Techniques Of Structured Problem Solving
There are vast differences between the normal techniques of problem solving that we use and the techniques of structured problem solving. When you try to involve yourself in structured problem solving, what you are doing is, you are forming a pattern of the problem and then solving it accordingly. This helps you to assess and analyze the problem in a simplified manner, and brings better solutions. Workshops for problem solving use such methods often. A problem may not be clearly evident just as it is, but when it is put in a structured format, better strategies can be obtained and hence managing the problem becomes much easier.
Here are four popular techniques that you can use in your workplace to enhance problem solving methods.
1. Brainstorming - Almost every company use brainstorming techniques for ideation. Brainstorming is a creative group activity that makes people come together and provide and debate on various ideas to solve a particular problem. Generally, when groups brainstorm, they will take a single problem such as, "What theme of advertising must be used for our new product?" Then the people in the group will bring forth different ideas. These ideas will be recorded and the impractical ones will be weeded out. There will be further discussion on the remaining shortlist and this will go on till the best idea emerges. Brainstorming can be done in a single session or it can be spread over various sessions.
2. Divide and Conquer Method - Some team leaders use the method of taking a larger problem and dividing it into smaller problems. A bigger problem could be, "How do we penetrate a new market?" Now, this problem could be broken into smaller points like, "What time should we make the entry?", "What is the customer preference there?", "What is the competition and what we have better than them?", etc. When such smaller issues are discussed and solved, a solution for the larger problem usually emerges. 3. Retro or Regressive Problem Solving - This is an interesting method of problem solving in which the problem is solved by taking the ideal solution and arranging the events that need to happen in a backwards manner. Suppose the problem is, "How do we increase our sales by 200% this year?" For this, a backwards sequence could be - "We need to enter into new markets", for that "We need to increase our advertising and increase our production, for that "We need a bigger unit", for that "We need a larger investment" and so on. Not that each point can be drawn backwards in different ways. But finally, a course of action that needs to be taken will emerge. 4. Root Cause Analysis - This is again a common way of solving work problems. Here the problem solver will neglect the current happenings, but will focus on the root cause of the problem. By solving the root cause, the emergent situation will be automatically solved. This is one of the most commonly used techniques of structured problem solving and one reason for its popularity is the dynamism that it can create. People using this technique will be usually improving and innovating to solve the root cause issues. You can read further about these techniques of structured problem solving through the various courses and books available on the Internet.
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