Problem Solving for Teams

Course Outline

Duration: 1 day

Description: After taking this course, you will discover five tools that will help you recognize a problem, learn how to analyze a problem and its cause, find out how to outline your problem solving/decision making, and learn the eight tips that can improve a team's process. Bringing together a group of people with varied skills and talents to solve a common problem sounds simple enough. However, it's important to understand problem-solving techniques, problem analysis, decision-making tools, and solution implementation to effectively tackle problem solving as a team.

Course Contents

Part 1: Problem Solving and Decision Making
The Benefits and Skills
Team Learning Objectives
Team Commitment

Part 2: Process Overview
What Is a Problem Anyway?
Problem Characteristics
Consumer Tech Case Problem
Problem-Solving Methodology
Problem-Solving/Decision-Making Outline

Part 3: Communication Dynamics
Communication Dynamics
What Makes Team Meetings Work?
Team Meeting Roles
Documentation During Team Meetings
Evaluate Your Team Meeting
The Bottom Line
Six Steps to Team Problem Solving

Part 4: Problem Recognition 
Step One: Problem Recognition
Problem Recognition Tools
Team Case Problem: Problem Recognition
Questions to Uncover Problems
Brainstorming Guidelines

Part 5: Problem Labeling 
Step Two: Problem Labeling
How to Find a Problem Label
Force Field Analysis: A versus B
Force Field Analysis: Obstacles
Team Case Problem: Problem Label

Part 6: Problem Analysis 
Step Three: Problem Cause Analysis
The Consumer Tech Root Cause
Distinguishing Cause from Effect
Team Case Problem: Cause Analysis
Six Tools to Identify Problem Causes
Have You Found It?

Part 7: Optional Solutions
Step Four: Optional Solutions
The Consumer Tech Problem Unfolds
Team Case Problem: Optional Solutions

Part 8: Decision Making 
Step Five: Decision Making
How to Make a Decision
Team Case Problem: Decision Making
The Consumer Tech Ranking

Part 9: Implementation 
Step Six: Implementation
The Value of Action Planning
Consumer Tech Action Plan
Six Action Planning Tools
Team Case Problem: Action Planning

Part 10: Summary 
Evaluation of Objectives
Summary