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    Problem Solved!
    Problem Solved!
    Problem Solved!
    Ebook124 pages1 hour

    Problem Solved!

    By David Goldsmith

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Problem Solved!: The Secrets of Decision Making and Problem Solving gives the reader an inside look at the fine points of decision making and problem solving. Research conducted at Ohio State University has concluded that over 50% of all business decisions end in failure. Reasons for this include: not solving the right problem, not defining the desired outcome, and not knowing how to bring the two together.

    In today’s fast-paced world of business, complex problems are now a way of life, and the ability to solve them will create a competitive advantage that is hard to duplicate. In this book you will learn the tools and techniques necessary to become an expert decision maker and problem solver. Plus, the reader will be exposed to a remarkable problem-solving process!

    What you will learn:

    - How to become an expert decision maker and problem solver
    - How to avoid making flawed decisions
    - How to solve a problem once and for all
    - How to make spot-on judgement calls
    - How to build a problem-solving organization
    - How to use problem prevention techniques

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDavid Goldsmith
    Release dateMar 13, 2014
    ISBN9780991575015
    Problem Solved!
    Author

    David Goldsmith

    David Goldsmith is an international business writer whose articles have appeared in leading business journals and magazines throughout the Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United States.

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      Book preview

      Problem Solved! - David Goldsmith

      PROBLEM

      SOLVED!

      The Secrets of Decision Making
      and Problem Solving

      The Sink or Swim Series of

      Fast, Accurate, and

      To-the-Point Business Books

      by David Goldsmith

      Problem Solved!

      David Goldsmith

      Published by

      Goldsmith Publishing

      www.sinkorswimbooks.com

      Copyright © 2014 by Goldsmith Publishing. All rights reserved.

      Smashwords Edition

      No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without the expressed written permission of the author.

      Print and Electronic Editions Type and Format Design by: Shawn E. Bell, www.shawnebell.com

      Executive Editor: William Yates williamyates@gmail.com

      Version 2.00

      ISBN 978-0-9915750-0-8 - Print Version

      ISBN 978-0-9915750-1-5 - Electronic Version

      What Others Are Saying...

      Over the years, I have read dozens of books and hundreds of articles on decision making. David’s book is a must-read. He covers all of the essentials in a comprehensive yet easy-to-read way. Regardless of your position, age, or experience—buy it. Read it and practice its principles and you will become a master of decision making.

      Tim Connor, International Best-Selling Author,

      Global Speaker, and Trainer

      In his latest book, Problem Solved!, David presents a very practical guide to developing skills and techniques for becoming a better decision maker and problem solver. David's deep experience informs his writing throughout this engaging book.

      Nate Bennett, Ph.D., Robinson College of Business,

      Georgia State University

      You’re in your job for one reason: to solve problems. Goldsmith’s book gives you the playbook to do it successfully.

      Debra Benton, Author,

      The CEO Difference: How to Climb, Crawl, and Leap Your Way to the Next Level of Your Career

      (McGraw-Hill)

      A practical, no-nonsense handbook for those who are ready to tackle the real issues around decision making. David Goldsmith’s uncompromising manual names the elephants in the room and shows you how to address them. Whatever your personality or learning style, David shows you how to fearlessly identify the real issues, then calmly and confidently address them. Knowing this skill is the difference between success and failure.

      Trish Jenkins, Best-Selling Author and Keynote Speaker

      The business of executing strategy requires many decisions and the time-to-decision is a critical quality metric every organization must master.  David details the processes and principles in practical ways to make sure better decisions are made.

      William Malek, Co-Author,

      Executing Your Strategy

      (Harvard Business School Press)

      Table of Contents

      Part One

      How to Become an Expert Decision Maker and Problem Solver

      Without a solid foundation, your ability to make the right decisions and solve the right problems decreases while your odds of using a hit-and-miss approach increase. Part One is designed to give the reader the foundation, knowledge, tools, and techniques necessary for developing the skills required to become an expert decision maker and problem solver.

      Chapter 1

      My Experiences with Decisions and Problems

      My time in corporate America has taught me that decision making and problem solving are very messy affairs. I have witnessed the disastrous effects that bad decisions and an inability to solve the right problems can have on an organization and its people. With this chapter you will begin the process of becoming an expert decision maker and problem solver.

