Define Problem Solving Process

Problem-solving can be applied to the anticipated future events and used to enable action in the present to influence the likelihood of the event occurring and/or alter the impact if the event does occur.Improving performance: Individuals and organizations do not exist in isolation in the environment.

After you have the problem defined, the model leads you through analyzing data you gather about the process, determining the root cause of the problem, and identifying possible solutions to the problem.

Solutions to the problem will either be changes to the process which eliminate special causes of variation or changes which reduce common cause variation.

And it is often a solution that is short-lived or creates numerous other problems within the organization.

The Problem Solving Model provides you a road map to continuous improvement.

By Wayne Stottler, Kepner-Tregoe For over 60 years, Kepner-Tregoe has been helping companies across industries and geographies develop and mature their problem-solving capabilities through KT’s industry leading approach to training and the implementation of best practice processes.

Considering that problem solving is a part of almost every person’s daily life (both at home and in the workplace), it is surprising how often we are asked to explain what problem solving is and why it is important. It is the methods we use to understand what is happening in our environment, identify things we want to change and then figure out the things that need to be done to create the desired outcome.

After the best solution is implemented, the model leads the team to monitor the impact of its revisions to make sure that the problem is truly solved.

The problem-solving model, introduced below, incorporates an effective set of skills into a step-by-step process.

This is a ten-step model to guide you (and your team) through a structured problem solving process.

All too often, people jump from a problem to a solution.