Summary

Problem Solving for Teams

Make Consensus More Achievable. Working together. Sharing responsibility. Depending on each other. These are probably things your team does well already. Now you can add “solving problems” to the list. Whether it’s a work group, ad hoc committee or management team, it can be difficult for people to make decisions together. The key is unifying everyone around a common mission and leveraging individual strengths to achieve it.

Completion of this course will earn 0.575 CEUs.

Outline

  • Part 1: Problem Solving and Decision Making

    • Problem Solving and Decision Making Benefits
    • Team Learning Objectives
    • What Is a Problem, Anyway?
    • Problem Characteristics
    • Consumer Tech Case Problem
    • Problem-Solving Methodology
    • Problem-Solving/Decision-Making Outline
  • Part 2: Communication Dynamics

    • Developing Good Communication Skills
    • What Makes Team Meetings Work?
    • Team Meeting Roles
    • Documentation during Team Meetings
    • The Bottom Line
    • Six Steps to Team Problem Solving
  • Part 3: Step 1: Problem Recognition

    • The Iceberg or 80/20 Rule
    • Involving Stakeholders
    • Opening Discussion-A Good Place to Start
    • Problem Recognition Tools
    • Brainstorming Guidelines
  • Part 4: Step 2: Problem Labeling

    • The Iceberg Rule Again
    • What Is a Problem Label?
    • How to Find a Problem Label
  • Part 5: Step 3: Problem-Cause Analysis

    • That Iceberg Again
    • Distinguishing Cause from Effect
    • Six Tools to Identify Problem Causes
    • Have You Done It?
  • Part 6: Step 4: Optional Solutions

    • Creating a List of Alternatives
    • The Creativity Process
  • Part 7: Step 5: Decision Making

    • Choosing a Course of Action
    • How to Make a Decision
  • Part 8: Step 6: Implementation

    • Putting Your Plan into Action
    • Six Action Planning Tools

Course Schedule

*Indicates a course that spans over multiple days.

**Indicates a course that is only a half day.