Problem Solving

& Decision Making

 Agenda: Day One
8:30-8:45 Session One: Introduction and Course Overview
8:45-9:00 Icebreaker: Toilet Paper Twister
9:00-10:00 Session Two: What is Problem Solving?
10:00-10:45 Session Three: Problem Solving Styles
10:45-11:45 Session Four: Earthquake!
11:45-12:00 Morning Wrap-Up
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-1:15 Energizer: Jigsaw
1:15-3:15 Session Five: The Problem Solving Model
3:15-4:15 Session Six: Six Ways to Approach a Decision
4:15-4:30 Day One Wrap-Up
 Session One: Course Overview

• Increase your awareness of problem solving

steps and problem solving tools.
• Distinguish root causes from symptoms to
identify the right solution for the right problem.
• Improve your problem solving and decision
making skills through identifying your own
problem solving style.
• Identify ways to think creatively and work
towards creative solutions.
• Recognize the top ten rules of good decision-
making.
 Session Two:
What is Problem Solving?
• What, specifically, is a problem?

Problems can be classified in three ways:

• Problems that have already happened
• Problems that lie ahead
• Problems you want to prevent from
happening
 Session Two:
What is Problem Solving?
There are three ways to approach problems.
• You can stall or delay until a decision is no
longer necessary, or until it has become an
even greater problem.
• You can make a snap decision, off the top
of your head, with little or no thinking or
logic.
• You can use a professional approach and
solve problems based on sound decision-
making practices.
 Session Two:
What is Problem Solving?
• Think of an individual that you think is good
at solving problems.
• Describe the traits, characteristics, and
behaviors that made the individual a good
problem solver.
 Session Two:
What is Problem Solving?
In order to find sustainable solutions to our problems,
we will:
•Encourage everyone to participate.
•Encourage new ideas without criticism, since new
concepts come from outside our normal perception.
•Build on each other’s ideas.
•Whenever possible, use data to facilitate problem
solving.
•Remember that solving problems is a creative
process—new ideas and new understanding often
result.
 Session Two:
What is Problem Solving?
In order to reach win-win decisions, we will:
• Make decisions based on data whenever
possible.
• Seek to find the needed information or
data.
• Discuss criteria for making a decision (cost,
time, impact, etc.) before choosing an
option.
• Encourage and explore different
interpretations of data.
 Session Two:
What is Problem Solving?
We tend to make three kinds of decisions.
• Autocratic: Made by yourself
• Consultative: Made by yourself, but talk it
over with others.
• Group: Many people participate in the
decision.
 Session Two:
What is Problem Solving?
 Session Two:
What is Problem Solving?
Ten Ingredients for Good Decision Making
1. Focus on the most important things.
2. Don’t decide until you are ready.
3. Look for all the good things that can happen.
4. Consider the decisions sitting on the back burner.
5. Base your decision on self-acceptance.
6. Look ahead.
7. Turn big decisions into a series of little decisions.
8. Don’t feel you are locked into only one or two
alternatives.
9. Get what you need to feel safe.
10.Do what you really want.
 Session Two:
What is Problem Solving?
Decision-Making Traps
• Misdirection
• Sampling
• Bias
• Averages
• Selectivity
• Interpretation
• Jumping to Conclusions
• The Meaningless Difference
• Connotation
• Status
 Session Three:
Problem Solving Styles
 Session Three:
Problem Solving Styles
• How can we make the most of our
strengths?
• How can we improve the Too Little column?
• How can we reduce the effects of the Too
Much column?
• Think of some practical situations where
you can put the ideas from the Practice
column into effect.
Session Four: Earthquake!
11 Attempt to remove the rubble from the entrance to the first floor.

10 Divide the sandwiches and ration them over the next few days.

12 Light the candles so you can see and rescuers will be able to locate you.

4 Locate and secure a water supply.

7 Divide the sandwiches and eat them this evening.

6 Discuss long-term survival strategies as a group.

9 Pound on the pipes with the steel wrench.

3 Assign someone to monitor the radio and listen for updates.

2 Check for injuries and administer first aid.

1 Shut off all utilities.

5 Develop day and night signaling techniques and begin signaling

immediately.

