this is what is required to carry out their daily schedule. The task is to make decisions
and solve problems. Some can find this task more difficult than others because they might be
fearful of making the wrong decision and failing at the task. Making the wrong decision could
come with a cost that some are not willing to take. The manager or the person making the
decision has to use a structured approach to every problem that needs a solution.
When making a decision, a manager has to fully understand what is being asked and
what is needed to make the final decision on this matter. The need to make a decision with a

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quick response may not always be the best idea because this may in the end make the problem
larger than what it was in the beginning. With this, all avenues have to be addressed. There is
always time to make the correct decision and time is needed to achieve this goal. The key to
making the right decision is time and researching some problem. They may require a quick
decision but others may require a lot more knowledge of a situation. The decision maker has to
define the nature of the problem before making a decision and decide if there is really an issue
that requires a decision to be made. Before any of this is done, the manager needs to make sure
that it is clear there is a problem and who will be affected by the decision in the end. It is always
good to get input from other team members to make sure that everyone understands the nature of
any needs and the problems. Also the location of the problem is needed. Location is important
because it has to be determined if it is a process related, is this because of lack of training and
knowledge, is it effecting the customer satisfaction in the company, could it be flaws in the
design or details of a product which could affect the quality control and because a larger
problem, and how will not solving the problem effect the company and the decision maker.
Before any final decisions are made, the manager making this decision should not be
afraid to go back and revisit any data before he is fully confident in all the choices that are made.
The manager must also decide how urgent the decision is and how does it need to be prioritized.
Making decisions is a big deal to any project because this could be the choice that makes or
breaks the end result. When making a big decision it can get easy for a manager to get caught up
in details and circumstances that might take the real problem off track. Writing a list may help to
keep everyone focused. The list should have items such as what are the pros and cons, some
advantages and disadvantages, and what are the short and long term goals to getting to the
outcome that is desired. The objectives and risk should be examined, along with reviewing all the
facts that have been represented. This is a great way to brainstorm with the key players for
solutions to the problems. Before making any final decisions on a problem the manager should
be committed to the final decision. If it doesnt feel right and it might not help the project then
the facts should be revisited. All decisions might not be the best choice but a manager has to be
able to stand by the decision that is made in the end by being aware of all the benefits and the
risks as well. When a group decision is needed, it has to discuss whether to continue on with the
problem solving, if help is needed to proceed and which procedures to utilize plus which solution
should be used. With group decision making there has to be an agreement with more than one
person and some of the obstacles that could hinder this are irrational team members. This is a
mindset that the problem is fixed and the outcome has to be either a win or lose instead of
working to make the problem better for everyone. The use of research or information for this
problem may not be relevant to the solution of this problem. Another issue is the person giving
the information and how reliable this source may be. Members may not feel the same about
certain information shared because of the way it was presented or perceived.
With group decisions, conflict may arise and in order to come to an agreement the
conflict has to be addressed. When dealing with unwanted conflict it is best to sort through how
the group got to this place in the beginning by identifying the interest of the group, reasoning, the
options they have, and the goals. With these all laid out then the group can brainstorm and
hopefully come up with a solution that everyone can agree on and the problem will have a
solution. Problem solving along with decision making are two of the most important skills to
have in the business world and also in our personal lives. With decision making it comes natural

