17-02-2025 - 21-02-2025	3500	أبوظبي

Course Introduction:

Managers are constantly faced with solving complex problems and making critical decisions. If not handled properly, these problems can have severe negative effects on operations and profitability. This course equips managers with the right tools and techniques to ensure proper and permanent solutions to problems and to make optimum decisions. Participants will learn how to develop the right mindset for solving problems. The course will also enable participants to properly understand, analyze and appreciate the different types of problems, conduct in-depth root cause analysis and make the right decisions for permanent solutions. Participants will also discover that some problems cannot be solved using rational problem solving methods but need a different, more creative approach. In this course we will enhance the participants' idea generating proficiency and we will enable them to lead a creative team. Finally, and after a solution is formulated and a decision made, participants will learn how to 'sell' their solution to stakeholders and get buy in. Participants on this course will discover the know-how of influencing others and getting support for what has been decided.

Course Objectives:

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

· Explain the structured model for systematically addressing problems and decisions

· Practice the use of key tools and techniques for analyzing and solving problems

· Conduct a comprehensive root cause analysis of any problem

· Demonstrate the use of several disciplines in decision making

· Identify various creative idea generating tools which can be practically applied at the workplace

· Apply influencing techniques to enable better decision making and implementation

Who Should Attend?

Team leaders, department managers and supervisors who are involved in leading and participating in solving their teams’ problems, as well as making and implementing decisions.

Course Outline:

Structured Problem-Solving

Definitions, Principles and Overview
Problem-Solving Mindsets and Attitudes
Problem Ownership
Drilling Down Complex Problems into Progressively Smaller Parts
The 6-Step Problem-Solving Method
Classifying and Prioritizing Problems

Understanding and Analyzing Problems

Techniques of Recognizing Problems
Isolating the Causes from the Symptoms
Data Collection and Analysis
The Pareto Analysis
SWOT Analysis

Root cause analysis

When it is necessary to undergo a wide scale root cause analysis?
Root cause analysis: The interrelation
Root cause analysis: The process
Cause and effect analysis: Key points of the process
Three types of corrective actions

Decision making

Everyday decision making techniques
Principles of decision making
Components of optimum decision making
Using critical thinking as an aid to decisions
Different tools for decision making
Subjective versus objective decision making
The uncertainty problem

Creativity and problem solving

Intelligence versus creativity
The role of creativity in problem solving
Mental blockers of creativity
Brainstorming: different techniques
Opposite thinking and 'what if'
Mind mapping

Problem solving and people

Leading the problem solving effort
Solving people related problems
Removing the 'groupthink' effect from the team
Team problem solving: ensuring participation, agreement, and implementation of solution
Behaviors that influence or block problem solving
Convincing stakeholders with your solution