LP Level 4: 8 Steps of problem solving

The 8 steps to problem solving is basically a way of prioritizing your problems by amnswering the following questions:

1.       Identify the problem:

·         What do you think is the problem?

·         Where is it happening?

·         How is this happening?

·         When is it happening?

·         With whom is it happening?

·         Why is this happening?

2.       Identify possible causes of the problem:

·         This step helps one to focus and filter the problem.

·         The best way to do this is to get input form as many people who are involved as possible.

·         Using this as a tool and getting as many people’s opinions on the problem as possible, review the questions of step 1.

3.       Eliminate likely causes:

·         Ones you have found a few possible causes, you should try an eliminate some according to the likelihood that they are actual causes and not just pseudo problems.  

·         Keep others involved in this step as this provides perspective and will assure you do no eliminate a possible cause unnecessarily.

·         Discuss each possible cause in detail to help the elimination process.

4.       Identify possible options to solve the problem:

·         Now that you have found what you think are the main causes you are able to start thinking of possible solutions.

·         The more ideas you generate to solve the different causes the more likely you will be to come up with a good solution.

·         Keeping others involved a method one could apply during this step is brain storming.

·         At the end of your brain storming session filter through the possible solutions and select those which seem most likely to solve the causes identified.

5.       Choose the best option:

·         Having come up with a few possible solutions one needs to review each alternative intensely, making a list of each options advantages and disadvantages.

·         Things that should be considered during the above mentioned process are:

¨       Time, money resources and peoples required

¨       The lily result of implementing chosen solution.

¨       Which option would possibly give best result given pros and cons.

·         Chose the solution with the least amount of disadvantages.

6.       Implementation of chosen option:

·         In this step you put your plan into actions.

·         You can divide your solution into manageable steps which will give you better control and easier to monitor the process.

·         Doing so would also help you if you need to back track during this step, rather than redoing the whole process.

·         Before starting the implementation process answer the following:

¨       Who will be responsible for the implementation?

¨       How much time will implementation take?

¨       What will the result be after implementation?

¨       What are the resources needed for implementation?

¨       How will you monitor the process?

7.       Evaluate the results of the problem-solving process:

·         After implementing you solution you need to evaluate its success. Evaluation means assessing the value of something.

·         The following answers need to be answered:

¨       What went the way it was planned?

¨       What obstacles did you meet?

¨       Did you have enough resources?

¨       Was the time was allocated for the process realistic?

¨       What changes did you make to the plan or solution during the process?

¨       Did the solution have expected results?

¨        Was the solution successful in solving the problem?

8.       If not successful: Go Back:

·         Continues evaluation of the problems solving process is key so that one may be able to stop and change your plan at any moment if you realize that your current solution or problem was wrong.

·         If there is a problem, go back step by step and see where it went wrong.

Barriers to problem solving:

·         Time available

·         Money available

·         Other resources that should have been available (e.g. equipment or transport).

·         Human resources available.

·         Fear of being wrong with your suggestions.

·         Fear of incompetence

·         Inability to be creative in problem solving.

·         Inability to be objective about the problem.

·         Emotional problems that obfuscate (confuses or hides away) possible problems or solutions.

·         Stress and anxiety.

·         Denial of problem.

·         Poor process monitoring.

·         Disagreements about solutions and implementation.

(See if you can find the other two not mentioned)

Rough Zulu translation:

Izinyathelo 8 ekuxazululeni inkinga ngokuyisisekelo kuyindlela eziza kuqala izinkinga zakho nge amnswering le mibuzo elandelayo:
. 1 Thola inkinga:
· Ucabanga ukuthi ikuphi inkinga?
· Kuphi okwakwenzeka?
· Lena kanjani kungenzeki?
· Uma Kwenzeka okwakwenzeka?
· Ngubani is it okwakwenzeka?
· Kungani kunjalo?
. 2 Thola izimbangela inkinga:
· Lesi sinyathelo kusiza umuntu ukuba bagxile futhi ukuhlunga inkinga.
· Indlela engcono kakhulu yokwenza lokhu iwukuba athole ifomu yokufakwayo njengabantu abantu abaningi abathintekayo ngangokunokwenzeka.
· Ukusebenzisa lokhu njengendlela thuluzi bese imibono abantu abaningi mayelana inkinga ngangokunokwenzeka, ubuyekeze imibuzo of isinyathelo 1.
. 3 Susa cishe izimbangela:
· Asebekhulile usuthole ezimbalwa izimbangela kungenzeka, kufanele azame i uhlukane njengakho amathuba ukuthi bangabantu izimbangela zangempela hhayi izinkinga mbumbulu nje.
· Gcina abanye abathintekayo kuleli isinyathelo njengoba lokhu kunikeza ofanele futhi luyokuqinisekisa do akukho uqede yimbangela kunokwenzeka ngokungadingekile.
· Xoxa imbangela ngamunye engenzeka ngokuningiliziwe ukusiza inqubo ukususwa.
. 4 Thola ongakhetha kungenteka ukuxazulula inkinga:
· Njengoba manje uthole ukuthi ucabanga ukuthi yiziphi izimbangela main okwazi ukuqala ukucabanga of amakhambi angasetshenziswa.
· I imibono uqhubeka enza ukuxazulula izimbangela ezahlukahlukene yilapho uyoba kuyoba ukuza necebo omuhle.
· Ukugcina abanye abathintekayo indlela eyodwa engase isebenze phakathi nalesi sinyathelo ubuchopho lenkhulu tindlu kumanyata.
· Ekupheleni ubuchopho bakho lenkhulu tindlu kumanyata kumhlangano lemifanekiso enqamula amakhambi angasetshenziswa bese ukhethe lezo ezibonakala kungenzeka ukuxazulula izimbangela ezihlonziwe.
. 5 Khetha ukhetho best:
· Njengoba ukubhala umuntu udinga ukubukeza okunye ngamunye ngokujulile, okwenza uhlu izinzuzo ngamunye okukhethwa nebubi ezimbalwa amakhambi angasetshenziswa.
· Izinto okufanele kucatshangelwe ngesikhathi senqubo angenhla:
¨ Time, imali imithombo nabantu edingekayo
¨ Umphumela lily kwezinhlelo solution esikhethiwe.
¨ Iyiphi indlela bekungaba siphelelwe best Chile buhle ezinikezwe kanye nebubi.
· Wakhetha isixazululo nge semali Okungenani yokuntula.
. 6 Ukwenziwa option abakhethwe:
· Kulesi sinyathelo owawenza plan zakho nezenzo.
· Ungakwazi bahlukanise isixazululo sakho zibe izinyathelo esilawulekayo yiziphi uzokunika control kangcono futhi kulula ukutjheja inqubo.
· Ukwenza kanjalo kwakuyobonisa godu ukusize uma kudingeka emuva ithrekhi kulesi sinyathelo, kunokuba redoing lonke inqubo.
· Ngaphambi kokuqala ukuphendula lendlela yokwenza okulandelayo:
¨ Ubani kube nguye obangela ukuqaliswa?
¨ kuyobe Singakanani isikhathi ukuqaliswa thatha?
¨ Siyoba umphumela emva ukuqaliswa?
¨ Yiziphi izinsiza ezidingekayo ukuze ukuqaliswa?
¨ kube nini kanjani ukuqapha inqubo?
. 7 Linganisa imiphumela inqubo okuxazulula izinkinga:
· Ngemuva kwetfula isixazululo wena udinga ukuhlola impumelelo yayo. Nokuhlola kusho ekuhloleni ukubaluleka ngokuthile.
· Izimpendulo ezilandelayo zidinga ukuba iphendulwe:
¨ Okwenzeka okwenzeka ngayo kuhlelwe?
¨ Imiphi izithiyo u ohlangana?
¨ Ingabe unayo imithombo eyanele?
¨ Ingabe isikhathi kwaba abelwe inqubo namaqiniso?
¨ Iluphi ushintsho ozenzayo kuma-plan noma isixazululo ngesikhathi senqubo?
¨ Ingabe ikhambi ziye kulindelwe imiphumela?
¨ Was ikhambi eliphumelelayo ekuxazululeni le nkinga?
8 Uma kungenjalo baphumelele:. Go Back:
· Kuyaqhubeka kokuhlaziywa yezinkinga inqubo ukuxazulula kuyinto esemqoka kangangokuthi ukuze umuntu akwazi ukuyeka futhi ushintshe uhlelo lwakho noma nini uma uqaphela ukuthi isixazululo sakho wamanje noma inkinga azilungile.
· Uma kunenkinga, kudala isinyathelo ngesinyathelo, sibone lapho konakala.
Izithiyo ekuxazululeni inkinga:
· Isikhathi etholakalayo
· Imali iyatholakala
· Ezinye izinsiza ukuthi kwakufanele atholakalayo (isib. izinto zokusebenza noma izithuthi).
· Abasebenzi olutholakalayo.
· Ukwesaba yokuba okungalungile iziphakamiso zakho.
· Ukwesaba ukuhluleka
· Ukungakwazi nokusungula ekuxazululeni inkinga.
· Ukungakwazi kube inhloso ngale nkinga.
· Izinkinga ezingokomzwelo obfuscate (ephambanisa noma efihla away) izinkinga engenzeka noma izixazululo.
· Ukucindezeleka nokukhathazeka.
· Ukungakwamukeli of inkinga.
· Inqubo Kubi ukuqapha.
· Izingxabano mayelana nezixazululo kanye nokuqaliswa.
(Bheka ukuthi ungakwazi ukuthola ababili hhayi okukhulunywa)