Problem+solving


 * Problem solving** forms part of [|thinking]. Considered the most complex of all [|intellectual] functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order [|cognitive] process that requires the modulation and control of more routine or fundamental skills ([|Goldstein & Levin, 1987]).

Brainstorming is a process of spontaneous thinking used by an individual or by a group of people to generate numerous alternative ideas while deferring judgment. Introduced by Alex Osborn in his book "[|Applied Imagination]", brainstorming is the crux of each of the stages of all problem-solving methods.
 * What is Brainstorming?**
 * Rules for Brainstorming**

> Allowed People tend to automatically evaluate each suggested idea--their own as well as others. Both internal and external criticism are to be avoided while brainstorming. Neither positive nor negative comments are allowed. Either type inhibits the free flow of thought and requires time which interferes with the next rule. Write each spoken idea down as it is given and move on. > Alex Osborn stated that "Quantity breeds quality." People must experience a "brain drain" (get all the common responses out of the way) before the innovative, creative ideas can surface; therefore, the more ideas, the more likely they are to be quality ideas. > Hitchhiking occurs when one member's idea produces a similar idea or an enhanced idea in another member. All ideas should be recorded. > Outrageous, humorous, and seemingly unimportant ideas should be recorded. It is not uncommon for the most off-the-wall.
 * **No Criticism**
 * **Work for Quantity**
 * **Hitchhiking Welcome**
 * **Freewheeling Encouraged**

Questioning toolkit http://fromnowon.org/nov97/toolkit.html

Problem solving process [|http://www.pitt.edu/~groups/probsolv.html]

Decision making process http://www.liraz.com/tdecision.htm

[|http://www.mtsu.edu/~sschmidt/Cognitive/Problem/problem.html] [|http://www.engin.umich.edu/~problemsolving/]

Q Tasks by Carol Koechlin and Sandi Zwaan --Curiosity Resources for riddles [|Not so hard Riddles] [|Riddle Interactive] [|Just Riddles and More] Riddle sites http://www.azkidsnet.com/JSknockjoke.htm#top (knock knock) http://www.riddles.com/



Wonder>>>New 7 Wonders of the world
http://www.new7wonders.com/classic/en/n7w/results/

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**THE GAME OF TWENTY QUESTIONS** [|Introduction]--Object of the game[|The Two Rules]Rule #1: Questioners ask Yes-or-No questionsRule #2: Answerer responds with a Yes or a No --The two exceptions to Rule #2 "I don't know." "I can't answer." [|Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?] --Examples Targets made of plastic Targets made of more than one substance [|Sampler of Beginning Questions] Unique thing or class of things? Changing targets on the fly Alive or dead? Long-dead? Single homogeneous substance Parts? How many? Moving parts? Size? Shape? Where found? Disposable? Associated with, sports, ptnerophilia, etc.? Decorative? Functional? More on Rule #2 Have I ever seen one? Used more by one class? [|Skill in Choosing the Target] [|Novices Ask Good Questions in a Bad Way] Confusing degree with comparison Not using "usually" [|Appendix (for real-time online play)] Answers must make sense out of context and out of order "Give us a hint." All CAPS String-spitting macros Revealing the target in a private message It's "20 Questions," not 20 questions --how to count to 20 Who starts the next round?

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= =Basic Guidelines to Problem Solving and Decision Making= Written by [|Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC]. Copyright 1997-2008. Adapted from the [|Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision]. Much of what managers and supervisors do is solve problems and make decisions. New managers and supervisors, in particular, often make solve problems and decisions by reacting to them. They are "under the gun", stressed and very short for time. Consequently, when they encounter a new problem or decision they must make, they react with a decision that seemed to work before. It's easy with this approach to get stuck in a circle of solving the same problem over and over again. Therefore, as a new manager or supervisor, get used to an organized approach to problem solving and decision making. Not all problems can be solved and decisions made by the following, rather rational approach. However, the following basic guidelines will get you started. Don't be intimidated by the length of the list of guidelines. After you've practiced them a few times, they'll become second nature to you -- enough that you can deepen and enrich them to suit your own needs and nature. (Note that it might be more your nature to view a "problem" as an "opportunity". Therefore, you might substitute "problem" for "opportunity" in the following guidelines.)

