PROBLEM SOLVING PRESENTATION
- 2. What is problem solving? the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues. The process of working through details of a problem to reach a solution.
- 3. What is leadership? Leadership is the ability to inspire or influence others towards the leader's goal. It also include the ability to solve complex problems that may occur.
- 4. Interface between problem solving & Leadership John C. Maxwell (1999) describes the four good qualities of leadership with good problem solving ability-: Good leaders anticipate problems- problems are inevitable and good leaders anticipate and have a positive attitude but plan for the worst. Accept the truth-denying problems only prolong the agony. Be willing to look at the issues honestly and accept responsibility and move forward. See the big picture-have a vision of the future and be able to see where the organisation can be in five or ten years. Handle one problem at a time – eat the elephant one bite at a time .
- 5. A significant key to creative problem solving is the capacity and willingness to view problems or challenge from a new perspective and seek innovation in exploring potential options. Great leaders are at the their core great problem –solvers . They take proactive measures to avoid conflicts and address when they arise. A strong leader must have the capacity and skills to anticipate , identify ,solve , prevent and learn from the problem that occur at a given time Creative problem solving skills require positive processes that incorporate strong communication skills, respect for all parties involved, and innovative approaches. When problems are viewed as "opportunities," the benefits for both leaders and staff can be highly positive.
- 7. Five tasks that should be followed by a leader when approaching a problem solving situation: 1. Define the problem- the leader has to make a list of resources –people, books, websites. These resources have the connection to and information the problem. The leader then uses these resources to clarify any unfamiliar terms or concepts, and to clarify for the group what s/he understands the problem to be. At this point, the leader is looking for symptoms the evidence that a problem exists not causes of the problem. 2. Analysing the problem- after the group has discussed the evidence for the existence of the problem and defined what the problem is, the leader turns his/her attention to analysing the evidence more thoroughly, looking for relevant data that may explain why the problem exists, evaluating the data collected and the sources of the data. 3. Establishing criteria for evaluating solutions-the leader sets an objective with the group that all proposed solutions should strive for. Based on the definition of the problem and analysis of its cause(s), this objective should be the one specific goal that any acceptable solution should attain. .
- 8. 4.Proposing solutions- after the leader has established some basis for evaluating solutions, he/she can try brainstorming solutions (see the "Brainstorming" section of this chapter for additional information). From the list of solutions that emerge from the brainstorming session, the leader develops a realistic range of solutions and selects the one that best fits needs according to the evaluation criteria. 5.Taking action-the leader writes an action plan that details the steps and the resources needed to implement the solution.