laboratory management problem-solving – the decision-making process

Laboratory Management

Problem-Solving – The Decision-Making Process

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IntroductionThe most important skill that have an impact on the

effectiveness of a laboratory supervisor is his decision-making ability

The decision is the core of administrative actionAny administrative activity, planning, organizing, directing

or controlling requires the manager to be a decision-maker In fact, all organizational activity can be looked at as a

series of decisionsManagerial decision-making is the selection of a preferred

course of action from two or more alternatives after weighing the effects of the various alternatives in light of organizational goals

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1- AREAS OF CONCERN IN DECISION - MAKING

Before attempting to make any management decision, there are several areas of concern to which a laboratory manager must be preciseA. Quality of the decision

B. Acceptance of and commitment to the decision

C. The speed of the decision

D. The nature of the value judgments in the decision

E. The cost of the decision

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A- Quality of the decision

In order to make a quality decision, the manager must have the appropriate information

The creative talents of several people are beneficial in generating possible alternatives

Seeking specific skills necessary to complement a given alternative

Seeking ideas of peers, subordinates and superiors to gain a broader point of view

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B- Acceptance of and commitment to the decision

This concern is fundamental to management, which must get things done through people

Commitment is essential on the part of those who must implement the decision

There are times it is appropriate to involve the laboratory staff in the decision- making process ◦ will result in added quality to the decision, increase

the acceptance and commitmentFinally, acceptance of the decision by other

departments and outside organizations who are affected by is important

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C- The speed of the decision

The time element must obviously be considered

If a decision is to be made immediately, it is unlikely that staff can be involved

Even if the decision is not a quick one, the laboratory manager must consider the length of time it will take to involve appropriate parties

If the decision process must be accelerated, there is generally a trade-off in quality and acceptance of the decision

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D- The nature of the value judgment in the decision

All decisions involve a value judgment in terms

of what is beneficial or non beneficial and

important or non-important in projecting the

probable outcomes of the decision

There are times when individual goals and

organizational goals do not mesh because of

differencing value judgments

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E- The cost of the decision

The use of organizational resources to make decisions costs money

The time of the people involved in the decision is an important component

Often it is difficult to quantitate the appropriate costs that will yield the best decision in terms of quality, acceptance, speed and values

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2- DECISION-MAKING: APPROACHES AND EFFECTS

There is a variety of decision-making management styles, ranging from total dictatorship to total abdication

Management in the clinical laboratory is full of decisions

Some supervisors only make decisions for routine situations, therefore they have a lack of concern about approaches to decision-making

These Supervisors more than others need to examine the decision-making process and the effect of various approaches on quality, acceptance, speed, value and cost

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Making wise management decisions is not an intuitive skill

This skill more than other management skills requires an experiential learning period

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Breathless decisions ◦ Made on the spur of a moment◦ Making too many is bad sign◦ Signal a failure to plan and Resulting in crisis

managementContrasted with the breathless decision are the

trade-off or hold-off decision habits◦ Solve easy problems and shelf the rest◦ Relevant facts become hidden in a mass of irrelevancies

The following Table illustrates a variety of dangerous decision-making habits

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Breathless decisions What You Do Why

Act without thinking Submit to time pressure Limit alternatives Succumb to emotion

Overreact Avoid pain Oversimplify Avoid thinking

Solve the wrong problem

Trade-off decisions What You Do Why Placate others Seek harmony

Submit to authority Focus on tasks, not goals Solve easy problems Think short-range

Tolerate partial solutions Hope to reduce risk of failure Repeat past mistakes Desire to conform

Hold-off decisions What You Do Why

Generate multiple, superficial alternatives Fear of unknown

Gather irrelevant facts Accept unworkable constraints

Fight the problem Wait for more favorable conditions

Hop from problem to problem Wait for someone else to act Rationalize delay

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Approaches to decision-making

There are four typical decision-making approaches along the spectrum from dictatorship to abdicationa) Authoritarian

b) Democratic

c) Consensus

d) Laissez-Fair

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a) Authoritarian◦ Laboratory manager views himself as a central authority,

more knowledgeable than his staff because he has access to the big picture of the laboratory

◦ His communication is one way-down the organizational structure

◦ He pays little attention to the ideas and proposals of his staff

◦ Decisions of this type are of poor quality, least acceptance and commitment, and least concern for value factors

◦ The true worth of this approach in the speed at which a decision is reached because the laboratory manager is the only one involved

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b) Democratic◦ Laboratory manager reach decisions by majority vote◦ There is no polling process, but he personally makes

the decision after talking a straw vote◦ The majority will be committed to implement

decisions◦ The quality, acceptance, and staff feelings are

improved over the authoritarian approach◦ The time taken to reach the decisions is longer

