Problem Solving

It’s hardly possible to imagine any other work except that of a manager, which will be on regular basis connected with troubleshooting. Ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently and what is more important ability to sport potential troublesports are the challenge of any manger. First I’d like to tell you about the first steps to analyze the problem. Then I` going to speak about the general approach to case analysis, points taken into consideration, the location of problems and types of decisions. After these I`ll be speaking about the solution of problems at the meetings, sections to guide a manager in the conduct of meetings. And finally I`ll tell you about organizational conflict and the role of management in dealing with conflict.

If you have some problems the first steps to do are to analyze the reports and the cases. The general approach to case analysis and reports should be as follows. The first step is to define the problem. Then you should analyze the causes and to find out what factors are causing the problem (inadequate communication, poor motivation, indefinite plans, sloppy controls, interpersonal conflicts, fear of change). This should not be the search for villains because individuals are seldom the sole or fundamental cause of problems. The third step is to develop alternatives, to think what action might be taken to remove the causes and solve the problem. The fifth step is to evaluate alternatives. Evaluate the alternatives according to appropriate criteria. The alternatives should meet the company’s objective, require not much time and recourses and conform to personal and organizational values for equitable and responsible behavior. Then you should select alternative. List pros and cons of each alternative. With the list of pros and cons, you can eliminate the solutions that have more cons than pros, making your decision easier. And finally you should recommend a detailed plan with such information as who should do what, when and how. Once the decision is picked, you should implement it in right away. It is also very important to learn from, and reflect on the decision making. This will allow you to see what you did right and wrong.

Three more points should be taken into account. Managers should take into consideration past history. In many cases it is often useful to look at historical data in order to gain some indication of future conditions. It is often possible and useful to obtain opinions from individuals considered to be knowledgeable. But in many cases a manager will simply have some ‘gut feeling’ about possible future conditions.

Problems can be located in only two places – in the work situation and in people. Problems in the work situation can be further subdivided into those located in plant, machinery and equipment, and problems located in procedures, methods and ways of working. Problems with people can be subdivided into those located in individuals and those in groups. Locating the source of a problem is not a simple task because different people see the same problem caused by different reasons.

When the source of the problem has been located, a decision has to be made. There are two types of decisions: quality decisions, and acceptance decisions. Quality decisions are those which may be regarded as good decisions and will solve the problem. Decisions can only be judged retrospectively. You cannot say "This is a good decision", only, “That was a good decision". For this reason the word "quality", rather than good, is used to describe a decision. Acceptance decisions are those which will be accepted by the people involved in the problem.

The approaches to decision making can be formal, systematic, informal, depending on a manager, situation, style or culture. Every manager should understand the strength and the limitations of each approach. Sometimes managers base their decisions on intuition.

Formal decision making is a step by step process that begins with defying a problem, identifying limiting or critical factors, developing alternatives. It`s also involves careful analyzing the probable outcome of each alternative before the deciding which is the best choice. The decision is implemented & the results are carefully evaluated.

Non-rational decision makers usually trust more their intuition than logical analyses. The majority of problems are being solved during meetings. They are held for three main reasons: to carry out training, to transmit information, to solve a problem. They`ll be effective if they follow some recommendations. It`s important that the purpose of the meeting and the objectives are outlined and the manager don`t impose his views on the group. When the opinion is divided a vote is to be taken.

There are seven sections to guide a manager in the conduct of such meetings. Firstly thelanguage of the particular subject, trade, industry must be understandable. Anyway problems cannot be solved. The second section is to get the facts. The difficulty is that, often, we do not know how many facts there are. The third section includes locating the cause of the problem. If opinions in the meetings are strongly divided as to the cause, then you must develop possible courses of action for each. Then you should state the problem without subjective opinion, without adjectives that indicate what someone thinks, about the statement. The problem should be stated in quantitative rather than qualitative terms. The fifth point is to consider possible solutions and makesure that all of them are recorded for consideration. After this you should screen solutions. The best moment is when a meeting makes a lot of progress, ideas flow, much discussion takes place, and solutions are sometimes tabled more in enthusiasm than in cold, logical deliberation. And finally select decisions.

Conflict involves a disagreement among parties. In a company, conflict can occur between individuals or among groups. People may respond to organizational pressures and threats by defensive reactions such as aggression against their supervisors and co-workers, fixated behavior or apathy or psychological withdrawal and daydreaming. All of these defense mechanisms reduce a person's potential for creative, constructive activity on the job. Finally, employees may organize unions or unsanctioned informal groups whose norms of behavior are opposed to many of the organization's goals.

Virtually all organizations operate in an environment that is characterized by constant change and a need for constant adaptation. Trying to eliminate conflict requires tremendous amounts of energy, and even it can be done it will usually also suppress any positive outcomes that may come from disagreement, such as improved decision-making and innovation. One common reaction to conflict involves attempts by managers to mediate conflicts. They should begin mediating with taking the time necessary to fully appreciate the points of view of the parties to the conflict. The conflict between the formal organization and the individual will continue to exist wherever managers remain ignorant of its causes. Managing conflict within organizations is not easy. Some people believe that all organizational conflict is dysfunctional. However, the absence of conflict can lead to apathy and stagnation within an organization. Conflict can stimulate new ideas, and promote healthy competition within an organization.

In conclusion I`d like to say that that decision making and problem solving are intertwined. And in both cases a key point is a need for complete and accurate information. At the same time to be an effective decision maker managers must be able to choose about which approach to use and their own personnel management style.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16