1. Problem Solving and decision making
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Course Overview

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES As a result of this session, you will be able to:
Analyze a problem and submit it to a systematic problem-solving process.
Understand the relationship between problem solving and project management.
Put into action many of the skills and ideas learned during the Wood Badge course.
Prepare yourselves for the upcoming Problem Solving Round-Robin.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of this session, you will be able to:
(Click to reveal each bulleted item)
Analyze a problem and submit it to a systematic problem-solving process.
Understand the relationship between Problem Solving and Project Management.
Put into action many of the skills and ideas learned during the Wood Badge course.
Prepare yourselves for the upcoming Problem Solving Round-Robin.
NE-II-177
Course Overview

3. FIVE STEPS OF TEAM-BASED PROJECT PLANNING
Project overview
Work breakdown structure
Activity assignments
Action on the plan
Closeout report
(Click to reveal slide)
On Day Two (during the “Project Planning” presentation) you were introduced to the Five Steps of Team-Based Project Planning.
That’s a very effective strategy when the goal is clear. For example, you’re given a task such as building rocket. By following the “Five Steps of Team-Based Project Planning”, team members can focus their time and energy to reach the goal in the most direct manner.
Vision and Mission come into play to help us define goals that have Value, and can lead us to them even if the process is very long.
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Course Overview

4. PROJECT PLANNING PROBLEMS
Within the context of a larger project.
Independent of the project.
On the other hand, teams and individuals are often presented with more immediate problems to solve:
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Problems that arise within the context of a larger project.
“What sort of fins should a patrol rocket have?
“How will we transport our patrol project to the presentation site?”
Problems that arise independent of projects.
“How shall we set up our camp so that it follows the principles of Leave No Trace?”
“What will we do about a sudden first-aid emergency?”
The stages of team-based project planning can be used for problem solving, but they may be too heavy an instrument for many problems:
“You don’t need a sledge-hammer if a flyswatter will do the job!”
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Course Overview

5. FIVE STEPS OF 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 that success.
Consider these Five Steps of Systematic Problem Solving. Notice that they are similar to the Steps of Team-Based Project Planning, but are intended to be quicker and more adaptable to immediate challenges rather than long-range goals.
FIVE STEPS OF 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 that success.
Lets look at these steps more closely!
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Course Overview

6. FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING
Describe the problem.
Accurately
Completely
Describe the Problem.
(Click to reveal both bulleted items)
Do this as accurately and completely as possible.
The better you understand the problem,
the more quickly and efficiently you can solve it.
NE-II-177
Course Overview

7. FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING
2. Gather information.
quantitative
(facts that can be measured)
qualitative
(how people feel about situation)
Gather Information.
Consider:
(Click to reveal each bulleted item)
quantitative information (facts that can be measured)
and
qualitative information (how people feel about the situation).
NE-II-177
Course Overview

8. FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING
Determine the most important factors
that contribute to the problem.
Timing
Personnel
Setting
Any combination of all three
Determine the most important factors that contribute to the problem.
Figure out what is causing the problem. Factors may include:
(Click to reveal bulleted list)
Timing
Personnel
The Setting , or
Any combination of all three.
NE-II-177
Course Overview

9. FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING
Visualize what success looks like.
Describe how things will be when the
problem is solved and everything is
working well.
Visualize what success looks like.
(Click to reveal bulleted item)
Describe how things will be when the problem is solved and everything is working well.
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Course Overview

10. FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING
5. Create action steps that will lead to that success.
Close gap between current situation
and visualization of success.
Create action steps that will lead to that success.
(Click to reveal bulleted item)
Action steps close the gap between the current situation and your visualization of success.
As with the steps of project planning, each step of problem solving demands that decisions be made.
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Course Overview

11. ADVANTAGES OF SYSTEMATICALLY SOLVING PROBLEMS
Time-saver.
Teams solve problems more quickly & efficiently.
Increases the odds of success.
There are many advantages of systematically solving problems:
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The problem-solving process is a time-saver. With an organized approach to a problem, issues can be dealt with in an orderly and timely fashion.
As teams become accustomed to using a systematic approach, they can solve problems more quickly and efficiently.
A systematic approach increases the odds of success.
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Course Overview

