Thinking Through Problem Solving
Valarie A. Washington is a sought-after knowledge broker; passionate about learning and improving performance in organizations. She has nearly 15 years of experience managing and driving corporate,
professional, and personal change. As CEO of Think 6 Results, Valarie has worked with organizations in a variety of industries, producing more than 75 custom courses to coach managers, executives, and over 50,000
employees. She has conducted management training and personal development courses in the U.S. and abroad. This writer, presenter, and executive coach is on a mission to get every employee and organization
focused on and thinking about the SIX business driving goals that she calls The Business 6™.
Find the manifesto entitled “Thinking Through Problem Solving” in Module EightPreview the document. After reading it, respond to the questionsbelow.
How can the problem-solving approach found within the article better assist a project manager in resolving schedule tradeoffs and in developing a risk response plan?
How would you overcome the Dispositional Effect on your projects?
How can you overcome an issue with unclear goals on your projects and how can the listed approach help?
NO NEED to answer the question. I have attached my post.
what you do is give comments to classmates’ post below
A:
How can the problem-solving approach found within the article better assist a project manager in resolving schedule tradeoffs and in developing a risk response plan?
The six stages in the Ladder of Problem Solving would prove extremely helpful in resolving schedule tradeoffs and developing a risk response plan. For example, the Ladder understands that problems are dynamics and they have to be cut-off before they become issues. If we can detect problems at their origins (Detection Stage) then we can determine if they will impact the schedule and determine tradeoffs if needed. But more importantly we can determine and have a better prepared risk response plan. The best stage that would help developed the risk response plan would be the Inquiry Stage. In short, the Inquiry Stage encourages team members to question everything and perhaps ask the what if questions. Thoroughly, identifying all possible scenarios would help the team better prepare for risk and develop adequate responses to those risk.
How would you overcome the Dispositional Effect on your projects?
The Dispositional Effect can be overcome by effectively using the Inclination Stage in the Ladder of Problem Solving. In the Inclination Stage the goal is to reduce barriers and increase the desire and willingness to act as problems emerge. As a Project Manager it is important to empower your team with the ability to make decisions and act. In doing so the Project Manager is reducing barriers and empowering their team to act on problems as they emerge.
How can you overcome an issue with unclear goals on your projects and how can the listed approach help?
As the article states unclear goals make it difficult for anyone to know what actions will produce the best results. Based on the listed approach I believe the Inquiry Stage would prove most beneficial in identifying and defining clear goals. For example, in the Inquiry Stage the goal is to encourage skilled and purposeful questioning. What better way to identify clear goals then by questioning what you are trying to accomplish? Constantly questioning why and what we are trying to do would make it easier to identify the goals and to clearly define activities needed to accomplish those goals.
B:
How can the problem-solving approach found within the article better assist a project manager in resolving schedule tradeoffs and in developing a risk response plan?
Before I read this article, I had just tried to resolve the problems or carry out the project without specific principle. But after reading it, I could organize principle to do them. First, project manager should
have questions and try to find the answer. Problems have unanswered question. Why is it problem? Who is related to the problem? How will employees collaborate? And so on. I think the process of problem-solving
is to answer about these questions. Second, project manager should try to solve the problem promptly. Employees tend to avoid the problems rather than to solve them. So the problems are left without being solved and they are getting deteriorated as time goes. To prevent this situation, manager has to solve it at appropriate time. Third, when the problem last, manager have to find the reason. It can be a lack of
confidence, collaboration, skill, resource and so on. Fourth, manager should set up the clear goals and catch up with the speed of change. Unclear goals can lead performance to wrong way. The problem or
environment surrounding it keeps changing. So manager has to approach to the problem, recognizing the change. Fifth manager should maintain critical thinking. There can be various alternatives. Constant thinking enables us to find our optimal alternative. Finally, manager should suppose the most challenging situation. This suppose make us think more and prepare better. For this, constant learning has to be accompanied.
How would you overcome the Dispositional Effect on your projects?
I think the best way to overcome the Dispositional Effect is to constant thinking and learning. We face various problems executing the project. Some problems can be solved by experiences and knowledge in the
past. But other problems can’t be solved by that way. They might need new approach method and knowledge. Continuous learning and thinking expand the opportunities and alternatives we can choose in order to
solve the problem. Sometime I’m suffered from thinking serious problem that I have to solve when I lie in the bed to sleep. Then I used to get the informative ideas even though it is very stressful situation.
How can you overcome an issue with unclear goals on your projects and how can the listed approach help?
At first, I will define the problem clearly because we can set up the goals clearly by understanding the problem exactly. I will have some questions in order to define the problem. For example, why did it
happen? who is related with the problem? How are the factors of problem connected? The questions should be able to distinguish the most important issue. Next I will set the goals of solving the problem based
on organization’s goals.
Thinking Through Problem Solving
Part A
Hello, and thank you for your discussion post that helped build on knowledge about problem-solving, overcoming the dispositional effect, and unclear goals.
I agree with your argument regarding the manner in which the problem-solving approach can assist a project manager in resolving schedule tradeoffs and developing a risk response plan. As noted in the article, problem-solving involves early identification and anticipation of issues within an organization (Washington 2). Therefore, it is accurate to argue that the problem-solving approach can help project managers make early detections of problems and develop corresponding risk response plans.
Also, I agree with your view that adopting the inquiry stage of the ladder of problem-solving can help overcome the issue of unclear goals. As noted, vague goals may occur if purposeful questioning is not done within the project. Therefore, asking “why”, “how”, and “what” can help managers develop clear goals for their projects.
However, I contend that the inclination stage in the ladder of problem-solving can help overcome the dispositional effect. In my view, this effect can be mitigated through hedonic framing. Most notably, maximizing psychological pleasure can help overcome the fear of regrets encountered by a project manager.
Part B
Hello, and thank you for your discussion post.
First, I appreciate your response to the first question regarding the problem-solving approach found in the article. However, I think that the answer does not adequately address the question. Maybe, you could try and analyze how the problem-solving approach can assist in resolving schedule tradeoffs and developing a risk response plan, rather than focusing primarily on the different principles of the problem-solving process.
Also, I think that your second response does not adequately focus on the dispositional effect. It is essential to understand that problem solving and the dispositional impact are distinct. In my view, a possible way of overcoming the effect is adopting the hedonic framing.
Nonetheless, I agree with your view that purposeful questioning can help overcome the issue with unclear goals. Most notably, asking “why”, “who”, “what” and “how” can help identify the primary area of focus and the parties involved in a problem. Having a clear understanding of these aspects can then assist in the development of clear project goals.
Work Cited
Washington, A., Valarie. Thinking Through Problem Solving.
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