The Legal Wife

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROBLEM SOLVING AND

DECISION MAKING

Any difference between an actual situation and a desired situation.

It is focused on the past.

A logical, step by step process that leads one toward making a successful decision.

It is the act of making a choice between two or more options.

It is focused on the future.

Process of analyzing critical data to determine the best action.

PROBLEM SOLVING DECISION MAKING

Kinds of Problems • Simple Problems

- occur suddenly, and the cause of the problem may be obvious.

• Crisis Problems - problems that can lead to a disaster if not resolved quickly and appropriately.

•What is the right thing to do?

•What can go wrong? Murphy’s Law of Management “ If anything can go wrong, it will” • How can I prevent the problem from happening?

• What is my alternative plan?

•When should the alternative plan take over?

Steps in Problem SolvingState the problem.Define the present state of affairs.State the objective.List the possible cause.Select the most likely cost.List alternative solutions.Evaluate alternatives.Make a decision.Draw up a plan of action.Evaluates the results.

specific

clear

solution

The Decision TreeA series of if-then statements about

possible solutions to a problem in which alternatives are gradually eliminated in reaching the best decision.

Advantages of Decision Tree

Simple to understand and interpret.

Worst, best and expected values can be determined for different scenarios.

Possible scenarios can be added.

Disadvantages of Decision Tree Process can be quite time-consuming.

Diagrams can become unmanageable for complex decision.

Can create over-complex trees that do not generalise the data well.

“ Optimizing” Versus “ Satisficing”

Optimizing involves adopting a strategy to select the best possible solution from the available options. Satisficing is a conjunction of the words satisfy and suffice, and means the finding of a solution which is "good enough”.

Example: A task is to sew a patch onto a pair

of jeans. The best needle to do the threading is a 4 inch long needle with a 3 millimeter eye. This needle is hidden in a haystack along with 1000 other needles varying in size from 1 inch to 6 inches. Satisficing claims that the first needle that can sew on the patch is the one that should be used. Spending time searching for that one specific needle in the haystack is a waste of energy and resources. 

Lessons from the Orient

Peter Drucker suggest that American might learn something from the Japanese approach in decision making.

Group Decision Making

Delphi method - process of collecting group of opinion through a series of questionnaires; initial responses are fed back to participants so that subsequent decisions can reflect input from all participants.

Nominal Group Technique similar to “brainstorming” a group decision process whereby individual opinions or ideas are solicited and merged into a master list for the entire group. During this consolidation process, these ideas are evaluated and ranked. A combination approach of incorporating both written responses and face to face discussion to arrived at expert consensus.

Nominal Group Technique

Making Decisions About Personal GoalsSuccessful people know where they want to be and how they plan to get there.

When you have collected the available , relevant facts, then make the decision.

Your knowledge and past experiences are valuable guides.

It is important to know when not to make a decision.

Weigh and interpret our emotions carefully.

Communication skills play a critical role in decision making.

Any good decision includes the flexibility to allow for unforeseen occurrences and new information.

There is a delicate balance between perfecting the plan and carrying it out.

“ Will I have the courage to do what is best, even everyone else does not agree?”