Creative Problem Solving for Decision Making

Overview
Much of what business managers and supervisors do is solve problems and make decisions and they are likely to do it by reacting to the problems. Often, when they encounter a new problem or decision they must make, they react with a decision that seemed to work before.
Whilst problem solving is of crucial importance to all businesses when products or processes fail, such that corrective action can be taken to prevent further failures, a potential problem can be predicted, analysed and mitigation applied to proactively reduce the likelihood of
problems occurring.
In this two-day practical and experiential Creative Problem Solving For Decision Making course, participants will be given both an organised approach to problem solving and decision making as well as a creative angle in viewing problems. Both Critical and Creative thinking, which have become personal and corporate imperatives, will help individuals forge a path from problems to solutions that are more dependent on logic, reasoning and imagination.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
• Recognize the Psychology of Problem Solving
• Define a Structured Problem-Solving Process
• Understand Cause-Effect-Symptom-Problem Relationships in Problem Definition
• Apply Cause-Effect Tools and Techniques and Develop Root-Cause Analysis
• Apply Idea Generation Tools and Techniques in Formulating Creative Solutions
• Apply Evaluative Tools and Techniques for Decision Making Process
• Identify Strategic Considerations in Evaluating Risks and Implementing Solutions
Course Duration: 2 Days

Target Participants: Executives, Senior Executive, Assistant Managers, Admins

Course Outline:

Basics of Problem Identification
• Psychology of Problem Solving
• Understand the definition of a Problem and its characteristics
• Problem solving process – DMAIC

Elements of Problem Identification
• Relationship between Cause-Effect-Symptom-Problem (CESP)
• Characteristics of problem statements
• Validation process for problem statements
• Applying guideline for clear problem statements

Applying Root Cause Analysis
• Purpose and impact of RCA
• Review different RCA techniques
• Finalizing root-cause through a funnelling process

Developing Creative Solution Process
• Differentiating divergent and convergent techniques
• Applying tools and techniques for identifying creative solutions
• Process to narrow down solutions

Evaluating Solutions and Making Decisions
• Applying tools and techniques for evaluating solutions
• Finalize decisions with Decision Matrix

Strategic Considerations in Implementing Decisions
• Identify and review action plans
• Develop and review follow up contingency actions
• Formulate after action review process
• Applying risk assessment in decision making