Master Manual for Problem Solving Approach

By : BD Pradnyawant, Quality Assurance

Schedule Topic No Topic Registration and tea Introduction Protocol Expectations of participants About course Objectives of course Benefits Methodology Duration Assumption Course structure Course contents Problem solving approach Definition of problem Kinds of problem Person-situation Person-person Problem solving process Decision making Cognitive process Affective process Tea-Break Towering Inferno Problem Lunch Problem solving cycle Plan Management by facts QC tools Histograms (Alongwith example) Pareto Charts (Alongwith example) Tea-break Run Charts Scatter Diagram Control Charts Flow Charts (Alongwith example) Cause and Effect diagram (Alongwith example) Pokayoke Do Check Act Time 09.30 09.45 09.45 09.50 09.50 10.00 10.00 10.15 Page No.

1 2

4 4

10.15 10.35

10.35 11.00

5 5.1

11.00 11.15 11.15 12.30 12.30 01.30 01.30 05.30

10

5.2 5.3 5.4

6 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 7 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.3.1 7.3.2 7.4 8

Review Problem solving techniques Intimate engagement Externalization Visualization Special feature Go to extreme Simplify / break the problem Lateral thinking Sleep on problem Tea-break Brain storming (Exercise) Lunch-break Interpersonal problem How to solve interpersonal problem (Role Play) How not to solve interpersonal problem (Role Play) Tea-break How to improve interpersonal relationship Are of influence and concern Johari window NLP Expectations Feed-back collection and closure

09.30 09.45 13 09.45 - 11.00

11.00 11.15 11.15 12.30 12.30 01.30 01.30 02.00 02.00 02.30 02.30 03.00 03.00 03.15 03.15 03.30 03.30 03.45 03.45 04.30 04.30 05.00 05.00 05.30

18

21

Show slide No 1

Show slide No 2 Protocol No mobiles (Exercise for mobile switch off stand up, raise your hands, put your hands in your pockets, take out your mobile, switch off the mobile, put back your mobile in pocket, take out hands, sit down) No chitchatting Senior-Junior No same department Participation Dont open answers (exercise)

Show slide No 3 1. Participants expectations : Get expectations from participants about the course. Write on transparency Evaluate the fulfillment of expectations at the end of course

2. About course : Show slide No 4 Objectives of course : To know various problem solving techniques To deal with problems in systematic and analytical manner To use problem solving techniques in day to day working To improve working culture and behavior of own and that of organization To improve self-confidence level

Show slide No 5 Benefits : a. Enhanced individual, group and organization level capability in managing uncertainty. b. Work climate based on optimism (feeling of being hopeful about the future / success of something) and willingness to solve problems Show slide No 6 Methodology : Class room learning and instructions which has 1. Individual learning 2. Group based learning through participation and uses a. Paper and pen written exercises b. Group based problem solving and decision making exercises c. Trainer facilitation to create and develop learners insight into problem solving approach. Show slide No 7 Duration : 2 days class room training Assumption : Adult employees who are motivated by larger purpose of organization building and development will learn and apply the learning at the work place. Course structure : Discussions Lectures Exercises

Show slide No 8 Course contents : Problem solving process Problem solving cycle Problem solving techniques

3.

Problem solving approach : Show slide No 9

Definition of problem : Ask participants about their views on definition of problem Write down on board Categorize into effect, problem Finally explain following definition o Undesired result of any process o Any situation where you need to make a decision is a problem o It is an opportunity to improve o It is a sort of accepting a challenge

Show slide No 10 Kinds of problems Person situation Situation is static Problem does not react To solve problem person requires skill and knowledge Problems may have unique and logical answer

Show slide No 11 Person person Situation is active There are more than one correct answers Many ways to solve the problem

4. Problem solving process Show slide No : 12 Change Environment Set-up stimulate condition

Reacts (Behavior) Show slide No 13 First stage :

