Problem Solving and Decision Making Dean Beuglass Objectives

Problem Solving and Decision Making Dean Beuglass

Objectives • Understand the relationship between problem solving and project management • Learn five steps that help you to analyze a problem • Learn a systematic problem-solving process • Put into action the skills and ideas you have learned during the course • Prepared. For Life.

Where do problems come from? Independent of projects • First Aid emergencies • Leader recruiting • Unit elections Within larger projects • Camping/Trekking/Summer Camp • Popcorn Sales • Eagle Project

Project Planning Recap STEP 1 Project Overview STEP 2 Activity List STEP 3 Activity Plan & Assignment STEP 4 Execute The Plan • Goals and Objectives • Tasks • Responsibilities • WORK!!! • Compare Goals to Outcome STEP 5 Project Closeout

The Five Steps of: • Project Planning • Project Overview • Activity List • Activity Plan & Assignments • Execute the Plan • Project Closeout • Problem Solving • Describe the problem • Gather information • Determine the most important factors that contribute to the problem • Visualize what success looks like • Create action steps that will lead to success

Advantages of Systematically Solving Problems • Adherence to those five steps increases your odds of success because you have completed a full assessment of the problem • Improved speed and efficiency with continued use • Time savings – organized approach yields a quick and orderly solution

Systematic Problem Solving • Describe the problem • Gather Information • Determine the most important factors that contribute to the problem • Visualize what success looks like • Create action steps that will lead to success EACH STEP DEMANDS DECISIONS

Decisions, Decisions…

Decision Making Brainstorming • Encourage all to participate – every idea is valuable • Think outside the box • Beyond the obvious • Agree at the outset not to be critical of the ideas of others • Piggyback Ideas – build on the ideas of others • Remember the past… • Have you solved a similar problem (team or other group) • No need to reinvent the wheel

Decision Making Consensus • Discussion results in an agreement without a vote • Potential solutions are assessed and evaluated to make sure that they align with the vision of success • Must agree to abide by the group decision Multivoting • With many potential solutions this can help reduce the list to a manageable size • Each member has equal votes • Cast votes – total scores, repeat as needed…

Decision Making Parking Lot • Allows you to table a part of a discussion if not directly related to the immediate problem • Acknowledge as a group that the item is not immediately relevant • Allows all members to feel that their ideas are/will be heard • Write a brief description of issue/thought – ensure that the item is captured in enough detail to return to the discussion FOLLOW-UP!!

Barriers to effective Problem Solving Indecision Stalling Overreacting Vacillating Half measures

Sample Problem Solving Post Beading Menu Planning • Describe the problem • Need a menu to satisfy the most discriminating staffers • Gather information • Scope limited to menu planning-not shopping, cooking, serving…just the menu • Only have 5 minutes during WB 2011 to decide • Needs to be a group decision • Determine the most important factors that contribute to the problem • Don’t have much time • Need to involve everyone • Visualize what success looks like • Quickly come up with a great menu • Create action steps that will lead to success • Divide work into patrols, brainstorm & multivote

Brainstorming & Multivoting Practice • Your patrol is asked to suggest a dish Fox-Appetizer Bear-Soup Bobwhite-Salad Eagle-Main Course Buffalo-Main Course Antelope-Vegetable Owl-Dessert Beaver-Dessert • Brainstorm as many ideas as possible in the next 2 minutes and record on sticky notes • Take 1 minute to collapse duplicates • Then multivote with dots (dotmocracy) to determine your final choice • Number of votes each person gets is approximately 1/3 of the number of possible choices • You can only vote for a single item once • You may have to vote multiple times – reduce # of votes each time • Report out

Review: Five Steps of Problem Solving problem • Describe the ______ information • Gather ________ most • Determine the ______ important ______that factors ______ contribute to the problem success • Visualize what _____ looks like action _______ steps that • Create _______ will lead to success

Review: Systematic Approaches • Recognize the value in a systematic approach to problem solving • Follow each step • Make it second nature – realize time gains • Utilize decision making protocols (like brainstorming & multivoting) to build consensus decisions

Final Rule of Thumb M aintain A bsolute R igid F lexibility