Problem Solving and Decision Making

1. Problem Solving and Decision Making Presented by Dianne Orfanos District Organizational Development 11/9/2010

2. Objectives • Determine personal decision making style • Identify problem solving processes • Identify problem solving tools • Practice 1-2 decision-making tools

3. So you’ve got a problem? That’s Good! Why? Because repeated victories over your problems are the rungs on your ladder to success. With each victory you grow in wisdom, stature and experience. You become a bigger, better, more successful person each time you mend a problem and tackle and conquer it with a positive mental attitude. W. Clement Stone

4. Problem Solving and Decision Making Used interchangeably

5. Determine personal decision making style/tendencies • I’m Always Right • Show Me a Risk and I’ll Take It • Lone Ranger • I Can “Feel” It • Fence Sitter • The Doomster • Don’t Worry Be Happy • Details, Details, Details

6. Problem Solving is a Process Problem solving is a process that can be broken down into steps Different Approaches: • Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) • Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) • Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) • Others...

7. Problem Solving is a Process • Problem solving is a process that can be broken down into 4 steps: • Understand the current situation • Identify the root cause of the problem • Develop an action plan • Execute plan, making changes as needed Problem Solving 101 Ken Watanabe

8. Problem Solving Process

9. Understand the current situation What process or service needs to be improved? What is the gap between what we have and what is needed or wanted? • Who are the people involved: internal and external customers • What aspects of the work are causing the greatest frustration? • What is required? • What is happening now? • What’s keeping us from meeting our expectations

10. Balance Your Personal Decision Making Style • Communicate • Communicate • Communicate

11. Root Cause Analysis(RCA) -Analyzing the initial cause of an outcome or result • 5 Whys • Fishbone Diagram • Pareto Analysis

12. 5 Why’s • Pros • Cons

13. Cause & Effect Diagram (Fishbone & Ishikawa Diagram) • 6 Categories • Ideas – come from Brainstorming • If more than one effect – create another diagram for another effect Effect

14. Categories Effect Make up own categories People Process Policy Plant Program Product Materials Methods Machines Mother Nature Manpower Measurement

15. Categories Machines Methods Materials Car broke down Accidently drank decaf coffee Forgot to turn on alarm Late for Work Rain caused slowdowns Boss gave wrong start time Door not unlocked Alarm Clock Time Incorrect Mother Nature Manpower Measurements

16. Categories Machines Methods Materials Late for work Mother Nature Manpower Measurements • In the office • Peoples • Process • Policy • Plant • Program • Product

17. Pareto • 80%- 20%

18. Mind Map -Thinking tool that reflects externally what goes on inside your head. • Straight forward and fun • Start with word in center on blank page • Branches to central image • Lines are curved branches, organic and free flowing – nature is curved • One word for each branch – free association is possible • Ex – Dianne on one line; Orfanos on another line. Length of work is length of branch • Use color, the brain likes color, • Use images Tony Buzan – Maximize the Power of Your Brain

19. Examples of Mindmaps • Start in center on landscape page • Use an image or a picture for your central ideas • Use colors throughout • Connect your main branches to sub-branches • Make branches curve and flow • Use one word per line, same length of word • Use images throughout

20. Develop an action plan

21. Execute plan, making changes as needed

22. Work with personal decision making style/tendencies – Do not work in isolation • I’m Always Right • Show Me a Risk and I’ll Take It • Lone Ranger • I Can “Feel” It • Fence Sitter • The Doomster • Don’t Worry Be Happy • Details, Details, Details