Problem Solving and Decision Making

This course is currently available as E-Learning, or a private instructor-led class scheduled to suit your availabilty. You can click here to inquire further or you ask us for recommendations on similar classes.

Recommended Prerequisites

No prerequisites are required for this course.

Course Overview

We make decisions and solve problems continually. We start making decisions before we even get out of bed (shall I get up now or not?). Sometimes, we will have made as many as 50 decisions by the time we leave for work. Despite all the natural decision making that goes on and the problem solving we do, some people are very uncomfortable with having to make decisions. You may know someone who has a hard time making decisions about what to eat, never mind the internal wrestling they go through in order to take on major decisions at work.

Likewise, we’ve probably all looked at a solution to something and said, “I could have thought of that.” The key to finding creative solutions is not just creativity, although that will certainly help. The answer rests in our ability to identify options, research them, and then put things together in a way that works. Having a process to work through can take the anxiety out of problem solving and make decisions easier. That’s what this course is all about.

Learning Objectives

• Apply problem solving steps and tools
• Analyze information to clearly describe problems
• Identify appropriate solutions
• Think creatively and be a contributing member of a problem solving team
• Select the best approach for making decisions
• Create a plan for implementing, evaluating, and following up on decisions
• Avoid common decision-making mistakes

Course Outline

1. Course Overview
2. Definitions
3. Defining Problem Solving and Decision Making
4. Problem Identification
5. Eight Essentials to Defining a Problem
6. Problem Solving in Action
7. Making Decisions
8. What it Means
9. Types of Decisions
10. Facts vs. Information
11. Decision-Making Traps
12. Getting Real
13. The Problem Solving Model
14. Model Overview
15. Real Problems
16. Phase One
17. Phase Two
18. Phase Three
19. Case Study
20. The Problem Solving Toolkit
21. The Basic Tools
22. The Fishbone
23. Degrees of Support
24. Creative Thinking Methods
25. Brainstorming and Brainwriting
26. More Methods
27. Aspirinia
28. Decision Information
29. Individual Action Steps
30. Swotting Up
31. SWOT Analysis
32. Individual Analysis
33. Making Good Group Decisions
34. Working Toward the Decision
35. Avoiding Fatal Mistakes
36. Analyzing and Selecting Solutions
37. Selecting Criteria
38. Creating a Cost-Benefit Analysis
39. Planning and Organizing
40. Introduction
41. Follow-Up Analysis
42. Evaluate
43. Adapt, Close, and Celebrate
44. Personal Action Plan
45. Recommended Reading List
46. Post-Course Assessment