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to some and is difficult for others but having this technique requires a person to have a mixed set
of skills which may consist of having a creative development side, being able to have precision
of judgment, being firm in the decision that is finally made, and implementations that are
effective. Being put in a position where a certain person has to make a decision can be stressful
and sometimes hard to come to a conclusion. There are a lot of factors that come into play. For
example, how will the decision affect the group and its members because everyone will not be
happy but it has to be understood that the common goal in reaching the final decision is for the
good of the company and dealing with any and all risk that may harm future projects. If this is
not solved it could end up costing the company in a financial way, also it can end up hurting the
customers trust in the company.
When a manger is ready to make the final decision and all data and resources have been
used it is time for the final step and that making the final decision that is the best for the project
and all that are involved, a plan should be implemented on this decision. The manager has come
to the conclusion that is will be what is best for solving the problem, every detail should have
been looked at and gone over as far as budgets, quality control, customer satisfaction, how
solving the problem will affect the deadlines set for the project, and what are the likelihood of
this problem reoccurring in the near future. Is there a plan in place to prevent this from
happening again soon after it is corrected, when making the final decision also the manager
needs to make sure that the outcome will not affect the company in a negative way if the changes
are made and is there time to put the plan in effect without affecting any other parts of the
project. There should be a schedule written out with start and stop times also project indicators of
the success of the problem being solved, also everyone on the team should be delegated certain
task to keep the project on schedule and to be on alert if anything started to go wrong the plan of
problem solving should be communicated well. At times members could be unsure about what
their role may be this is why a plan has to be implemented for everyone to have a clear
understanding of each and every step through this process. When communicated in this problem
solving decision it is also a good idea for upper management to have a clear picture as well.
Now it is time to monitor the progress of the decision that was made and ensuring that the
problem is being solved, what is the effectiveness of the decision that was made there should be
daily or weekly meeting set up to make sure that the issues are being fixed in a timely manner
and the plan that was put in place is working correctly, it the problem is gaining success then the
meeting can be moved monthly meeting until the project is completed. After checking updated
reports, checking with the data collected for the meeting updates and analyzed reports from
employees is useful. It is now a good time to use this opportunity to have a plan in place to avoid
anything of this nature to happen in the future. Hopefully the decision that was made turned out
to be the best decision for the project and the problem is solved. Decision making is not an easy
task and if the right decision was not made for this problem this would be a good time to get
everyone that is involved in the project to come together to discuss what would be good in
making other changes in solving the problems of the project.
Finding the source of a problem can be a long process on not knowing how and what got
the project to the point to where it took on a different life and put a stop to the production of what
the company started out doing. Identifying a problem could take up time and money in a
company and knowing exactly what the problem is that could bring on more problems. Problems
have to be clear in order to move on to find the solution. At times problems can bring on added

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stress not just to the team members but to the company itself. When problems are not identified
properly it can cause a company to lose customers that took a lifetime to build. I have to solve
problems for myself which can add stress to my daily life as well as my business life. With the
help of others it could help to eliminate some of the stress that is building around the problems in
a project in which we may be responsible for. But once the problem is identified it gives a sense
of accomplishment in the project. I feel this is a valuable first step in moving on to a great end in
problem solving. Too many times team members and companies try and solve an issue not really
understanding what the problem is and what it consist of. In order to get the problem solved in a
timely manner, everyone may not have the ability to solve problems and come out with a positive
outcome which could hurt the project and the company. It is best to work with a group on getting
a problems solved. If everyone that is brought in to help with these issues has something positive
to bring to the table this will help when brainstorming when individuals are allowed to bring
their own ideas on how to improve the project as to where to get it back up and running correctly.
Problem solving in my opinion is a team effort and sometimes cannot be done alone and could
use opinions offered by others. There might be a member in the group that has had this issue in
past projects which would be a plus for the team because of cost and deadlines. Decision making
for a problem with an individual has to include skills such as choosing the right strategy, trusting
in your team, prioritizing what is most important to succeed. This is why it is important to have a
strong support group because the manager making the decision has to be able to trust the team
they are working with, a problem cant be solved if the team is not solid from the beginning.
When dealing with a decision that I may have to make at times I feel I over think what the
problem is and how to solve the problem so the outcome will have a positive effect on me and
others around me, I do not always come out with the best solution but the intent is to have a
successful ending. I could never accomplish some of the goals I have set for myself without a
strong support group. We may not always make the right decisions all of the time but it is a
learning experience that will help to make the right one in another problem solving case that will
come up in the future.
How do we prevent problems from coming about? We cannot prevent problems and there
will always be problems which will need a solution and if that solution is the right one for the
issues at hand we dont know until we do the research and the work to solve whatever issues that
occur that any given time in our lives. Problems will come up in business that we may have no
control over but we still have to try and find what the best solution could be. I had a problem at
work with a coworker at one time where I was at a point that not having any contact with this
person, I was excited to except. This coworker has a bad attitude and was only fair to the people
she felt was closest to her. I prayed about it because I knew this problem was bigger than just us.
I did try to go back and see if the beginning of these issues could be figured out, what happen to
get us to this place, how can it be fixed, and what is going to be my final decision on this matter.
Looking back, there was no one issue that stood out, but then I started to realize that this person
was unhappy somewhere along the way and that wasnt a problem I had at that time. I started to
give more kind words and speaking when there were no words to me. We had a meeting to see
what the issues where which didnt help to solve anything. The little resolution that was there
only lasted a very short amount of time and the conclusion was they were unhappy and my
words or presence was not going to change the matter. I identified the problem and my solution
was to take on a bigger approach by being nicer when she wasnt nice. Finally there was a
decision to be made because the situation started to become worst every time we had to work