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c) Consensus◦ All members of the staff are involved◦ The manager works hard at getting all members at

least partially agree with decision◦ Manager approaches the alternatives from a logical

point of view and avoids arguing his own viewpoint◦ The consensus format yields the highest quality

decision, since everyone explains the rationale for his favored alternative

◦ This approach will result in increased acceptance and commitment

◦ This approach can be time-consuming

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d) Laissez - Fair◦ The manager abdicated from his administrative

responsibilities◦ The manager role is supportive but leaves the

planning, organizing, directing and controlling of the process up to his staff

◦ The manager is only a figurehead, with his staff in control

◦ This is the least effective approach, if a quality decision is reached, it will usually be because of the presence of an informal leader

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• The following table shows how decision -making is related to the four basic functions of a manager: planning, organizing, directing and controlling

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Participation in making decisions always lowers the resistance to decision, but increases the time required to implements them

No single decision-making approach is best for all situations

To be effective, laboratory manager should vary his decision-making approach depending on the situation◦ Authoritarian approach is the best in an emergency situation◦ The democratic approach is useful when deciding on a color

scheme for new laboratory furniture◦ The Consensus approach when deciding who should work

various scheduled holidays◦ The abdicating as in the Laissez – Fair approach is perhaps

only when decisions regarding a group gathering is being arranged

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The effects of various levels of participation on the decision - making process

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3- HUMAN FACTORS IN DECISION-MAKING

A variety of factors affect the managers approach to decision-making including economic, social, cultural, political as well as human factors

5 factors were described regarding the human factors influencesa) Manager's personal value systems

Biases, Attitude, personal beliefs b) Managers perception of the situation

Manager's judgment and creativity will reflect how he perceives the problem or situation requiring a choice

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3- HUMAN FACTORS IN DECISION-MAKINGc) Limitations in human processing of information

Different capacities for mentally storing and sorting out pits & pieces of information related to the decision at hand

d) Manager is conscious and responsive to Political and power behaviors relative to any given selection

e) The constraint of time Limitation of time available for manager to assess and

study the situation before making the decision

In conclusion, in any complex decision where personal or behavior factors apply, the individual's preference will dominate the results.

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4- STEPS IN THE PROBLEM - SOLVING PROCESS

Problem-solving and decision making are not synonymous

They are similar, but problem solving has several facets that separate it as a managerial skill from typical decision making

The following Figure graphically describes a brief but comprehensive a flow of events in the problem-solving process:

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Step 1. Definition of the Problem◦ As in the treatment of disease, therapy only effective if

correct diagnosis was made

◦ The manager must look beyond the symptoms of the problem and focus on the real issue

◦ Often it is a symptoms, such as absenteeism, which calls attention to the fact that a problem exists Symptoms: adverse events or things which are present in an

operation but have not yet developed to the point of emerging as basic deviations

Basic deviations: they are problems that are referred to as “glaring mistakes”

Effect problem: surface problem

Causal problems: root problems

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◦ Manager who focuses on an effect problem is attempting to achieve a temporary solution whereas addressing a casual problem should prevent recurrence of the deviation

◦ Some problems will be inherited◦ Some problems resulting from decisions made

elsewhere in the organizational hierarchy◦ Some problems resulting from one's own

doing ◦ Regardless the origin of the problem, the

solution must still be made within the framework of the situation

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Step 2. Fact – gathering◦ Once the problem identified, the manager should

begin to gather information needed for developing alternative solutions

◦ Seeking out the facts surrounding the decision situations, as are constraints and assumptions Constraints are factors that limit the scope of alternatives

Assumptions are applied to factors in an effort to simplify the problem and it solvable

◦ Fact gathering requires a search for pertinent information from persons directly involved in the problem, from books, other people and from experts

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Step 3. Development of alternative solutions◦The generation of possible solutions calls for

creative thinking◦Past experience, similarities, differences◦Past experience can never be fully sufficient in

developing alternative solutions but acts as a guide

◦Seeking information from others who solved a similar problem

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Step 4. Weighing of alternative solutions◦Stating the advantages and disadvantages of

each alternative◦How each alternative will effectively accomplish

the objectives and requirements of a satisfactory solution

◦Consideration should be given to the question of where a chosen alternative will eliminate reoccurrence of the problem or generate another in its place

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Step 5. Selection of solutions◦ In choosing solution consider quality,

acceptance, speed, value or cost◦When the decision is made, it is often wise to

discuss it with someone who has considerable problem - solving skills

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Step 6. Implementation of the solution◦ A critical step◦ The most time consuming◦ If not properly implemented, it is useless◦ Involve those who are directly affected by the

problem◦ Inspect the details of the decision and develop

necessary procedures◦ Participation by all levels - management and

employees alike

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Step 7. Measurement of consequences◦ Not all decisions will have the effect that was planned◦ Consequences should be evaluated◦ Problem - solving as a management skill is probably

best developed through repeated exposure with guidance in the laboratory setting

laboratory management problem-solving – the decision-making process

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