      Chapter 2

      Developing the Right Mindset

      What is the first thing that enters your mind when you think of problems? Are your thoughts positive or negative? Learn how to change your mindset toward problems and allow them to open the doors of opportunity, making your life easier and your organization more successful.

      Chapter 3

      Unearthing Your Style

      Do you know what your learning or decision-making style is? This chapter describes the various learning and decision-making styles. Knowing your style will give insight into how and why you formulate your decisions.

      Chapter 4

      The Do’s and Don’ts of Making Assumptions

      This chapter will help you better utilize your assumptions and incorporate them into a vastly improved decision-making and problem-solving process. Learn how to make assumptions work in your favor.

      Chapter 5

      Making Spot-On Judgment Calls

      The ability to make great judgment calls is an essential ingredient in any successful decision-making process. No one makes the right judgment call 100% of the time, but by the end of this chapter you’ll know how to get close.

      Chapter 6

      How Critical Is Your Thinking? How Critical Is Your Thinking?

      Critical thinkers can move out of their comfort zone when formulating decisions and solving problems. In this chapter you will learn how to develop their critical thinking skills through real-life examples.

      Chapter 7

      Building a Problem-Solving Organization

      This chapter will show you how to build an organizational culture that can make the tough decisions and solve the hardest of problems.

      Part Two

      The Secret Is in the Process

      Part Two outlines a process that will help you identify and solve your problems and then implement your solutions. Without a well-defined process to follow, you are doomed to implementing hit-or-miss decisions and hoping for the best.

      Chapter 8

      Identifying and Framing the Problem

      If you were taking a trip without a roadmap or a final destination, where would you end up? Nowhere, of course, and the same holds true for problem solving: Without an understanding of your problem, how can you ever hope to solve it? This chapter lays out the process for successfully unearthing the real problems before you.

      Chapter 9

      The Process of Creating the Decision and Solution

      Great decisions and solutions don’t just magically appear with a snap of your fingers. This chapter outlines all the elements of a successful decision-making and problem-solving process.

      Chapter 10

      Implementing the Decision and Making It Stick

      This chapter discusses the steps to successful implementation and execution of a plan. You will learn what to do once you make a decision and how to make it stick.

      Chapter 11

      Performing and Measuring Progress Checks

      This chapter details how to install a checks-and-balances system that will measure the success of your implementation process. You will also learn how to get back on track when things go awry.

      Chapter 12

      The Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Wrap-Up

      This chapter addresses the importance of decision making in today’s fast-paced and changing business environment, and offers a recap of the A-to-Z of the decision-making and problem-solving process.

      About the Author

      References

      Part One:

      How to Become an Expert Decision Maker and Problem Solver

      IN PART ONE, I’LL SHOW YOU how to build a solid foundation for making spot-on decisions and solve the right problems. You’ll acquire all the tools and techniques needed to become an expert decision maker and problem solver.

      Chapter One

      My Experiences with Decisions and Problems

      THROUGHOUT MY YEARS AS A CORPORATE EXECUTIVE, I’ve seen every kind of organization: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’ve witnessed first-hand the havoc wreaked by disorganized decision-making processes, but also the benefits produced by effective problem solvers. I’ve seen leaders who can’t identify problems and are unsure of their own objectives, leaders who are in denial about their problems, and leaders who think everything will be okay if they just wait and see. My goal in this book is to show you how to correctly identify problems; how to come to terms with them; how to arrive at the right decisions for dealing with them; how to devise a plan for implementing those decisions; and how to make sure the problems don’t recur.

      This should all be standard business procedure, but it’s not. More often than not, I have found that decision-making and problem-solving procedures are based on knee-jerk, mishmash, and gut-instinct approaches. These lead to recurring problems, wasted resources, and declining corporate profitability. To take just one statistic, the average life expectancy of a Fortune 500 company in 1955 was around seventy-five years; today, it’s fifteen and dropping. Paul B. Carroll and Chunka Mui’s book Billion Dollar Lessons concludes that the cause of most business failures in corporations with over 500 million in assets was poor strategic decision making. Since 1983, there have been over 420 such failures. Furthermore, according to Paul Nutt, a business professor at Ohio State University, over half of all business decisions end in failure.

      There are a few common reasons for these failures. Most decision makers I’ve worked with are

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