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together. It was to the point where I couldnt stand the thought of being around this person for a
work day of eight long hours. My decision was to come and continue to be me and not change
my positive attitude because she was negative in every way and there was no changing the bad
attitude. There had to be changes made in the personal or professional life that was making them
so unhappy. The decision that was made works well for me. I continue to be positive and going
in and doing the job that is asked which is helping when there is a need and minding my business
and letting others be who they want to be. If a negative attitude gets some people through the
day then that is something that shouldnt others in that same space. Maybe one day the light will
flash upstairs and the change will be made.
This also applies in our business relationships, in order to get to the root of an issue when
it comes to handling a project with a group everyone has to be able to work together for what is
right and what will help each other succeed in meeting all goals and deadlines. I am working on
a big project at work now and it is stressful because on top of being a big part of the group I also
have to continue on with my daily duties on the job, and yes at times it does become a little
overwhelming but I have to remember that this project is bigger than myself. This will be
something that will impact the care of thousands of people across the Georgia area that comes to
visit our facility and it could become a model for future healthcare clinics. The is no room for
error but there will be obstacles in this process, but dealing with the problem in the beginning
will give our team an advantage of moving forward in a positive way to ensure that we are on
task and getting the work done. Making sure that the project will be handle correctly the first
time around is a plus but at times it is also challenging because everyone has such a large role
and one part may hold up another part of the project. The solution to this could be to have a work
statement that would hold everyone accountable for their roles and communicating with the
group on weekly bases and this is what we have done. I take my role on this team serious
because I want to ensure that the public will be satisfied and have their needs met and this is a
great way in the right direction. There were a few setbacks but when the issues where presented
they were handled and ensure as of now they solved, we identified the problem, brainstormed
ideas to solve the problem and worked on getting the task done. When this was done this brings
morale to the team believing that we can make a difference in our community and in the minds
of our patients that someone cares about their need being met.
Problems will come in all shapes and form and there is no way of preventing this from
happening, but what we can do is be prepared for what may come and continue to focus on what
is at stake in moving forward. Every problem will not be easy to solve and some will not be able
to solve before a deadline but as long as a team does it best to put an end to whatever issues
come up this is problem solving. Problems can be worked out in the best way teams come
together to do with positive brainstorming, knowledge of what the problem or problems may be,
and also listening and communicating with the team as a whole. It may not happen with just one
person sometimes it will take a group to work through some of the issues a project is having. If
the team is strong and willing to make sure that the project is a success then the project team will
succeed, we have a strong team with the project I am assigned to work on now and I am looking
forward to this project ending and another starting, we have learned that problems are what you
make of them and with every problem comes a solution.

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Reference Page
1. http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/weitzprob.htm

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2. http://www.masterclassmanagement.com/ManagementCourseProblemSolving.html
3. http://www.businessballs.com/problemsolving.htm
4. http://managementhelp.org/personalproductivitiy/problem-solving.htm