1. Define the problem
This is often where people struggle. They react to what they think the problem is. Instead, seek to understand more about why you think there's a problem. //Defining the problem: (with input from yourself and others)// Ask yourself and others, the following questions: a. What can you //see// that causes you to think there's a problem? b. Where is it happening? c. How is it happening? d. When is it happening? e. With whom is it happening? (HINT: Don't jump to "Who is causing the problem?" When we're stressed, blaming is often one of our first reactions. To be an effective manager, you need to address issues more than people.) f. Why is it happening? g. Write down a five-sentence description of the problem in terms of "The following should be happening, but isn't ..." or "The following is happening and should be: ..." As much as possible, be specific in your description, including what is happening, where, how, with whom and why. (It may be helpful at this point to use a variety of research methods. Also see . //Defining complex problems:// a. If the problem still seems overwhelming, break it down by repeating steps a-f until you have descriptions of several related problems. //Verifying your understanding of the problems:// a. It helps a great deal to verify your problem analysis for conferring with a peer or someone else. //Prioritize the problems:// a. If you discover that you are looking at several related problems, then prioritize which ones you should address first. b. Note the difference between "important" and "urgent" problems. Often, what we consider to be important problems to consider are really just urgent problems. Important problems deserve more attention. For example, if you're continually answering "urgent" phone calls, then you've probably got a more "important" problem and that's to design a system that screens and prioritizes your phone calls. //Understand your role in the problem:// a. Your role in the problem can greatly influence how you perceive the role of others. For example, if you're very stressed out, it'll probably look like others are, too, or, you may resort too quickly to blaming and reprimanding others. Or, you are feel very guilty about your role in the problem, you may ignore the accountabilities of others.

2. Look at potential causes for the problem
a. It's amazing how much you don't know about what you don't know. Therefore, in this phase, it's critical to get input from other people who notice the problem and who are effected by it. b. It's often useful to collect input from other individuals one at a time (at least at first). Otherwise, people tend to be inhibited about offering their impressions of the real causes of problems. c. Write down what your opinions and what you've heard from others. d. Regarding what you think might be performance problems associated with an employee, it's often useful to seek advice from a peer or your supervisor in order to verify your impression of the problem. e.Write down a description of the cause of the problem and in terms of what is happening, where, when, how, with whom and why.

3. Identify alternatives for approaches to resolve the problem
a. At this point, it's useful to keep others involved (unless you're facing a personal and/or employee performance problem). Brainstorm for solutions to the problem. Very simply put, brainstorming is collecting as many ideas as possible, then screening them to find the best idea. It's critical when collecting the ideas to not pass any judgment on the ideas -- just write them down as you hear them. (A wonderful set of skills used to identify the underlying cause of issues is [|Systems Thinking].)

4. Select an approach to resolve the problem
When selecting the best approach, consider: a. Which approach is the most likely to solve the problem for the long term? b. Which approach is the most realistic to accomplish for now? Do you have the resources? Are they affordable? Do you have enough time to implement the approach? c. What is the extent of risk associated with each alternative? (The nature of this step, in particular, in the problem solving process is why problem solving and [|decision making] are highly integrated.)

5. Plan the implementation of the best alternative (this is your action plan)
a. Carefully consider "What will the situation look like when the problem is solved?" b. What steps should be taken to implement the best alternative to solving the problem? What systems or processes should be changed in your organization, for example, a new policy or procedure? Don't resort to solutions where someone is "just going to try harder". c. How will you know if the steps are being followed or not? (these are your indicators of the success of your plan) d. What resources will you need in terms of people, money and facilities? e. How much time will you need to implement the solution? Write a schedule that includes the start and stop times, and when you expect to see certain indicators of success. f. Who will primarily be responsible for ensuring implementation of the plan? g. Write down the answers to the above questions and consider this as your action plan. h. Communicate the plan to those who will involved in implementing it and, at least, to your immediate supervisor. (An important aspect of this step in the problem-solving process is continually observation and feedback.)

6. Monitor implementation of the plan
Monitor the indicators of success: a. Are you seeing what you would expect from the indicators? b. Will the plan be done according to schedule? c. If the plan is not being followed as expected, then consider: Was the plan realistic? Are there sufficient resources to accomplish the plan on schedule? Should more priority be placed on various aspects of the plan? Should the plan be changed?

7. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not
One of the best ways to verify if a problem has been solved or not is to resume normal operations in the organization. Still, you should consider: a. What changes should be made to avoid this type of problem in the future? Consider changes to policies and procedures, training, etc. b. Lastly, consider "What did you learn from this problem solving?" Consider new knowledge, understanding and/or skills. c. Consider writing a brief memo that highlights the success of the problem solving effort, and what you learned as a result. Share it with your supervisor, peers and subordinates.

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From Scholastic
 * **4 Steps to Problem Solving ** ||  ||
 * [[image:http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/images/horizontal_rule.gif width="530" height="5"]] ||
 * Adapted from "Science World," November 5, 1993.

A FOUR-STEP PROCESS  Billstein, Libeskind and Lott have adopted these problem solving steps in their book "A Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers (The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Co.). They are based on the problem-solving steps first outlined by George Polya in 1945.  1. UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM  * Can you state the problem in your own words?  * What are you trying to find or do?  * What are the unknowns?  * What information do you obtain from the problem?  * What information, if any, is missing or not needed?  2. DEVISING A PLAN  The following list of strategies, although not exhaustive, is very useful.  * Look for a pattern.  * Examine related problems, and determine if the same technique can be applied. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Examine a simpler or special case of the problem to gain insight into the solution of the original problem. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Make a table. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Make a diagram. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Write an equation. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Use guess and check. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Work backward. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Identify a subgoal. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> 3. CARRYING OUT THE PLAN <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Implement the strategy or strategies in step 2, and perform any necessary actions or computations. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Check each step of the plan as you proceed. This may be intuitive checking or a formal proof of each step. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Keep an accurate record of your work. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> 4. LOOKING BACK <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Check the results in the original problem. (In some cases this will require a proof.) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Interpret the solution in terms of the original problem. Does your answer make sense? Is it reasonable? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * Determine whether there is another method of finding the solution. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> * If possible, determine other related or more general problems for which the techniques will work. ||

