Problem solving at work

Name: Problem solving at work
Rating: 4.2 (21 reviews)

Become a more versatile problem-solver. Look at problems in new ways and generate practical solutions.

Created byAlan Barker, Clare Lynch

Last updated 6/2020

English

What you'll learn

Learn a complete method for solving problems at work
Identify your preferred styles of solving problems
Take ownership of problems more confidently
Develop a more versatile approach to problem-solving
Transform your perception of problems
Solve problems more logically and more creatively
Generate practical solutions to real problems

Course content

7 sections • 42 lectures • 2h 51m total length

Is this the course for you?2:30
I’ve designed the course for anyone who needs to solve problems as part of their work.
So if you’re a manager – or if you’re new to management, or aspiring to being a manager – then this course is for you.
If you’re a team leader, or a business owner, then this course is for you.
And if you’re a volunteer, a carer or a parent, then this course is for you.
The course includes a set of tools and techniques for solving problems of many kinds.
And it also offers you:
a profiling questionnaire so that you can identify your current strengths as a problem-solver and the skills you could develop to become more versatile;
a model of problem ownership that will help you understand how to avert blame, overcome resistance, take responsibility and find the flow state when solving problems;
a matrix for categorizing problems into four main types; and
a method for developing and implementing solutions that are feasible and viable.
Please download your course workbook0:51
The workbook for the course includes expanded notes based on the video lectures, full versions of the tools, techniques and checklists that will help you solve problems more effectively, and details of other resources that will take your studies further.
Being stuck: what it means to have a problem2:13
We start with a basic definition of what it means to have a problem - and what it means to solve a problem.
Assignment 1: creating your problem-solving profile
Complete this self-assessment questionnaire to discover your strengths as a problem-solver.

Exploring your profile #1: the two stages of thinking4:38
Your problem-solving profile includes an assessment of your abilities in the two stages of thinking:
stage 1 thinking - when we analyse and explore the problem; and
stage 2 thinking - when we design and engineer solutions.
Exploring your profile #2: rational and intuitive5:06
Your problem-solving skills include the skills of;
intuitive thinking - matching your actions against your view of a problem and adjusting your solution as you learn more; and
rational thinking - separating your understanding of the problem from the process of solving it, and proceeding logically step by step.
The Analyst: appraising and concluding2:28
Understand how the Analyst style seeks to understand a problem, how to develop your own skills in this style and how to manage team members or others who want to use the style.
The Explorer: discovering and experimenting2:45
Understand how the Explorer seeks to understand a problem, how to develop your own skills in this style and how to manage team members or others who want to use the style.
The Engineer: organizing and implementing3:21
Understand how the Engineer style seeks to solve problems, how to develop your own skills in this style and how to manage team members or others who want to use the style.
The Designer: empathizing and simplifying3:34
Understand how the Designer style seeks to solve a problem, how to develop your own skills in this style and how to manage team members or others who want to use the style.
Versatile problem solving: extending your style3:38
Use what you have learnt from your problem-solving profile to identify how you can become a more versatile problem solver.
Assignment 2: becoming a more versatile problem-solver1:58
How to develop one or more styles in your profile so that you can solve more problems, more effectively.

Circle of Influence, Circle of Concern3:48
Stephen Covey's model of the Circle of Concern and the Circle of Influence provides a useful basis for understanding how we can manage different levels of problem ownership.
Assignment 3: Circle of Concern, Circle of Influence2:03
Use the two circles to understand how some problems at work fall into your Circle of Concern and some into your Circle of Influence - and how to move a problem from one circle to the other.
Blame: feeling out of control3:36
Blame is a very common reaction to problems, particularly at work. Discover how it arises and why it's important to understand it.
Practical strategies for managing blame5:51
Explore strategies for managing and escaping the syndrome of 'blame-throwing'.
Resistance: meeting a need3:08
If you are resisting the need to tackle a problem, you may be protecting an important need in yourself.
Practical strategies for overcoming resistance4:32
Discover how to overcome resistance to tackling a problem by identifying the need that you must meet, and how to satisfy it.
Responsibility: making a contract2:29
Responsibility expresses our limited and agreed ownership of a problem, so that we are not overwhelmed by it.
Practical strategies for discharging responsibilities3:02
Discover the key elements in taking responsibility for solving a problem.
Commitment: finding the flow state3:11
'Flow' is the state that we find ourselves in when we seek to solve a problem for its own sake. Discover the key elements of the flow state.
Practical strategies for building commitment4:34
Almost any problem can activate the flow state if we put the right elements in place. Discover what those elements are so that your problem-solving can become far more satisfying.
Assignment 4: reviewing your ownership of problems3:26
Decide how you want to take ownership of problems you currently need to solve at work.

