It has been said that effective problem-solving and decision-making has as much to do with courage as intellect. Certainly, managers must often act quickly and boldly to minimise risk exposure. However, optimum resolution of problems can be significantly increased if problem-solving and decision-making are based on a clear framework or model.
Many of the real success stories in Industry and Commerce arise from innovative decisions. Today, all managers must unlock their creative potential to make imaginative decisions on both day-to-day and long-term issues. The Module, ‘Problem-solving and Decision-making’ deals effectively with both analytical and creative approaches to problems and decisions that confront the modern manager.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Module, delegates will:
- Have improved their knowledge and developed skills in a range of analytical problem-solving and decision-making techniques.
- Have enhanced their creative thinking ability and learnt effectively to apply individual and team brainstorming techniques.
Module Content
‘The Problems with Problems’ – Identifying and overcoming the key difficulties encountered in problem-solving and decision-making.
The Mind at Work – Explaining the way that we think; clarifying the three main modes of thinking – analysing, imagining, valuing.
Problem-solving Theories and Techniques – Reviewing a range of accepted problem-solving and decision-making management theories and techniques; understanding in which circumstances each is best applied; using the theories’ principles and techniques to identify problem resolutions; identifying the key causes of problems in human and technical systems.
Creative Thinking – The nature of creativity; divergent as opposed to convergent thinking; thinking ‘outside the box’; brainstorming, the ‘most ideas’ technique.
Problem-solving and Decision-making in Teams – The development of team synergy to solve problems and make decisions; the 2+2=5 theory; achieving optimum resolution of ‘live’ organisational issues on the Module.