Workplace Problem Solving Training Course

Participants can map a work process and plan evidence collection for a defined problem.

• Process maps reveal handoffs, queues, rework loops and control points
• SIPOC diagrams set supplier, input, process, output and customer boundaries
• Swimlane mapping distinguishes roles, approvals, delays and duplicate effort
• Data collection plans specify measures, sources, samples and timing
• Check sheets capture frequency patterns consistently at the point of work
• Operational definitions remove ambiguity from defect, delay and error data

Participants can identify meaningful patterns in workplace data without overstating conclusions.

• Pareto charts rank recurring causes by frequency, cost or impact
• Stratification separates patterns by team, product, channel or period
• Run charts distinguish routine variation from meaningful performance shifts
• Scatter plots test suspected relationships before claiming causation
• 5W1H questioning clarifies what happened, where, when, who, why and how
• Evidence logs distinguish observations, data, inferences and unresolved questions

Participants can distinguish contributing factors from evidence-supported root causes.

• Fishbone diagrams structure potential causes across people, process, technology and policy
• Cause-and-effect testing separates contributing factors from verified root causes
• Fault tree analysis traces combinations of failures to an unwanted event
• Barrier analysis identifies missing, weak or bypassed preventive controls
• Root-cause statements link evidence, mechanism and measurable problem effects
• Confirmation bias checks challenge first explanations and favourite fixes

Participants can produce a range of feasible solutions before selecting a preferred response.

• Brainwriting generates options before group discussion favours familiar voices
• SCAMPER prompts modify existing processes, services and communication approaches
• Analogous cases transfer ideas while testing differences in constraints
• Reverse brainstorming identifies actions that would worsen the problem
• Nominal Group Technique produces balanced option lists and initial priorities
• Constraints translated into design criteria prevent impractical solution proposals

Participants can compare solution options using transparent criteria, risks and expected value.

• Weighted decision matrices compare options against agreed evaluation criteria
• Must-have and desirable criteria separate viability from preference
• Impact-effort matrices prioritise quick wins, projects and low-value work
• Risk matrices score likelihood, consequence, controls and residual exposure
• Cost-benefit estimates include implementation effort, recurring costs and expected gains
• Decision records document rationale, assumptions, dissent and approval authority

Participants can plan controlled implementation with ownership, measures and risk controls.

• PDCA cycles organise small-scale tests, learning and controlled adoption
• Pilot charters define hypothesis, scope, measures, duration and exit criteria
• RACI matrices assign accountable owners, contributors, consultees and informed parties
• Action plans sequence tasks, dependencies, resources, milestones and escalation points
• Force-field analysis anticipates drivers, resistance and reinforcement actions
• Change messages explain the problem, decision, impact and required behaviours

Participants can facilitate constructive problem-solving discussions among stakeholders with differing priorities.

• Interest-based questioning surfaces needs behind stated positions and objections
• Active listening separates facts, interpretations, emotions and requests
• Constructive challenge tests assumptions without personal criticism or defensiveness
• Conflict modes guide responses to competing priorities and scarce resources
• Facilitation agendas maintain focus, participation, decisions and next actions
• Escalation briefs present issue, evidence, options, recommendation and decision needed

Participants can choose proportionate responses when information is incomplete, changing or contested.

• OODA loops accelerate response when information is incomplete or changing
• Cynefin domains distinguish clear, complicated, complex and chaotic situations
• Premortems expose likely failure modes before committing resources
• After-action reviews capture results, causes, lessons and follow-up actions
• Stop rules define thresholds for pausing, revising or ending work
• Decision hygiene reduces anchoring, availability bias and groupthink

Participants can prepare a structured plan for resolving a current workplace problem after the course.

• Personal problem portfolios rank current workplace issues by urgency and impact
• A3 reports condense problem, analysis, countermeasures, measures and follow-up
• One-page problem briefs prepare sponsors for timely decisions and support
• Review cadences track actions, measures, risks and unresolved assumptions
• Peer consultation protocols test plans through structured challenge and advice
• Thirty-day application plans commit owners, milestones, evidence and review dates