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=== = <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">The process is only a guide for problem solving. It is useful to have a structure to follow to make sure that nothing is overlooked. Nothing here is likely to be brand new to anyone, but it is the pure acknowledgement and reminding of the process that can help the problems to be solved. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">**1. Problem Definition** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">The normal process for solving a problem will initially involve defining the problem you want to solve. You need to decide what you want achieve and write it down. Often people keep the problem in their head as a vague idea and can so often get lost in what they are trying to solve that no solution seems to fit. Merely writing down the problem forces you to think about what you are actually trying to solve and how much you want to achieve. The first part of the process not only involves writing down the problem to solve, but also checking that you are answering the right problem. It is a check-step to ensure that you do not answer a side issue or only solve the part of the problem that is most easy to solve. People often use the most immediate solution to the first problem definition that they find without spending time checking the problem is the right one to answer. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">**2. Problem Analysis** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">The next step in the process is often to check where we are, what is the current situation and what is involved in making it a problem. For example, what are the benefits of the current product/service/process? And why did we decide to make it like that? Understanding where the problem is coming from, how it fits in with current developments and what the current environment is, is crucial when working out whether a solution will actually work or not. Similarly you must have a set of criteria by which to evaluate any new solutions or you will not know whether the idea is workable or not. This section of the problem solving process ensures that time is spent in stepping back and assessing the current situation and what actually needs to be changed. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">After this investigation, it is often good to go back one step to reconfirm that your problem definition is still valid. Frequently after the investigation people discover that the problem they really want to answer is very different from their original interpretation of it. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">**3. Generating possible Solutions** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">When you have discovered the real problem that you want to solve and have investigated the climate into which the solution must fit, the next stage is to generate a number of possible solutions. At this stage you should concentrate on generating many solutions and should not evaluate them at all. Very often an idea, which would have been discarded immediately, when evaluated properly, can be developed into a superb solution. At this stage, you should not pre-judge any potential solutions but should treat each idea as a new idea in its own right and worthy of consideration. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">**4. Analyzing the Solutions** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">This section of the problem solving process is where you investigate the various factors about each of the potential solutions. You note down the good and bad points and other things which are relevant to each solution. Even at this stage you are not evaluating the solution because if you do so then you could decide not to write down the valid good points about it because overall you think it will not work. However you might discover that by writing down its advantages that it has a totally unique advantage. Only by discovering this might you choose to put the effort in to develop the idea so that it will work. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">**5. Selecting the best Solution(s)** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">This is the section where you look through the various influencing factors for each possible solution and decide which solutions to keep and which to disregard. You look at the solution as a whole and use your judgement as to whether to use the solution or not. In Innovation Toolbox, you can vote using either a Yes/No/Interesting process or on a sliding scale depending on how good the idea is. Sometimes pure facts and figures dictate which ideas will work and which will not. In other situations, it will be purely feelings and intuition that decides. Remember that intuition is really a lifetimes experience and judgement compressed into a single decision. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">By voting for the solutions you will end up with a shortlist of potential solutions. You may want to increase the depth in the analysis of each idea and vote again on that shortlist to further refine your shortlist. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">You will then end up with one, many or no viable solutions. In the case where you have no solutions that work, you will need to repeat the generation of solutions section to discover more potential solutions. Alternatively you might consider re-evaluating the problem again as sometimes you may not find a solution because the problem definition is not well defined or self-contradictory. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">**6. Planning the next course of action (Next Steps)** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">This section of the process is where you write down what you are going to do next. Now that you have a potential solution or solutions you need to decide how you will make the solution happen. This will involve people doing various things at various times in the future and then confirming that they have been carried out as planned. This stage ensures that the valuable thinking that has gone into solving the problem becomes reality. This series of Next Steps is the logical step to physically solving the problem. ||
 * **The Problem Solving Process** ||
 * ||  || <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif">The Problem Solving process consists of a sequence of sections that fit together depending on the type of problem to be solved. These are: <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,sans-serif"> * Problem Definition.
 * Problem Analysis.
 * Generating possible Solutions.
 * Analyzing the Solutions.
 * Selecting the best Solution(s).
 * Planning the next course of action (Next Steps)
 * [[image:http://www.gdrc.org/uem/images/toolbox.gif width="32" height="43" align="middle" link="http://www.gdrc.org/decision/edm-documents.html"]] //Return to the [|**Environmental Decision-Making**] pages// ||  ||

PROBLEM When you are ready to finalize your essay, use the Transfer tool to send your work to a word processor. Causes

Add details to clarify who, what and where.

Initial Thoughts

Possible Solutions

Effect?

Effect?

Effect? Analysis

Decision What other problems might my decision create? Decision block