The
management team is aware that there are several areas of life that are
unpredictable. Some issues cannot be foreseen. That is why it is important to
have the proper tools to deal with the trials and tribulations the unexpected
can bring. The management team has put together a management plan to do just
this. Below you will view the suggested plan.
Methods for Problem Solving
The
attempt to understand advanced human intelligence has intrigued and perplexed
researchers and scientists for thousands of years. Research on the topic can be
traced back to the era of Aristotle. Problem solving can be identified as one
of the basic life functions of natural intelligence. Obviously, problem solving
is a daily experience for humans, no matter how trivial or critical the problem
may seem. In the 1970s, research of computer technology, and how it can relate
to the problem solving processes of the brain became hugely popular. In
cognitive informatics, problem solving is considered a cognitive process of the
brain that serves in the upper cognitive layers, and searches for a solution to
the problem, or attempts to find a path to a given goal (Wang &, Chiew,
2010).
It is
proposed that the three components of a problem are givens, goals, and
operations. Givens are the information available as part of the problem. The
goals are the desired termination state, in which a solution to the problem is
found. Lastly, the operations are the potential actions that can be taken to
achieve the goals. For any problem, there is an associated problem space, which
is all of the possible goals, and the paths to those goals known to the problem
solver. Of course, a certain solution to the problem may not exist to the
solver, because he or she is unaware of particular paths that can be taken to
find a solution (Wang &, Chiew, 2010).
Several
approaches exist, in regards to solving a problem, but often people have a
difficult time choosing, which may be the best option. Obviously, in the case
of a company and especially a management team, looking to solve a problem,
factors such as effectiveness, cost, and time need to be considered. For
example, the management team could take the direct facts approach (finding a
direct solution to the path based on known solutions), divide and conquer
(solving a problem by dividing into subproblems), or using an exhaustive search
(searching systematically for all possible solutions (Wang &, Chiew, 2010).
Out of these three, the direct approach, while it may seem somewhat lethargic
in nature, could prove to be the most cost effective because of using what is
already known to solve the issue. If the team is looking for more of an
aggressive approach, the divide and conquer method may work. However, the
company would need to be prepared that the divide and conquer method may take
longer to see results.
Like
life, problems can also occur within the work place. These problems can come in
a variety of ways and at all angles. Although nothing in life is perfect, there
are several methods that can be applied to solving these issues. Methods such
as, identifying the cause and creativity can help when solving issues. Identifying the cause is very important. For
example, if the business involves people, than it must be determined how did
the people involved contribute to the problem, if the business involves
machines, then it must be determined if the machines were at fault. Environment
is another factor that can play into issues, it must be determined if the
environment is stable, or did it change and cause issues. Creativity is the ability to find alternative
choices. Systems thinking is an excellent choice to problem solving. Consistent
with systems philosophy, systems thinking concerns an understanding of a system
by examining the linkages and interactions between the elements that comprise
the whole of the system. When you encounter situations which are complex and
messy, then systems thinking can help you understand the situation
systemically. By using systems thinking, the problem can be broken down into separate
elements (Senge,P 1990).
Judgment
The
members of the management team may choose to problem solve using the difference
reduction method. This requires the individual to make choices that make the
problem look or seem more like the goal they are hoping to achieve (Anderson,
2010). One must make evaluations of where one is in regard to the problem and
where one wants to end up. The problem with this form of problem solving is
that there is no room for error. If the individual is on the wrong path to
discovery of a solution, he or she will not back track to see where the error
occurred. This form of problem solving requires the least amount of personal
judgment as the problem solver has one path and does not delineate to correct
any issues.
The
members of the management team may choose to problem solve using the means end
analysis. This method is much like the difference reduction method where the
individual must look toward the goal and cause the problem to be like the goal
(Anderson, 2010). The difference is when there is something that prevents the
individual from proceeding, the individual must make a judgment call to fix the
new problem or change the goal. The means end analysis allows the problem
solver to include subgoals in order to fix the new problem and refocus on the
original problem.
Example
In problem solving there are a variety of different methods that can be
employed such as breaking the problem down in the divide and conquer method,
difference-reduction methods, and means-end analysis. In the divide and
conquer method the problem is broken down into components so that as each part
gets resolved the person comes closer to a solution which resolves the entire
problem. An example of the divide and conquer method in use in everyday life is
what the learning team does each week in order to take on the team
assignments. Each week the team will break down the assignment, which is
viewed as a problem that needs to be tackled. The team breaks it down into
the basic components that are needed to complete the assignment and each member
will select a component to complete. Once the parts are completed by the
member that selected them, the parts are assembled together through editing,
compiling them into one final product and the solution to the original problem.
In order for the divide and conquer method to work the problem has to be broken
down in to base components and organized in a way that provides the base
components are being resolved through the means end analysis. The
organizational method is applied to keep all the parts on task and turned in
completed within a certain amount of time. The assignment is broken down
and organized so that if someone's part of the problem requires another part be
completed first then there is enough time for the first to be completed so that
the second part can be completed and the final product accomplished before the
deadline. This method requires that each step is organized through the
organizational method so that with the completion of one process the next one
can be completed.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, the suggested plan listed above was created to take some difficulty
away from problem solving. It included problems that may arise when working
alone as well as when working with team members. Overall, there are several
ways a person can overcome issues. The methods suggested in this plan are based
off of research and studies. Please direct any suggestions to the management
team.
References
Anderson,
J. R. (2010). Cognitive psychology and its implications (7th ed.). New York,
NY: Worth Publishers.
Wang, Y., &Chiew, Vincent. (2010, March). On the
cognitive process of human problem
solving. Cognitive Systems
Research, 11(1), 81-92. Retrieved from
No comments:
Post a Comment