Decision-Making And Problem-Solving For Business

Effective Thinking * Problem and Decision Framing * Generating Alternatives * Making Decisions Dynamically

What you'll learn
The Fundamentals of Effective Thinking
Problem Framing
Generating Alternatives
Making Decisions Dynamically
Implementation and Evaluation
Group Problem Solving and Decision Making
Requirements
There are no special requirements or prerequisites to take this course. All you need is focus and the desire to learn what's necessary in order succeed!
Description
Welcome to the Decision-making and Problem-solving for Business series, a six-part course that includes the following sections, also presented as individual courses for your convenience:- The Fundamentals of Effective Thinking- Problem Framing- Generating Alternatives- Making Decisions Dynamically- Implementation and Evaluation- Group Problem Solving and Decision MakingFundamentals of Effective ThinkingAlbert Einstein, a man known for his wisdom, was correct when he said, "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."In this course, you'll learn to: think effectively about mental shortcuts, overcome biases and flawed assumptions, refine your problem-solving mind-set and decision-making style, and cultivate the right state of mind.Problem FramingThe way you frame, or represent, a business problem directly affects the quality of the solutions you design. If more than one person is involved in a decision, a common frame is critical to success.In this course, you'll learn how to effectively frame a problem by: being fully prepared for the framing process, examining your assumptions, analyzing the cause of business problems, and employing powerful techniques to effectively frame your business problems.The Problem Solving: Generating AlternativesYou're about to discover how to imagine and manifest far-reaching solutions to your business problems. There's nothing ephemeral about the ideas contained here. To the contrary, the techniques you'll explore are deeply rooted in tangible reality–and in results.In this course, you'll learn how to effectively generate alternative solutions by: getting into the flow, taking rational approaches, using creative approaches, and getting out of problem-solving ruts.Making Decisions DynamicallyNo matter how you feel at this time about making business decisions, you have a lot to gain by using the ideas and techniques in this course. To receive the full benefit, however, you have to turn effective decision making into a habit.In this course, you'll discover a wealth of decision-making principles and techniques: the foundational thinking behind wise decision making, decision-making techniques to use by yourself, decision-making strategies to employ with others and ways to build productive and dynamic relationships with decision-making counterparts.Decision Making: Implementation and EvaluationBefore good inventions gain value, they have to be implemented and evaluated. In this course, you'll learn how to take your decisions from idea to reality.You'll learn how to: plan the actions required to implement your decisions, manage the action as your plan unfolds, and assess the outcomes of your decisions.Group Problem Solving and Decision MakingIn order to capture that feeling of group achievement, a problem-solving team must be designed and built properly. By the end of this course, you'll be ready to go out on the decision-making limb with the rest of your team.You're about to learn how to avoid falling prey to inefficient group problem-solving habits. You'll also learn specific ways to improve overall group decision making.That’s it! Now, go ahead and push that “Take this course” button and see you on the inside!

Overview

Section 1: Decision-making and Problem-solving for Business

Lecture 1 Program Overview (1)

Lecture 2 Program Overview (2)

Lecture 3 Course Guidelines

Lecture 4 FAQs

Section 2: Effective Thinking

Lecture 5 Course Overview

Lecture 6 Thinking Effectively about Mental Shortcuts

Lecture 7 Rules of Thumb (1)

Lecture 8 Rules of Thumb (2)

Lecture 9 Thinking Traps (1)

Lecture 10 Thinking Traps (2)

Lecture 11 A problem-solving scenario (1)

Lecture 12 A problem-solving scenario (2)

Lecture 13 A problem-solving scenario (3)

Lecture 14 Overcoming Biases and False Assumptions

Lecture 15 Determining Correlation Strength (1)

Lecture 16 Determining Correlation Strength (2)

Lecture 17 Determining Correlation Strength (3)

Lecture 18 Determining Correlation Strength (4)

Lecture 19 Attribution-making Biases (1)

Lecture 20 Attribution-making Biases (2)

Lecture 21 Recognizing Bias (1)

Lecture 22 Recognizing Bias (2)

Lecture 23 Overcoming Bias (1)

Lecture 24 Overcoming Bias (2)

Lecture 25 Overcoming Bias (3)

