2.2.2 Solutions search
Problem-solving is the central role of management in quality focused organisations. The aim is to remove problems. Steps in the decision-making process and problem-solving may vary with individuals, workplaces or teams structure.
Dangers
- It is critical that you avoid some pitfalls when communicating to resolve problems.
- The problem is not always well defined, nor is the impact on goals succinct or the range of options apparent. Therefore, the best path is not always the one we first think of.
- There are limits to your information-processing capacity. This may result in you simplifying problems in order to understand them. Because the problem has been simplified, the resulting solution may never solve the whole problem.
- Managers sometimes mix solutions with problems (Anderson 1983:217). This refers to management defining a problem in terms of known and acceptable solutions and this approach may preclude alternative and perhaps better solutions.
- Don't select solutions for accessibility rather than quality. You may ignore important factors or information because it is difficult to access.
- Never prematurely commit yourself to one solution.
- Managers do not always search for alternative solutions when the tried solution fails to work. Instead, managers often increase their commitment to a wrong course of action, or actions that cause problems in other areas.
- Managers often solve problems in 'their backyard' but move the real cause of the problem into another manager's domain.
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