Decision

Combination of physical and psychological status in which a person is working. This is a steady process Second stage : When there is change in physical condition due to some external agency, this change sets up stimulate condition. Third stage : According to changed environment, persons behaves or reacts. Fourth stage : Takes decision. Decision making is psychological (concerned with a persons mind and thoughts) process. Show slide No 14 Decision Making : Psychological process Cognitive Process (relating to the mental process involved in knowing, learning and understanding things) Process Brain Affective Process

Emotional

Direct Relevance Show slide No 15 4.1 Cognitive Process :

Indirect Relevance

Covers all varieties and modes of collecting knowledge through 5 sense organs. These are as given below. Show slide No 16 4.1.1. Remembering : Recalling of memories. 4.1.2 Perceiving : Giving meaning to information collected by sense organs is called Perceiving 4.1.3 Imagining : Processing information by brain, which is not at all in the brain. Show slide No 17 4.1.4 Conceiving : Full context and background of idea is not only remembered but also internalized. 4.1.5 Judging : Information based evaluation is called judging. 4.1.6 Reasoning : Base for any communication

Show slide No 18 4.2 Affective process : Show slide No 19 It is an emotional phase in decision making. This can be explained by TimeEnergy graph.

IR PRW PW IO NC

IP Energy SC UO Time UO IP IR IO SC NC PW PRW

: Un informed optimism [feeling of being hopeful about the future / success of something] ( Enthusiasm ) : Informed pessimism [belief that bad things are going to happen ](Doubt) : Informed realism [people recognize and accept the true nature of situation & try to deal with it in a practical way ] (Hope) : Informed optimism (Confidence) : Sense of completion : New change : Public withdrawal : Private withdrawal

Towering inferno Problem. Title : Towering Inferno Problem Objective : Importance of group synergy and group dynamics in decision making. Time required : 2 hours Procedure : Show slide No 20 Provide sheet no. 2. Ask participants to rank the items individually. Give hint for ranking first five important items and again ask to rank five least important items. Make 4 groups. Now ask participants to rank all 15 items by group consensus. Provide experts ranking Show slide No 21 Inform participants to calculate figures on the sheet provided. Tell to calculate only difference without sign. Give feed-back to participants : Check (4-1) > , = , < (4-3) Check (4-1) > , = , < (4-2) If in both cases left side is greater than right side then conclude that group synergy is developed. If left side is less than right side indicates improper consensus.

5. Problem solving cycle : Show slide No : 22

P-Plan D Do C Check 3 A Act 5.1 Plan Problem statement specific and precise, indicating target setting and measurement Collect the fact and authentic data from authentic source Exercise on management by facts : 5.1.1 Title Management by facts 5.1.2 Objective : Decision taken / conclusion drawn on insufficient data, whim and fancy based data may go wrong 5.1.3 Time required 30 minutes 5.1.4 Procedure All items are to be placed inside the box Two participants P1 and P2 are selected and placed separately in two corners of the hall

Ask one participants to observe items in box for 10 sec and ask him to report to P1. Ask another participant to repeat above activity and report to P2. Repeat this activity with 3 more participants and ask them to report to P2 only P2 will prepare a transparency of the information he received from all 4 participants and P1 will prepare a transparency of the information he received from one participant. Participants are asked to draw their inferences on slide prepared by P1 and P2. Participants to confirm objective

5.1.5 Appendix of list of material : Powder tin Comb Bindiya packet Mirror Lip stick Coconut oil Hair pins Bow Fair and lovely Nail polish Eye brow Scent Disco rubber Handkerchief Mahandi packet Corrugated box (size 2 x 1.5 x 1.5 ) OHP Marker pen set and Translides 4 Nos

5.1.6 Special note to trainers : Keep in mind that this exercise is not carried out for testing memory of participants . Contd. 5.1 Plan. Take the references from similarly existing problems, so that analysis of the problem will be realistic and easy. Use various QC tools to analyze the problem

QC tools : Show presentation on 7 QC tools (file : QualityTools.ppt) : Show presentation on Pokayoke . Contd. 5.1 Plan. Root cause is to be found out. Ask question by whom, how and when will be done