Lecture 26 Refining Your Mind-set and Decision-making Style

Lecture 27 What's your problem-solving mind-set? (1)

Lecture 28 What's your problem-solving mind-set? (2)

Lecture 29 What's your decision-making style? (1)

Lecture 30 What's your decision-making style? (2)

Lecture 31 Cultivating the Right Frame of Mind

Lecture 32 Thinking Critically (1)

Lecture 33 Thinking Critically (2)

Lecture 34 Improving Your Memory (1)

Lecture 35 Improving Your Memory (2)

Lecture 36 Forming Effective Thinking Habits (1)

Lecture 37 Forming Effective Thinking Habits (2)

Lecture 38 Job aid- Problem-solving Biases

Lecture 39 Job aid- Head off the mental shortcuts

Lecture 40 Job aid- Attribution-making Biases

Lecture 41 Keeping Track of Intellectual Shortcuts

Lecture 42 Avoiding Thinking Traps

Lecture 43 Effective Thinking

Lecture 44 The Strength of Cause and Effect Relationships

Lecture 45 Understanding Biased Judgments

Lecture 46 Recognizing Bias

Lecture 47 Overcoming Bias

Lecture 48 Identifying Your Mind-Set

Lecture 49 Becoming an Effective Decision Maker

Lecture 50 Assessing Claims with Critical Thinking

Lecture 51 Memory Aids

Lecture 52 Developing Effective Thinking Habits

Lecture 53 The Fundamentals of Effective Thinking

Section 3: Problem Framing

Lecture 54 Section Overview

Lecture 55 Gaining an Overview Perspective

Lecture 56 Identifying the Problem

Lecture 57 Gathering Information

Lecture 58 Assessing an Expert's Expertise (1)

Lecture 59 Assessing an Expert's Expertise (2)

Lecture 60 Dealing with Problem Assumptions

Lecture 61 Validating Assumptions

Lecture 62 Uncovering Team Assumptions

Lecture 63 Choosing Objectives

Lecture 64 Getting to the Root of the Problem

Lecture 65 Sorting It Out (1)

Lecture 66 Sorting It Out (2)

Lecture 67 Causal Flow Analysis

Lecture 68 Using Dynamic Problem-framing Techniques

Lecture 69 Fishbone Diagrams (1)

Lecture 70 Fishbone Diagrams (2)

Lecture 71 Deviation Analysis (1)

Lecture 72 Deviation Analysis (2)

