Problem Solving and Decision Making go hand in handHave you ever thought about the mental exercise y...

1. Project Management Practitioner: Problem Solving and
Decision Making
Problem Solving and Decision Making go hand in hand
Have you ever thought about the mental exercise you go through in solving a problem? Even for
even the simplest choice of what to buy at the store or for buying a car? In business and the military
this is often a much larger exercise with far more at stake than everyday personal preference
choices. PMs and leaders face situations that involve problems, risk, business changes, questionable,
or incomplete data, and several possible alternative solutions. They must be able to recognize that a
solution is need and how to decide between multiple options. The more complex and grander the
scale of the problem, the more consideration has to be made to all the increased variables and risk
to both the problem and its solution. Learning and effectively executing a sound methodology for the
solving of problems and making decisions is invaluable. In this article we will explore a 10-step
problem solving and decision making.
Problem Solving
A problem may be regarding how best to accomplish a project, encourage a team member or the
need to expand employee work skills. We believe we know that a problem exists; however, we may
not have it well defined and there may be more to the story with symptoms or effects not identified;
plus, we will still need to determine a solution. We need to determine what caused the problem,
erroneous action, event or occurrence; determine how to cause or achieve an action, event or
occurrence; and, identify risk, as in potential problems that require potential solutions.
Decision Making
A decision may be as simple as a yes or no, buy or sell, and hire not hire. It can be more complex as
in selecting a solution among multiple options, for example: choosing a new car, a new project,
product, or service from among several, even selecting a new employee out of many qualified
candidates. In business, military operations, project and program management have risk
management issues that will that require potential solutions. Once we have our solution or multiple
option(s), however, we still need to choose to either "accept" or "decline" a single choice or "select"
between one or more Courses of Action (COA).
10 Step Problem Solving and Decision Making
Step 1 - Identify the Problem
Keep in mind that the initial perceived problem may only be a partial picture and require more
investigation and analysis. In order to understand a problem correctly, the essential first step toward
finding the right answer is to clearly define and refine the problem statement. A frequent cause of
wrong answers and confused thinking is an initial failure to realize fully how problem is put
together. A good way of finding out how something works is to break it down into the smallest part
practical. Start with asking: why do we think there is a problem; what is the situation and condition
that warrant calling this a problem; and, what do we know about the problem? Notate any relative
information that establishes the criteria for a successful solution?

2. Step 2 - Collect/Review Background Information
Collect all information watching out for faulty assumptions, extraneous information, overlapping
problems, unclear elements, and oversimplification of the problem. Methods can include, but not
limited to: Brainstorming, Ishikawa Diagramming, Cause and Effect Diagramming and Charting.
These will help you better understand the full extent of the issue and redefine the problem
statement. It may be necessary to carve up the original or initial problem statement to narrow the
focus of the perceived issue to reduce ambiguity while refining and redefining the problem
statement. In order to arrive develop reliable applicable and testable solution; we need to be sure
that our problem solving is on the right track.
Cause and Effect Model
Cause and effect mapping will rarely result in a single
event or cause. An effect can also be a cause or
another effect. Sound confusing, not really.
Consider this example: Your Company has had an
unusual number of employee injuries over the past
month. Using cause and effect mapping you start with
the circumstances and type of employee injuries. Next
we learn that all the injuries are related to falls. You
also learn that all the falls seem to be happening in the same area of the business. Checking with the
janitorial staff and some of the injured employees you also find that the floor has been wet from time
to time during the past month. After learning where the wet floor areas are located, you have the
facility maintenance crew inspect the area for any possible water leaks. The crew finds a loose water
pipe that only leaks when it's shaken. But what is causing the pipe to shake? You continue to analyze
the scene and you see that a large punch press machine attached to the wall, when operated, the
machine causes the floor and wall to shake, to include all the water pipes on that adjacent wall
where the water on the floor is found. Thus, we now have a better and clearer picture of the actual
root cause of the injuries. Loose or leaking pipes are not the only cause: the punch machine on the
wall is a more direct root of the problem. Fixing the pipes alone won't solve the problem in the long
term, resolving the effect the large punch press creates. That is your real problem and that is the
problem that needs to be solved. I'll stop there - you've got it now. The effect of one thing is the
cause of another and another and another and may require multiple solutions.
Organizational Charting Method
The advantage of this method is that it's a top-down view that maybe more effective for linear
thinking people. This method also work well in groups since the diagram can be enlarged so that
every participant can see the information as the process evolves. The perceived (initial) problem is
stated/noted on the chart at the top. As you can see above, this is a hierarchical breakdown
structure, an organizational chart with the first level (columns) below the problem or issue, showing
categories or functional areas, for example: Human Resources, Procurement, Training, Costs,
Customers and Operations, just to name a few.
Ishikawa (Fishbone) Model
The Ishikawa diagram works the same way as the Organizational Breakdown chart, except that the

