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Problem Solving

Problem Solving Fundamentals

Published by O'Reilly Media, Inc.

Intermediate content levelIntermediate

How to effectively anticipate, identify, analyze, and resolve challenges

Problems: We’re plagued with them. Some we see coming, but others sneak up on us. Do you feel like you need to put out fires on a daily basis and sometimes are left with little time to get to your core responsibilities? The ability to meet problems head-on in the most efficient and sustainable fashion is a core skill for any professional wanting to make their mark. Having the tools to solve problems effectively increases your productivity, streamlines workflow, and prepares you to take on new roles and responsibilities.

Join expert Zina O'Leary to learn how to tackle issues before they become problems, how to identify problems so that they can be addressed, and how to analyze problems so that you can successfully deal with them. Using these strategies, you’ll be better able to resolve problems in a sustainable fashion and satisfy a range of stakeholders.

What you’ll learn and how you can apply it

By the end of this live online course, you’ll understand:

  • Why it is important to get ahead of problems
  • How to address problems holistically
  • The importance of minding stakeholder perspectives
  • The need for sustainable solutions

And you’ll be able to:

  • Control issues before they become problems
  • Identify problems as they arise
  • Analyze problems from a variety of perspectives
  • Efficiently and effectively engage in problem resolution

This live event is for you because...

  • You’re an individual contributor who wants to learn how to tackle issues before they become complex and potentially expensive problems for your organization.
  • You manage a team and you need to be able to analyze and solve problems in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
  • You’re a leader who wants to embed solid problem-solving skills in your workforce.
  • You want to become a better problem solver.

Prerequisites

Schedule

The time frames are only estimates and may vary according to how the class is progressing.

Introduction: The problem with problems (10 minutes)

  • Presentation: Why are there so many problems?
  • Group discussion: What types of problems plague your workplace?; How well are these problems being managed?

Problem avoidance (15 minutes)

  • Presentation: Getting ahead of and circumventing problems
  • Hands-on exercise: What do you see coming your way?
  • Q&A

How to identify a problem (30 minutes)

  • Presentation: Early, rapid, and accurate detection; understanding stakeholder perspectives
  • Hands-on exercise: A problem for whom?
  • Group discussion: How to progress action
  • Q&A
  • Break

Strategies for analyzing a problem (25 minutes)

  • Presentation: Getting the data you need
  • Hands-on exercise: Scope the problem
  • Q&A

Best practices for resolving a problem (30 minutes)

  • Presentation: Who has the answer?; the need for a win-win approach; implementing solutions
  • Group discussion: Is your problem technical, people-oriented, or both?; Who do you need to get on board?
  • Hands-on exercise: Satisfying the key players
  • Q&A

Wrap-up and Q&A (10 minutes)

Your Instructor

  • Dr Zina O’Leary

    Zina O’Leary is an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware and an Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) senior fellow. Her area of research expertise is evidence-based decision making and professional skill development. Previously, Zina was an adjunct senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the workplace integrated learning coordinator at the University of Sydney Business School. She’s also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a number of universities in Australia, including Sydney University and Melbourne University, and has given talks and run workshops for government clients, including Australia’s Prime Minister and Cabinet and New Zealand Ministers Council, and academic institutions, such as Malaysia School of Medicine and Victoria University of Wellington. She’s the author of seven books, including the recently published Presentations that Motivate. Zina earned her PhD in methodology and social psychology as a US National Science Foundation Fellow and holds an MSc in social psychology and methodology from the University of Wisconsin and a BA in sociology and psychology from Rutgers University.