8 Purify the water source.

 Session Five:
The Problem-Solving Model
 Session Five:
The Problem-Solving Model
 Session Five:
The Problem-Solving Model
 Session Five:
The Problem-Solving Model
 Session Five:
The Problem-Solving Model

Skinner Thorndike Pavlov Kohler Hull

Animals Pigeons Cats Dogs Chimpanzees Albino rats
Fruit Bungalow Red brick Log cabin Cottage Ranch
Location Almonds Plums Cherries Pears Apples
House West Northwest North Northeast East
Vehicle Truck Sports car Motorcycle Station wagon Limousine
 Session Five:
The Problem-Solving Model
Phase One
• Perception
• Definition
• Analysis
 Session Five:
The Problem-Solving Model
Phase Two:
• Alternative Generation (Brainstorming,
random word method)
• Decision Making
 Session Five:
The Problem-Solving Model
Phase Three:
• Planning
• Implementation
 Session Five:
The Problem-Solving Model
Case Study
• What is the problem?
• What is its root cause or the real problem?
• What is the Problem As Given (PAG)?
• What is the Problem As Understood (PAU)?
• How does it feel to Mike? How does it feel
to Bob?
• What are the best/worst/most probable
consequences of solving/not solving the
issue?
 Session Six: Six Ways to
Approach a Decision
• White Hat: Virgin white, pure facts,
figures, and information.
• Red Hat: Seeing red, emotions and
feelings, also hunch and intuition.
• Black Hat: Devil's advocate, negative
judgment, asks why it will not work.
• Yellow Hat: Sunshine, brightness, and
optimism; positive, constructive,
opportunity.
 Session Six: Six Ways to
Approach a Decision
• Green Hat: Fertile, creative, plants
springing from seeds, movement,
provocation.
• Blue Hat: Cool and in control, orchestra
conductor, thinking about thinking.

Value of the Six Thinking Hats

Without the formality of the hats, some
thinkers would remain permanently stuck in
one mode.
 Agenda: Day Two

8:30-8:45 Re-Connect: Alphabetize It!

8:45-11:00 Session Seven: The Problem Solving Toolkit
11:00-11:45 Session Eight: Thinking Outside the Box
11:45-12:00 Morning Wrap-Up
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-1:15 Energizer: The Minefield
1:15-4:15 Session Nine: Decision Making Case Study
4:15-4:30 Workshop Wrap-Up
 Session Seven:
The Problem-Solving Toolkit
• The Lasso
• Is/Is Not
• Graphics
• Basic Questions
• Criteria
• Analysis
• Break it Up
• Force Field Analysis
• Generalize/Exemplify
• Expert
• Legitimizing Problems
 Session Seven:
The Problem-Solving Toolkit
 Session Seven:
The Problem-Solving Toolkit
 Session Seven:
The Problem-Solving Toolkit
 Session Seven:
The Problem-Solving Toolkit
Case Study: Peerless Data Corp, Phase 1
• Perception: Do you really have a problem?
• Legitimize the other party’s concerns.
• Determine how people feel.
• Look at best/worst/probable scenarios.
• Define the problem.
• Define the Problem As Given and the
Problem As Understood.
• Use the Is/Is not technique.
 Session Seven:
The Problem-Solving Toolkit
Case Study: Peerless Data Corp, Phase 1
• Diagram can give us a visual display.
• Lasso.
• Force field analysis.
• Expert.
• Analyze: Basic questions of Who, Where,
When, Why, What and How.
 Session Eight:
Thinking Outside the Box
• What are some ways that we can think
outside the box to reach a creative
solution?
• What can we do to maximize the effects of
brainstorming (before, during, and after)?
• Use the random word method
• Don’t re-invent the wheel!
 Session Eight:
Thinking Outside the Box
• Imagine being cast ashore on a tropical
desert island, naked, with nothing but a
belt.
• Individually, take a couple of minutes to
think of what you can do with that belt.
• Then, work in groups of four to five to
brainstorm some more ideas for about five
minutes.
 Session Nine:
Decision Making Case Study
 Session Nine:
Decision Making Case Study
Decision One

If you chose... You get this profit…

A $500
B $10,000
C 0
D $5,000
 Session Nine:
Decision Making Case Study
Decision Two

If you chose... You get this profit…

Transfax $500
Flocopy $10,000
Reprodata $3,000
Transfax $500
 Session Nine:
Decision Making Case Study
Decision Three

If you chose... You get this profit…

Pat Hedden $10,000
Bill Buttons $5,000
Hire locally $1,000
 Session Nine:
Decision Making Case Study
Decision Four

If you chose... You get this profit…

Pat Hedden $0
Home Office $7,000
Consulting firm $10,000
 Session Nine:
Decision Making Case Study
Decision Five
If you chose... You get this profit…
One programmer $10,000
One programmer and one expediter $5,000
Any other staffers $0
(by themselves or in addition to the
Programmer and/or Expediter)

Regardless of which decision you arrived at, give

yourself an extra $2,500 if you recognized that key
information about the two secretaries was missing.
 Session Nine:
Decision Making Case Study
• What aspects of the scenarios were
realistic?
• What aspects weren’t?
• What was easy about the decision making
process?
• What was difficult?
• What did you learn from the process?
• What will you take back to the workplace?