3. heading items already mentioned are labeled for the fish bones. Participants look at the problem
from the perspective of each major function area and list the cause/effect items on their respective
branches (Chart method) or bones (Ishikawa method). Eventually, the true picture and nature of the
problem becomes clearer to the group and you might find that the collected data redefines the
original question and, as well, provides information that determines the selection criteria for any
proposed decisions.
Step 3 - Redefine Problem (well defined)
Clearly define and agree upon statement of the problem; sometimes it takes a meeting just to clearly
establish this statement.
Step 4 - Define the Criteria for the Solution (Selective versus Elective Criteria)
Before developing a solution or multiple COAs we must determine the criteria for the solution and
how we know when we have a "good" solution. Determine the selective, the "got to have," criteria
and the elective, the "nice to have/want to have, criteria.
Step 5 - Determine the Priority or "Weighting" of each solution criteria
The simplest way to do this is by scoring the criteria. Selective criteria are not necessarily weighed
against other selective criteria because they are "must have" and, generally, are yes or no items; the
solution or COA either meets or does not meet the criteria. Elective criteria on the other hand, are
weighed against all other elective criteria. These are the criteria that a solution or COA may meet or
fail to meet at varying levels. For example: Elective criteria number one is more important than
elective criteria number three and criteria two more than one. A scoring value for elective criteria
one is 1.1, criteria number three is 1.0, and criteria two would be 1.2. These represent the
multiplying factor used when you score or rank the solutions and COAs against one another in
respect to each criterion (selective and elective).
Step 6 - Develop Solutions/Courses of Action
Try to come up with three to five possible solutions/COAs. This is not a hard and fast number. If you
only have two choices then that's all you have to measure against the criteria. If you have far more
than five solutions/COAs, that's fine too - however, there will be exponentially more data to work
with as the number of solutions/COAs increase.
Develop plausible solutions or courses of actions based on the data collected through the previously
described methods like Ishikawa Diagramming, Cause and Effect Diagramming and Charting.
Brainstorming (not covered here) is also a very effective way to develop solutions and COAs and
allows for free thinking with ideas that are not limited to in-the-box thinking and tunnel vision views.
Remember to take your time and don't prejudge or block the group to new and different ideas.
Step 7 - Evaluate each Solution/COA against the "Quality Criteria for Success"
Decision Matrix: A Decision Matrix is a valuable tool in evaluating several two or more potential
solutions or COAs against predetermined selective and elective criteria described previously. One of
the great advantages of this method is that it can be used for a complex problem with many possible
solution options and many solution criteria. In the case of a large number of choices/solutions/COAs
it is very useful to take advantage of automated tools like Microsoft Excel or even Microsoft Word
table tools. Automated spreadsheet tools like Microsoft Excel provide the benefit of allowing for the

4. use of the automated mathematics formulas to calculate the criteria values, and, ultimately, the total
value for each solution/COA. The best choice or COA will become quickly apparent as the Decision
Matrix is filled in. Still, even without automated tools, it can also be done with tools as simple as a
piece of paper and a pencil.
Step 8 - Determine the Strengths and Weaknesses of each Solution/COA as weighted against the
criteria using a "Decision Matrix"
How well does each COA meet all criteria? Example of the calculations: Make sure the solution/COA
meets all the selective criteria. If solution/COA "A" ranks second for elective criteria one its rating
value is 2.2; if it's first for criteria three, its rating value is 1.0; and if it ranks third for criteria two,
its rating value is 3.6. Repeat this for every criterion versus solution/COAs.
Step 9- Select the Best Solution/COA
After totaling the values for the criteria in respect to each solution/COA; the solution/COA with the
highest score that also meets all selective criteria is your best answer to the problem.
Step 10 - Develop an Implementation, Action or Establish a Project Plan (Project Initiation/Planning)
If you accept the solution or choose a different one, then it's time to develop it into an executable
plan. The simplest method is an action plan. If it is a complex solution then, in business a project
plan is applicable and in a military environment it is an operation plan that is appropriate. The
basics of an action plan are: determine the activity and desired outcome, assigning an owner to the
item and a suspense date for completion of that task. These items will be discussed later in further
articles on project and operational planning.
Final Word
We all face situations that involve uncertainties, questionable or incomplete data and several
possible alternative solutions; it is beneficial to have a systematic approach to recognize a problem,
relevant data, analyze, revise the problem statement, determine solution criteria, develop solutions
and evaluate those solutions against the quality or solution criteria in order to make an intelligent
decision. This 10-step systematic approach to problem solving assists in applying thoroughness,
clarity, judgment, logic, and professional knowledge to that task.