5.2 Do Implementation of sequence of actions as per planned schedule 5.3 Check Evaluate w.r.t. target 5.4 Act Take action on the basis of check 6 Problem solving technique Show slide no : 23 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 Intimate Engagement Externalization Visualization Special feature Go to extreme Simplify / break the problem Lateral thinking Sleep on problem Brain storming

6.1 Intimate engagement (know them very well and like them a lot) Exercise : Show slide No. 24

Each line in a letter is a stick. Pick one stick and use it to equal both sides (figures are in Roman letters) XXIII ------ = II VII (Answer Pick up stick from XXIII and place horizontally on top of II to right side) Show slide No 25 6.1.1 Eagar to engage with problem Willingness to engage in a problem is different from person to person. Some people feel that problem is beyond his capabilities, which not allows him to engage with the problem. Few people have history of failure. Threat of failure produces negative emotional attitude, less confidence, embarrassment, no initiative, low ambition, comfort with present level

Show slide No 26 6.1.2 Accept problem as challenge Some people accept problem as challenge and start deliberately. These people are growth oriented, have positive attitude, have eagerness to solve the problem, have ownership of the problem 6.1.3 Intrinsically interesting ( interesting because of its basic nature of character and not because of its connection with other things) People take personal interest to solve the problem Attractive : Affinity (you feel that you are similar to them) gives motivation to oneself to engage intimately with the problem. Show slide No 27 6.2 Externalization :

6.1.4

In externalization our conscious mind is not actually involved with information. It is relieved to do other problem solving activities. Example of wrong externalization : A boat is coming from sea. The lamp was not glowing and was closing for 60 times in a minutes. Then how many times it was glowing in a minute. Show this by hands. At one time by bringing fingers together another time by taking fingers away. Due to wrong externalization participant may confuse. 6.3 Visualization : Show slide no : 28 What is that once in a year and twice in a week ? Show slide No 29 Visualization is important in problem solving. Visualization is perception by imagination. It is the process bringing back picture before mind, which had already happened.

Show slide No 30 6.4 Special features : Some problem may have some special characteristics, which is known as special feature among the various characteristics it possesses. This characteristics gives us direct clue to solve the problem or works as hint in the problem solving. 6.5 Go to extreme : Thinking extremely on both the sides sometimes we get the solution directly or it gives insight into structure of problem. Show Slide no : 31 & 32 Story : This is a story of landlord who owned property worth few corers. He had two sons. He was interested in horse racing. He had also given training to his sons about horse riding. The landlord prepared his WILL at the

age of 70 and died after 6 months. After his death, his lawyer called two sons and read the WILL This was as under. I wish to divide my property amongst two sons after holding a horse race between them. The son whose horse lag behind, will get 75% part of the property and the other will get the remaining. As per their fathers WILL a horse race was arranged, but due to the strange condition put in it , horse race could not takes place. A clever person like you came there and solved the deadlock. Find out the solution to problem given by clever person. ( Answer : Change of horse) 6.6 Simplify / break the problem : Show Slide No. : 33 & 34 Connect the nos sequentially without lifting your pen. 25 65 49 57 47 39 67 51 61 13 5 73 19 63 3 27 37 1 33 21 35 55 31 23 69 9 77 53 15 71 79 11 45 17 41 29 59 7 75 43 78 18 50 6 76 44 28 56 42 30 2 66 4 24 48 60 54 70 62 26 20 52 16 40 74 22 10 34 68 12 64 36 14 38 46 58 32 80 8 72

Exercise of Nos : Provide sheet. Inform to connect nos. sequentially without lifting your pen within 5 minutes. After five minutes review results.

