Problem Solving At Work

Become a more versatile problem-solver. Look at problems in new ways and generate practical solutions.

What you'll learn

Learn a complete method for solving problems at work

Identify your preferred styles of solving problems

Take ownership of problems more confidently

Develop a more versatile approach to problem-solving

Transform your perception of problems

Solve problems more logically and more creatively

Generate practical solutions to real problems

Requirements

A willingness to reflect on your own abilities and explore new skills

Examples of real problems that you could use to exercise the tools and techniques you'll discover

Description

Problem solving at work provides a systematic method for thinking about problems and transforming them into effective solutions.Whether you're a manager or a team leader, a business owner or a volunteer, your work will involve solving problems. It's not always easy. Problems come in many different forms. They keep coming, and we sometimes have no time to solve one problem before the next arrives. The result? A never-ending cycle of 'firefighting', which makes it hard to find any real solutions.Take time out to reflect on your problem-solving skills and develop them. What does it mean to have a problem? What does it mean to take ownership of a problem? How can we make sense of the problems we face? How can we look at them in different ways?  And how can we transform a problem into a workable solution?Discover the answers to these questions on this enjoyable, stimulating course. What you'll learnWhat does it mean to have a problem? You'll understand that real-life problems, unlike problems in text books or examinations, can be solved only by doing something. Taking the right action to escape the stuckness of a problem means understanding the problem and reviewing the actions available to you. You'll discover the skills that help you to understand solve problems as well as the different ways in which you can take ownership of a problem. You'll learn ways of defining a problem - and, crucially, transforming your perception of it so that you can find new and creative ways of solving it. You'll learn a wide range of tools and techniques that you can use alone or with your team. And you'll discover a fully worked out method for implementing your solution with your stakeholders.Course resourcesProblem solving at work gives you a range of resources to help you develop your skills, including:a self-assessment questionnaire that you can use for yourself and with your teama downloadable course workbook featuring exercises, examples, summaries of the key points in each lecture and background information about the concepts and ideas behind the courselinks to useful articles and other online sources to help you develop your skills furtherIs this the right course for you?Problem solving at work has been designed for anyone who wants to improve their skills quickly. It focuses on problems at work but is also useful to develop problem-solving as a life skill.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction: what it means to solve a problem

Lecture 1 Is this the course for you?

Lecture 2 Please download your course workbook

Lecture 3 Being stuck: what it means to have a problem

Lecture 4 Assignment 1: creating your problem-solving profile

Section 2: Your problem-solving profile

Lecture 5 Exploring your profile #1: the two stages of thinking

Lecture 6 Exploring your profile #2: rational and intuitive

Lecture 7 The Analyst: appraising and concluding

Lecture 8 The Explorer: discovering and experimenting

Lecture 9 The Engineer: organizing and implementing

Lecture 10 The Designer: empathizing and simplifying

Lecture 11 Versatile problem solving: extending your style

Lecture 12 Assignment 2: becoming a more versatile problem-solver

Section 3: Whose problem is it anyway? Four levels of problem ownership

Lecture 13 Circle of Influence, Circle of Concern

Lecture 14 Assignment 3: Circle of Concern, Circle of Influence

Lecture 15 Blame: feeling out of control

Lecture 16 Practical strategies for managing blame

Lecture 17 Resistance: meeting a need

Lecture 18 Practical strategies for overcoming resistance

Lecture 19 Responsibility: making a contract

Lecture 20 Practical strategies for discharging responsibilities

Lecture 21 Commitment: finding the flow state

Lecture 22 Practical strategies for building commitment

Lecture 23 Assignment 4: reviewing your ownership of problems

Section 4: Welcome to the Problem Matrix

Lecture 24 Presented and Constructed: two kinds of problem

Lecture 25 Neat and messy: how to structure a problem

Lecture 26 Assignment 5: neat or messy?

Lecture 27 Four kinds of problem #1: Puzzles and Headaches

Lecture 28 Four kinds of problem #2: Plans and Dreams

Lecture 29 Navigating the matrix: looking at problems in new ways

Lecture 30 Assignment 6: navigating the problem matrix

Section 5: The problem-solving toolbox

Lecture 31 Solving Puzzles: closing the gap

Lecture 32 Treating Headaches: three strategies

Lecture 33 Making Plans: managing a project

Lecture 34 Dreaming Dreams: exploring the challenge

Lecture 35 Making the Dream come true: finding an innovative solution

Lecture 36 Assignment 7: follow your Dream

Section 6: Implementing the solution

Lecture 37 Finding supporters: stakeholder analysis

Lecture 38 Shall I do it?: managing risk

Lecture 39 Let's do it: satisficing and finding the point of no return

Lecture 40 Selling the solution: making a business case

Lecture 41 Assignment 8: implementing a solution

Section 7: Bonus section

Lecture 42 Bonus lecture: Check out our other work

Anybody with managerial or team leadership responsibilities,Newly promoted managers looking to develop their skills,Graduate recruits seeking to develop their competitiveness in the job market,Volunteers and support staff in not-for-profits,Carers, parents and homeworkers