Presented and Constructed: two kinds of problem6:06
Presented Problems are presented to us; we are not responsible for their existence, but we are responsible for solving them.
Constructed Problems are problems we create ourselves: challenges and ambitions that take us into the future.
Discover the key differences between these two types of problem.
Neat and messy: how to structure a problem5:33
A problem is neat;
the starting point and goal are clear;
we know what actions to take to solve the problem; and
we understand and accept the constraints on our actions.
A problem is messy if one or more of these elements are unclear.
We look at examples of neat and messy problems.
Assignment 5: neat or messy?2:25
A look at a number of different problems: do you see them as neat or messy?
The answers might not be obvious!
Four kinds of problem #1: Puzzles and Headaches4:57
Welcome to the problem matrix. Here, we investigate two types of Presented Problem: Puzzles - which are neat - and Headaches - which are messy.
We look at examples of both.
Four kinds of problem #2: Plans and Dreams4:54
We continue our exploration of the problem matrix. Plans are neat Constructed Problems and Dreams are messy Constructed Problems.
We look at examples of both.
Navigating the matrix: looking at problems in new ways4:28
The only difference between these four kinds of problem is the way that we define them. We can choose to see any problem differently; the problem matrix helps us to do just that.
Assignment 6: navigating the problem matrix1:50
Look at some of the problems you currently face at work and move them around the problem matrix to shift your perceptions of them.

Solving Puzzles: closing the gap6:13
Solving a Puzzle means finding the gap between what's right and what's wrong - and closing it. Root Cause Analysis helps.
Treating Headaches: three strategies7:22
Headaches are messy for all sorts of reasons. Who wants a Headache? We can dispel a Headache by:
simplifying the problem;
analysing the problem; or
transforming the problem into a different kind of problem.
A number of tools are available to help us.
Making Plans: managing a project6:57
We plan to achieve our goals: to solve Constructed Problems. A number of planning tools are available but they come with warning notices.
Dreaming Dreams: exploring the challenge6:25
Dreams demand the most creative problem-solving. In this lecture, we look at ways of exploring a Dream, broadening and deepening our understanding of it so that we can choose how to dream more effectively.
Making the Dream come true: finding an innovative solution7:24
Finding solutions to Dreams demands just as much creative thinking as understanding them. We find ways to liberate your powers of creativity and develop ideas for solutions that are desirable, feasible and viable.
Assignment 7: follow your Dream2:11
A method for working through a Dream, from initial conception to solution.

Finding supporters: stakeholder analysis3:55
Very few problems at work can be solved by one person. Identify the people affected by your solution, and the people who could help you implement it. Categorize your stakeholders and think about who might support you and who might create resistance.
Shall I do it?: managing risk6:03
All solutions in the real world involve doing something - and we can almost never know, exactly, the consequences of our actions. We need therefore to manage risk. Discover some effective techniques for doing that.
Let's do it: satisficing and finding the point of no return5:47
Risk analysis can go only so far. Sometimes we need to develop a more sophisticated intuitive approach. Discover the power of satisficing and testing your solution safely.
Selling the solution: making a business case5:14
Solutions at work rarely solve themselves. Create a solid business case for your solution, test your own commitment to it and plan a presentation to sell it.
Assignment 8: implementing a solution10:22
A full method, with checklists and templates, to help you implement your solution at work.

Requirements

A willingness to reflect on your own abilities and explore new skills
Examples of real problems that you could use to exercise the tools and techniques you'll discover

Description

Problem solving at work provides a systematic method for thinking about problems and transforming them into effective solutions.

Whether you're a manager or a team leader, a business owner or a volunteer, your work will involve solving problems. It's not always easy. Problems come in many different forms. They keep coming, and we sometimes have no time to solve one problem before the next arrives. The result? A never-ending cycle of 'firefighting', which makes it hard to find any real solutions.

Take time out to reflect on your problem-solving skills and develop them. What does it mean to have a problem? What does it mean to take ownership of a problem? How can we make sense of the problems we face? How can we look at them in different ways? And how can we transform a problem into a workable solution?

Discover the answers to these questions on this enjoyable, stimulating course.

What you'll learn

What does it mean to have a problem? You'll understand that real-life problems, unlike problems in text books or examinations, can be solved only by doing something. Taking the right action to escape the stuckness of a problem means understanding the problem and reviewing the actions available to you. You'll discover the skills that help you to understand solve problems as well as the different ways in which you can take ownership of a problem. You'll learn ways of defining a problem - and, crucially, transforming your perception of it so that you can find new and creative ways of solving it. You'll learn a wide range of tools and techniques that you can use alone or with your team. And you'll discover a fully worked out method for implementing your solution with your stakeholders.

Course resources

Problem solving at work gives you a range of resources to help you develop your skills, including:

a self-assessment questionnaire that you can use for yourself and with your team
a downloadable course workbook featuring exercises, examples, summaries of the key points in each lecture and background information about the concepts and ideas behind the course
links to useful articles and other online sources to help you develop your skills further

Is this the right course for you?

Problem solving at work has been designed for anyone who wants to improve their skills quickly. It focuses on problems at work but is also useful to develop problem-solving as a life skill.

Who this course is for:

Anybody with managerial or team leadership responsibilities
Newly promoted managers looking to develop their skills
Graduate recruits seeking to develop their competitiveness in the job market
Volunteers and support staff in not-for-profits
Carers, parents and homeworkers

Problem solving at work

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction: what it means to solve a problem4 lectures • 6min

Your problem-solving profile8 lectures • 27min

Whose problem is it anyway? Four levels of problem ownership11 lectures • 40min

Welcome to the Problem Matrix7 lectures • 30min

The problem-solving toolbox6 lectures • 37min

Implementing the solution5 lectures • 31min

Bonus section1 lecture • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: