About/Contact Info I am a business consultant for a leading North American business and [+/-] technology services company and have an MBA specializing in management.
Okay I admit, this write-up is going to be a little bit different from what you'd normally see on this site, but I think it's important to post here nevertheless.
When things are going well in our business or personal lives, we often don't take the time to consider the things that we're doing which facilitate that level of success - even the little things that make up our daily routine. Failing to recognize the things that we do which yield positive results and happiness can then make it difficult for us later when things do not work out quite as well and we're left wondering how to turn things around.
Then when (not if, but when) you've hit a slump - again whether it's in your business or your personal life - it's sometimes hard to see why things are no longer going well. It seems like you're doing all of the same things you were before, but the results just aren't as good. Too often, we drastically change the way we do things in order to get out of the slump, just for the sake of change, but there's no rhyme nor reason for what we're changing; we're not "recording" what we've changed, and we've strayed way off the things we had been doing when we were successful or happy.
If you're at this point and you're reading this right now, I have only five words for you: get back to the basics. Do the things you were doing in happier and more successful times. Keep doing them and keep things simple and you will weather this storm. By no means am I saying that change or adaptation is to be avoided altogether; far from it. Sometimes, the situation may call for a re-working of your business or personal practices. But first and foremost, stay positive and get back to basics. Recognize all of the things you were doing when things were going well. Go back to doing those things again. Be patient and positive and the results will come.
Most importantly, try to recognize those things when things are going well so that you have something to go back to later on. Everything starts with a positive state of mind.
If you've read Seymour Schulich's recent book, Get Smarter, you will have surely read the section in which Schulich, a self-made billionaire and philanthropist, outlines how he deals with making difficult choices in life. He calls this approach the "Decision-maker."
Schulich's Decision-maker is essentially a weighted list of the pros and cons of a specific decision. However, don't let its bare bones nature deceive you -- its very simplicity goes to show how the most complex decisions we face don't need to be over-analyzed.
The approach involves giving each listed pro and con a score from zero to ten, depending on how important the pro or con is to you. For the pros, the higher the score given, the more important the factor in the decision; however, for the cons the reverse is true. Here, the higher the score, the bigger the drawback of this particular con factor. If the total of the pros is at least double the total of the cons, then you should proceed with the decision in question; if not, the decision is likely a bad one.
Schulich himself states that the decision maker is "designed not to allow one or two factors to sway a major life decision" disproportionately. Additionally, Schulich has stated that he's used this decision-making method for over fifty years and it has served him very well thus far.
I've put together a spreadsheet which you can use to try out this decision-making method. Does this look like something that you too can benefit from?
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If someone were to ask you how you go about solving a problem or making a difficult decision, how would you reply? Would you say that you go about the task by the seat of your pants? Or would you stop, think about it for a good while, and simply say that you didn't exactly know?
In order to achieve success in your organization, the ability to solve problems in an organized, structured, and timely manner is absolutely crucial, regardless of your rank within the company. This article provides a structured approach to problem solving, one that can be applied no matter the situation.
The seven steps to structured problem solving are outlined below:
1. Identify and clearly define the problem
This is of course your first step. After all, a decision only exists because of a problem. The first thing that must be done is to clearly identify what the problem is; what is it doing (or not doing) for your business; who is affected by it; and what the desired state should be.
2. Establish your objectives and priorities
Rarely is there a time when you've got only one problem to deal with. Once you've determined what the new problem is, the next step is to prioritize it in relation to the other ones currently on your plate. Determining this priority involves three considerations: urgency, current overall impact, and future impacts on your business.
3. Consider possible causes
It is important to look for the root cause(s) of your current problem. Doing so will undoubtedly help you determine what the underlying problem really is.
4. Develop alternative solutions
Before deciding on a solution, draw up a list of feasible alternatives that will meet your needs. Perform this step within your time and budgetary constraints.
5. Evaluate the alternatives and communicate them with the stakeholders
Now that you've determined your set of alternatives, you will need to evaluate the pros and cons of each one on the basis of the following three conditions: i) your level of certainty on the potential outcomes; ii) your level of uncertainty on the outcomes; and iii) your best estimate of the risk involved with the outcome of each alternative.
Another important aspect of this step is to ensure you've communicated your alternatives to the relevant stakeholders who are affected by the outcome. You will most likely need their buy-in here.
6. Choose the best alternative and implement it
After examining the alternatives on the three conditions listed above, select the one which best addresses the problem defined in the first step and be sure to check that the selected alternative is the one which best meets your objectives and priorities. Again, communicate this decision to any relevant stakeholders.
7. Measure the results
The final step is to observe the results of the implementation. Was the decision the right one to make? Can it be improved? You cannot assume with full certainty that once the decision is implemented the outcome will fully meet the desired objective. This is why you must use a system of control and evaluation to ensure the outcome is at least consistent with the desired results -- some optimization after the fact is therefore not out of the ordinary. This follow-up phase is therefore a necessity.
Of course the execution of these seven steps will vary based on the amount of time, money, and/or resources that you have available. However, by using this structured approach to solving problems, you stand a better chance of realizing your objectives and achieving success.
Crystal King, Senior Product Marketing Manager for AvantGo, has written a great article, entitled "Critical Thinking for Managers: A Manifesto," in which she outlines in detail, how the challenges that managers face today can be adeptly dealt with through the use of critical thinking.
King states that thinking dispositions can be taught and learned, and managers can benefit from learning several key thinking dispositions, such as:
Being curious and questioning
Thinking broadly and adventurously
Reasoning clearly and carefully
Organizing one's own thinking
Giving time to thinking
Posing and exploring problems
Seeking multiple perspectives
Being fair and reflective
King argues that in order for managers to address the right problems, identify risks, and make better decisions, they "need to learn, exhibit and teach critical thinking skills to their colleagues and employees." And this article she's written for ChangeThis certainly shows them how to do that. (Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat to view the article).
Schulich himself states that the decision maker is "designed not to allow one or two factors to sway a major life decision" disproportionately. Additionally, Schulich has stated that he's used this decision-making method for over fifty years and it has served him very well thus far.
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