1. Problem Solving and decision making
Daria Jakimowska
Scribe N
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. N
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.
Prepare a project overview that summaries the specific goals and objectives of the project.
Develop a work breakdown structure that identifies the tasks to be completed and the order in which they should be done. (This leads to the writing of a detailed project plan.)
Assign responsibilities for specific activities or tasks to each project team member.
Put the plan into action and track its progress
Prepare a closeout report that compares the original goals and objectives to the final outcome
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. N
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:
(Click to reveal each bulleted item)
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!” N
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! N
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. N
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). N
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. N
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. N
Course Overview

10. FIVE STEPS OF SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM SOLVING
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. N
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:
(Click to reveal each bulleted item)
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. N
Course Overview

12. MAKING DECISIONS Brainstorming 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 N
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. N
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. N
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 as necessary.
Multi-Voting
When presented with many options, multi-voting allows team members to cut a list 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. N
Course Overview

16. 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-recognizing 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. N
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 yourselves for the upcoming Problem Solving Round-Robin.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of this session, you should now 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. N
Course Overview

18. Thank You!
Thank you for your attention. I’ll now open up the floor for any questions that you might have. N
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.
I will now explain logistics of the Round Robin, explain the role of the youth participants and finally discuss any safety issues that may be factors during the problem-solving activities. N
Course Overview