Lecture 73 Problem-redefinition Strategies

Lecture 74 Assessing an Expert's Expertise

Lecture 75 Redefining a Business Problem

Lecture 76 Fishbone Diagram

Lecture 77 Identifying Problems

Lecture 78 Reliable Information Sources

Lecture 79 Checking an Expert's Credibility

Lecture 80 Validating Assumptions

Lecture 81 Choosing Objectives

Lecture 82 Finding Problem Sources

Lecture 83 Performing Causal Flow Analyses

Lecture 84 Making Fishbone Diagrams

Lecture 85 Performing Deviation Analyses

Lecture 86 Problem Re-definition Strategies

Lecture 87 Problem Framing

Section 4: Problem Solving: Generating Alternatives

Lecture 88 Section Overview

Lecture 89 Getting into the Flow

Lecture 90 Achieving the Right Mind-set

Lecture 91 Brainstorming

Lecture 92 Taking Rational Approaches

Lecture 93 Pros and Cons- The BEST Model 1

Lecture 94 Pros and Cons- The BEST Model 2

Lecture 95 Thinking like the Customer

Lecture 96 Using Creative Approaches

Lecture 97 Analogies 1

Lecture 98 Analogies 2

Lecture 99 Idea Nets 1

Lecture 100 Idea Nets 2

Lecture 101 Mind-mapping

Lecture 102 Getting Out of a Rut

Lecture 103 Using Creative Visualization

Lecture 104 Handling Problem Overload

Lecture 105 Job Aid - The Right Mind-set

Lecture 106 Job Aid - BEST Alternatives

Lecture 107 Job Aid - Mind-map

Lecture 108 Achieving an Effective Mind-set

Lecture 109 Principles of Brainstorming

Lecture 110 BEST Model for Measuring Pros and Cons

Lecture 111 Reading Your Customers' Minds

Lecture 112 Using Analogies to Generate Ideas

Lecture 113 Using Idea Nets

Lecture 114 Making Mind-maps

Lecture 115 Using Creative Visualization

Lecture 116 Keeping Problems in Perspective

Lecture 117 Learning Aid - Brian's Analogies

Lecture 118 Learning Aid - Jessica's Analogies

Lecture 119 Learning aid - Ian's Analogies

Lecture 120 Problem Solving - Generating Alternatives

Section 5: Making Decisions Dynamically

Lecture 121 Course Overview

Lecture 122 Decision Making is Hard Work

Lecture 123 Principles of Sound Decision Making

Lecture 124 Decision-making Styles

Lecture 125 Decision Making in Action

Lecture 126 PMI Analysis

Lecture 127 The Ease-and-Effect Matrix

Lecture 128 The Nominal Group Technique

Lecture 129 Return-on-Investment Measure

Lecture 130 The Devil's Advocacy Technique

Lecture 131 Decision Making with Uneasy Partners

Lecture 132 Compromises and Trade-offs

Lecture 133 Real Dialogue 1

Lecture 134 Real Dialogue 2

Lecture 135 Job Aid - PMI Analysis

Lecture 136 Job Aid - The Devil's Advocacy Technique

Lecture 137 Job Aid - Real Dialogue

Lecture 138 Making Sound Decisions

Lecture 139 Decision-making Styles

Lecture 140 Performing PMI Analyses

Lecture 141 Prioritizing Solutions

Lecture 142 The Nominal Group Technique

Lecture 143 Return-on-Investment Analysis

Lecture 144 Using the Devil's Advocate Technique

Lecture 145 Making Compromises and Trade-offs

Lecture 146 Conducting Real Dialogue

Lecture 147 Learning Aid - Ease-and-Effect Matrix

Lecture 148 Making Decisions Dynamically

Section 6: Decision Making: Implementation and Evaluation

Lecture 149 Section Overview

Lecture 150 Planning the Action

Lecture 151 Implementation Basics

Lecture 152 Force-field Analysis 1

Lecture 153 Force-field Analysis 2

Lecture 154 Force-field Analysis 3

Lecture 155 Force-field Analysis 4

Lecture 156 Grass-roots Analysis 1

Lecture 157 Grass-roots Analysis 2

Lecture 158 Grass-roots Analysis 3

Lecture 159 Managing the Action

Lecture 160 Involving Stakeholders 1

Lecture 161 Involving Stakeholders 2

Lecture 162 Involving Stakeholders 3

Lecture 163 Coping with Implementation Adjustments

Lecture 164 Managing Implementation Resistance

Lecture 165 Evaluating the Action

Lecture 166 Assessing a Decision Outcome

Lecture 167 Case Study- Evaluating the Success of the Decision 1

Lecture 168 Case Study- Evaluating the Success of the Decision 2

Lecture 169 Addressing Decision Failure

Lecture 170 Job Aid - Involving Stakeholders

Lecture 171 Job Aid - Managing Implementation Resistance

Lecture 172 Job Aid - Addressing Decision Failure

Lecture 173 How to Implement Decisions

Lecture 174 Making Force-field Analyses

Lecture 175 Mapping Steps with Grass-roots Analyses

Lecture 176 Getting Stakeholders on Your Side

Lecture 177 Making Successful Adjustments

Lecture 178 How to Handle Resistance

Lecture 179 Assessing Decision Results

Lecture 180 A Case Study of Decision Evaluating

Lecture 181 Bouncing Back from Failure

Lecture 182 Learning Aid - Tim's Grass-roots Analysis

Lecture 183 Learning Aid - Virginia's Decision

Lecture 184 Learning Aid - Walker's Decision

Lecture 185 Learning Aid - Jason's Grass-roots

Lecture 186 Learning Aid - Lillian's Grass-roots Analysis

Lecture 187 Learning Aid - Joanne's Decision

Lecture 188 Decision Making - Implementation and Evaluation

Executives, managers, supervisors, team leaders, and other business professionals who want to enhance their ability to solve business problems and make effective personal and organizational decisions