Give hint of making 4 equal quadrants of paper so that there will be 4 rows and 5 columns in each quadrant. Simplification of a complicated problem leads you to easy solution. It increases the chance of solving original problem. Simple problem is easier to visualize than complex one. 6.7 Lateral thinking Show slide No.: 35 In 20 storied building there was office on 20th floor. One person while going to office was going upto 18th floor by lift and remaining two floors by walking on staircase. However while returning he was directly coming from 20th floor to ground floor. What could be the possible reasons? (Answer : One of the possible reason : the person was short in height, hence his hand was reaching till 18th floor button. Hence he was pressing that button while going however 0 button is at lower level hence while coming he could press it) Show slide No 36 6.8 Sleep on problem : Sometimes a problem is not resolved after spending lot of time on it due to complexity of thoughts. It is advised to leave the problem as it is. In fact our sub-conscious mind goes on working on such a complicated problem and we get the solution. Eg. Complex logics in computer programme, critical problems in maintenance 6.9 Brain storming : Brain storming is useful technique to collect numbers of ideas in limited time. Exercise on brain storming. Title :

Reasons of coming late on duty Objective : Give systematic approach about how to carry out brain storming session Time required : 30 minutes Procedure : Select 8 participants Inform them subject and background Tell time limit 20 minutes Observe group / individuals behavior Give feed-back

Show slide No.: 37 Define the topics before the session begins Begin the session by providing background information about the topic Guidelines for brain storming o Write down each and every idea o Dont evaluate and compare the ideas o Quantity of ideas are important o Welcome an illogical idea too o Ideas may be combined or modified. Begin the process by asking for the ideas. Write all ideas suggested Be on time Use your leadership skill for controlling the session End when you feel that you have sufficient number of ideas. Now evaluate ideas contributed. Provide closure to the session on time Do not miss the follow up.

7 Inter personal problem (Person-Person) : Show slide No.: 38 Interpersonal problems are related with the stake and concern of individuals High S T A K E Low Low CONCERN High Compete Collaborate

Negotiate

Avoid

Accommodate

7.1 How to solve interpersonal problems Show slide No.: 39 Show slide No 40 Take a problem solving stance Do not react emotionally Stress your own responsibility for solving the problem Look to the future. Dont harp on past Start talking I instead of you Dont decide what is wrong or right. Dont assign blame. Only help parties to solve the problem. Dont impose solutions. o Dont criticize o Avoid bias o o o o o o 7.2 How not to solve interpersonal problems Show slide No.: 41 o o o o Get emotionally involved If the other person is angry, you get angry Look for mistake Spend time on analyzing disaster

o o o o

Say it is other persons responsibility and not mine Give a ready made solution Declare winner and looser See that the parties can never work together again.

7.3 How to improve interpersonal relationship 7.3.1 Area of influence and concern Show slide No.: 42

Area of influence

Area of concern

Show slide No 43 Our area of concern may be very vide where our area of influence will not be there. Such type of wide area of concern will add into worries. Hence we should try to maximize area of influence. Make efforts to bring the concern under your are of influence. Show concern to solve the problem. 7.3.2 Johari window Show slide No.: 44 Others Know I Know Open Area (Public) Feed-back Disclosure Others Dont Know Hidden Area (Private)

Blind Spot

Un-Known Area

I Dont Know Show slide No 45 Johari window is developed by John and Harry Ingaham. This useful to about behavior of person. Way to increase open area. By getting feed-back : As we get more and more feed-back about our behavior (here feed-back means positive and constructive negative too) we can improve our behavior. It will increase our blind spot and ultimately open area will be increased. By disclosing : More and more we disclose about way we think or behave, this will increase clarity about our decision. 7.4 Tool useful while dealing with interpersonal problems Neuro linguistic programming (NLP) Eye scanning Show slide No 46 Neuro The neuro-chemical response creating the internal sensory response and its resulting behavioral modification (external) Linguistic Learned digitalization ( words that trigger neuro-chemical response) Programming Structure, re-structure and utilization of syntax (verbal and non-verbal) to increase useful choices of behavior. Show slide No.: 47

Vc Ac K

Vr Ar Ai

Vr Visual Remembered seeing images of things seen before, in the way they were seen before Vc-Visual constructed seeing images of things never seen before, or seeing things differently than they were seen before

Ar-Auditory remembered- remembering sounds heard before Ac-Auditory constructed Hearing sounds not heard before K-Kinesthetic-feeling emotions, tactile sensations (sense of touch) or proprioceptive feelings (feeling of muscle movement) Ai-Auditory internal talking to oneself internally. 8 Evaluate the fulfillment of expectations at the end of course. Show slide No 48