Problem solving and decision making.  Ask anyone in the workplace if these activities are part of their day and they'd certainly answer "Yes!" But how many of us have had training in problem solving? We know it's a critical element of our work but do we know how to do it effectively? People tend to do three things when faced with a problem: 1. they get afraid or uncomfortable and wish it would go away; 2. they feel that they have to come up with an answer and it has to be the right answer or 3. they look for someone to blame.
 Being faced with a problem becomes a problem and that's a problem because, in fact, there are always going to be problems! There are two reasons why we tend to see a problem as a problem: it has to be solved and we're not sure how to find the best solution, and there will probably be conflicts about what the best solution is.  Most of us tend to be "conflict‐averse". We don't feel comfortable dealing with conflict and we tend to have the feeling that something bad is going to happen. There are two important things for you to remember about problems and conflicts: they happen all the time and they are opportunities to improve the system and the relationships.

Your session will include both short lecture segments and hands‐on activities to illustrate the concepts or techniques. If you feel as if your organization is not equipped to solve the never ending stream of problems, this workshop may help arm them to be more proactive and equip them towards a continuous improvement mindset.

Areas you will study:
• Building a clear picture of the problem/opportunity for improvement
• Identifing the customers/stakeholders
• Exploring Boundaries and Constraints
• Defining your Goals, Metrics, Criteria
• Why you should generate several alternative solutions
• Selecting the best overall solution(s)
• Your development of an action plan
• Implementation of your solution
• Assessing the resultsPr
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