1. Problem Solving and Decision Making
Dean Beuglass

2. Objectives
Understand the relationship between problem solving and project management
Learn five steps that help you to analyze a problem
Learn a systematic problem-solving process
Put into action the skills and ideas you have learned during the course
Prepared. For Life.

3. Where do problems come from?
Independent of projects
First Aid emergencies
Leader recruiting
Unit elections
Within larger projects
Camping/Trekking/Summer Camp
Popcorn Sales
Eagle Project

5. Project Planning Recap
STEP 1
Project
Overview
STEP 2
Activity
List
STEP 3
Activity
Plan &
Assignment
STEP 4
Execute
The
Plan
STEP 5
Project
Closeout
Goals and Objectives
Tasks
Responsibilities
WORK!!!
Compare Goals to Outcome

6. The Five Steps of: Project Planning Problem Solving Project Overview
Activity List
Activity Plan & Assignments
Execute the Plan
Project Closeout
Problem Solving
Describe the problem
Gather information
Determine the most important factors that contribute to the problem
Visualize what success looks like
Create action steps that will lead to success

7. Advantages of Systematically Solving Problems
Adherence to those five steps increases your odds of success because you have completed a full assessment of the problem
Improved speed and efficiency with continued use
Time savings – organized approach yields a quick and orderly solution

8. Systematic Problem Solving
Describe the problem
Gather Information
Determine the most important factors that contribute to the problem
Visualize what success looks like
Create action steps that will lead to success
EACH STEP DEMANDS DECISIONS

9. Decisions, Decisions…

10. Decision Making Brainstorming
Encourage all to participate – every idea is valuable
Think outside the box
Beyond the obvious
Agree at the outset not to be critical of the ideas of others
Piggyback Ideas – build on the ideas of others
Remember the past…
Have you solved a similar problem (team or other group)
No need to reinvent the wheel

11. Decision Making Consensus Multivoting
Discussion results in an agreement without a vote
Potential solutions are assessed and evaluated to make sure that they align with the vision of success
Must agree to abide by the group decision
Multivoting
With many potential solutions this can help reduce the list to a manageable size
Each member has equal votes
Cast votes – total scores, repeat as needed…

12. Decision Making Parking Lot
Allows you to table a part of a discussion if not directly related to the immediate problem
Acknowledge as a group that the item is not immediately relevant
Allows all members to feel that their ideas are/will be heard
Write a brief description of issue/thought – ensure that the item is captured in enough detail to return to the discussion
FOLLOW-UP!!

13. Barriers to effective Problem Solving
Indecision
Stalling
Overreacting
Vacillating
Half measures
Avoiding decisions because they are unpleasant - risk, fear, and anxiety
Refusing to face the issue; obsessive gathering of endless facts (analysis paralysis)
Letting emotions take control; knee-jerk reactions
Never fully committing to the decision or Reversing decisions
Making the safest decision to avoid controversy but not dealing with the whole problem

14. Sample Problem Solving Post Beading Menu Planning
Describe the problem
Need a menu to satisfy the most discriminating staffers
Gather information
Scope limited to menu planning-not shopping, cooking, serving…just the menu
Only have 5 minutes during WB2011 to decide
Needs to be a group decision
Determine the most important factors that contribute to the problem
Don’t have much time
Need to involve everyone
Visualize what success looks like
Quickly come up with a great menu
Create action steps that will lead to success
Divide work into patrols, brainstorm & multivote

15. Brainstorming & Multivoting Practice
Your patrol is asked to suggest a dish
Fox-Appetizer Buffalo-Main Course
Bear-Soup Antelope-Vegetable
Bobwhite-Salad Owl-Dessert
Eagle-Main Course Beaver-Dessert
Brainstorm as many ideas as possible in the next 2 minutes and record on sticky notes
Take 1 minute to collapse duplicates
Then multivote with dots (dotmocracy) to determine your final choice
Number of votes each person gets is approximately 1/3 of the number of possible choices
You can only vote for a single item once
You may have to vote multiple times – reduce # of votes each time
Report out

16. Review: Five Steps of Problem Solving
Describe the ___________
Gather _______________
Determine the ______ ____________ ___________that contribute to the problem
Visualize what __________ looks like
Create _______ _______ that will lead to success
problem
information
most
important
factors
success
action
steps

17. Review: Systematic Approaches
Recognize the value in a systematic approach to problem solving
Follow each step
Make it second nature – realize time gains
Utilize decision making protocols (like brainstorming & multivoting) to build consensus decisions

18. Final Rule of Thumb M A R F
aintain
bsolute
igid
lexibility