12. Brainstorming MAKING DECISIONS Consensus Multi-Voting Parking Lot
Whether a team is approaching long-range goals, or dealing with immediate problems, there are points at which decisions simply must be made.
The nature of the team, its experience together, and the situation it finds itself in can all contribute to the way team members reach decisions.
There are many ways that teams can make decisions. Among the many useful decision-making tools are:
(Click to reveal bullet list)
Brainstorming
Consensus
Multi-Voting
Parking Lot
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Course Overview

13. MAKING DECISIONS Brainstorming Encourage everyone to participate.
Think outside the box.
Piggyback ideas.
Consider how similar problems have been solved in the past.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming allows for the free flow of ideas. As team members bounce thoughts off one another, the combined result can be greater than any of the individual contributions.
(Click to reveal each bulleted item)
1. Encourage everyone to participate. Their ideas are valuable.
2. Think outside the box; that is, consider solutions beyond the obvious.
Encourage this kind of input by agreeing at the outset not to be critical of the ideas of others.
3. Piggyback ideas. One person’s thoughts can build on the ideas of others.
4. Consider how similar problems have been solved in the past, both by the team and by others. There is no need to reinvent the wheel every time.
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Course Overview

14. MAKING DECISIONS Consensus
Team works in atmosphere of trust and agrees to abide by group agreement.
Possible solutions assessed & evaluated to see if they fit vision of success.
Give consensus decision a trial run before finalizing it.
Consensus
Consensus occurs when a discussion leads to agreement without resorting to a vote.
(Click to reveal each bulleted item)
The team works in an atmosphere of trust and agrees to abide by the group agreement.
2. Possible solutions are assessed and evaluated to see if they fit the vision of what success looks like.
3. If possible, give the consensus decision a trial run before finalizing it. That can reduce anxiety about failure.
NE-II-177
Course Overview

15. MAKING DECISIONS Multi-Voting
Each team member has an equal number of votes.
If sorting list, members rank items; if reducing list, members cast out poorest choices.
Cast votes, total scores, repeat if necessary.
Multi-Voting
When presented with many options, multi-voting allows team members to cut a loss down to a manageable size.
(Click to reveal each bulleted item)
1. Each team member has an equal number of votes.
2. If sorting a list, members rank the items on the list. If reducing it, members cast out the poorest choices.
3. Cast votes and total scores. Repeat, if necessary.
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Course Overview

16. Acknowledge that issue is not immediately relevant.
MAKING DECISIONS
Parking Lot
Acknowledge that issue is not immediately relevant.
Write brief description of issue for discussion at later time.
Parking Lot
This is a process of tabling parts of a discussion that are not directly related to finding a solution to the problem at hand.
It permits team members to feel that all of their suggestions are being considered, even if at a future date.
It also helps a team hold onto fresh ideas whose time has not yet arrived.
(Click to reveal each bulleted item)
1. Acknowledge that an issue is not immediately relevant.
2. Write a brief description of the issue so that it can be brought up for discussion at a later time.
NE-II-177
Course Overview

17. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of this session, you should now be able to:
Analyze a problem and submit it to a systematic problem-solving process.
Understand the relationship between problem solving and project management.
Put into action many of the skills and ideas learned during the Wood Badge course.
Prepare for the upcoming Problem Solving Round-Robin.
As a result of this session, you should now be able to:
- Analyze a problem and submit it to a systematic problem-solving process.
- Understand the relationship between problem solving and project management.
- Put into action many of the skills and ideas learned during the Wood Badge course.
- Prepare yourselves for the upcoming Problem Solving Round-Robin.
NE-II-177
Course Overview

18. Your totem goes here, you may use a build if you desire
Thank You!
Your totem goes here, you may use a build if you desire
Thank you for your attention. I’ll now open up the floor for any questions that you might have.
NE-II-177
Course Overview

19. GROUP ISSUES FOR PROBLEM SOLVING ROUND-ROBIN
Immediately following this troop presentation, patrols will have the opportunity to practice problem-solving strategies at a number of different stations in the Problem Solving Round-Robin.
Here to tell us about that is Jason Vigilante, Senior Patrol Leader of the youth staff on our course.
NE-II-177
Course Overview

20. NE-II-177 Change control log Date Version Changes By Jan. 14, 2009 0.1
template
Fred M. Stringer
NE-II-177
Course Overview