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superseries

SolvingProblems andMaking Decisions FIFTH EDITION

Published for theInstitute of Leadership & Management

Institute of Leadership & Management

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Pergamon Flexible Learning is an imprint of ElsevierLinacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA

First edition 1986Second edition 1991Third edition 1997Fourth edition 2003Fifth edition 2007

Copyright © 1986, 1991, 1997, 2003, 2007 ILM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Editor: David Pardey

Based on material in previous editions of this work

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NoticeNo responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein

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ISBN 978-0-08-046423-7

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Contents

Series preface vUnit specification vii

Workbook introduction ix1 ILM Super Series 4 study links ix2 Links to ILM qualifications ix3 Links to S/NVQs in management ix4 Workbook objectives x5 Activity planner xi

Session A Problems large and small 11 Introduction 12 What do we mean by ‘a problem’? 23 Stage 1: recognize the problem 74 Stage 2: accept ownership of the problem 105 Stage 3: understand the problem 126 Analyse the problem 217 Summary 37

Session B Analysing information for solving problems and making decisions 39

1 Introduction 392 Analysing numerical data 413 Non-numerical information 604 Summary 68

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Session C Finding a solution 691 Introduction 692 Stage 4: choose a solution 693 What is a solution? 704 Identify possible solutions 765 Some solutions are better than others 816 Decision-making models 877 Summary 98

Session D Implementing and evaluating a solution 991 Introduction 992 Stage 5: implement the solution 1003 Stage 6: monitoring and evaluation 1024 Looking back 1075 Summary 110

Performance checks 1111 Quick quiz 1112 Workbook assessment 1133 Work-based assignment 115

Reflect and review 1171 Reflect and review 1172 Action plan 1223 Extensions 1244 Answers to self-assessment questions 1255 Answers to activities 1286 Answers to the quick quiz 1327 Certificate 134

Contents

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Series preface

Whether you are a tutor/trainer or studying management development tofurther your career, Super Series provides an exciting and flexible resourceto help you to achieve your goals. The fifth edition is completely new and up-to-date, and has been structured to perfectly match the Institute ofLeadership & Management (ILM)’s new unit-based qualifications for first linemanagers. It also harmonizes with the 2004 national occupational standardsin management and leadership, providing an invaluable resource for S/NVQsat Level 3 in Management.

Super Series is equally valuable for anyone tutoring or studying any manage-ment programmes at this level, whether leading to a qualification or not.Individual workbooks also support short programmes, which may be recog-nized by ILM as Endorsed or Development Awards, or provide the ideal wayto undertake CPD activities.

For learners, coping with all the pressures of today’s world, Super Series offersyou the flexibility to study at your own pace to fit around your professionaland other commitments. You don’t need a PC or to attend classes at a specifictime – choose when and where to study to suit yourself! And you will alwayshave the complete workbook as a quick reference just when you need it.

For tutors/trainers, Super Series provides an invaluable guide to what needsto be covered, and in what depth. It also allows learners who miss occasionalsessions to ‘catch up’ by dipping into the series.

Super Series provides unrivalled support for all those involved in first linemanagement and supervision.

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Unit specification

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Title: Solving problems and making decisions Unit Ref: M3.01

Level: 3

Credit value: 2

Learning outcomes Assessment criteria

The learner will The learner can (in an organization with which the learner is familiar)

1. Know how to 1.1 Describe a problem, its nature scope and impactdescribe a problem, its nature, scope andimpact

2. Know how to 2.1 Gather and interpret information to identify possible solutions to gather and a probleminterpretinformation tosolve a problem

3. Know how to 3.1 Briefly summarize the options, providing facts and evidence, not just solve a problem opinion

3.2 Use at least one simple decision-making technique to evaluate options to arrive at the best solution

4. Know how to plan 4.1 Plan the implementation and communication of the decisionthe implementation 4.2 Briefly discuss which monitoring and review techniques could be and communication used to evaluate outcomesof decisions

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Workbookintroduction

1 ILM Super Series 4 study links

This workbook addresses the issues of Solving Problems and Making Decisions.Should you wish to extend your study to other Super Series workbookscovering related or different subject areas, you will find a comprehensivelist at the back of this book.

2 Links to ILM qualifications

This workbook relates to the learning outcomes of Unit M3.15 SolvingProblems & Making Decisions from the ILM Level 3 Award, Certificate andDiploma in First Line Management.

3 Links to S/NVQs in management

This workbook relates to the following Unit of the Management Standardswhich are used in S/NVQs in Management, as well as a range of otherS/NVQs:

C6. Implementing changeF6. Monitor and solve customer service problems

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4 Workbook objectives

We all encounter problems in every sphere of our lives, but in a managementcontext they are particularly important. In fact, it’s often claimed that themost important things that managers have to do are to solve problems andmake decisions.

Problem solving and decision making are closely connected. Choosing a solu-tion, for example (the subject of Session C in this workbook), is basicallyabout deciding which possible solution to adopt.

Nevertheless, there is a distinction between problem solving and decisionmaking. Problem solving involves exploration and analysis to gather informa-tion. Decision making involves using that information to enable decisions tobe made that are likely to achieve the goals of the problem-solving process.In this sense, decision making is part of problem solving, and so is integratedinto the process.

Some problems are quite easy to deal with but, unfortunately, a lot of theproblems that you and other managers, supervisors and team leaders willface are anything but clear-cut. Often you will find that in addition to beingdifficult to solve:

■ problems are hard to pin down and describe clearly■ the causes are obscure■ there are several possible solutions, and it’s unclear which would be best■ the best solutions seem difficult to put into effect.

Fortunately, if we adopt a careful and systematic approach, there are fewproblems that cannot be tackled successfully. In the four workbook sessionsthat follow you will be taken through a six-stage process for solving problems:

■ recognize the problem■ accept ownership of the problem■ understand the problem■ choose the best solution■ implement the solution■ monitor and evaluate the solution.

We will consider how to decide whether problems are our responsibility, andwhether they are worth spending time and energy on. We will look at ways ofdescribing and dissecting problems, so that their causes can be pinned downaccurately. There will be coverage of practical techniques like brainstorming andproblem analysis, and of some approaches to matching causes and solutions.We will also look at various techniques for analysing quantitative and qualitative

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data to enable you to understand the problem better. Finally, the most impor-tant, but perhaps least exciting stage of the process will be addressed – ensuringthat your solutions work in practice.

4.1 ObjectivesWhen you have completed this workbook you will be better able to:

■ describe and analyse problems;■ identify the cause or causes of problems;■ understand the need to collect information about problems;■ analyse numerical data;■ use statistics to enhance understanding of information;■ analyse qualitative information;■ generate a range of possible solutions and decide which will work best;■ use decision-making models;■ implement your chosen solution and evaluate its effectiveness.

5 Activity planner

You may want to look at the following Activities now, so that you can startcollecting material – or do whatever else is required – as soon as possible:

Activity 4 on pages 4–5 asks you to review some problems that you haverecently had to deal with. The main aim here is to identify problems that werenot foreseen, but could have been, and to understand why this was.

Activity 7 on page 11 is the first in a series of six activities in which you willbe asked to analyse a problem that is facing you at work.

Activity 17 on page 26 is designed to give you practice in brainstorming, a keytechnique in management. You will need to get together with some friends orcolleagues in order to do this.

Some or all of these Activities may provide the basis of evidence for yourS/NVQ portfolio. All Portfolio Activities and the Work-based assignmentare signposted with this icon.

The icon states the elements to which the Portfolio Activities and Work-based assignment relate.

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