The
of
Practical Problem Solving
Actions and Reactions that may seem to be minimal at the time, often have consequences that far outreach our future focus. With every thought, action and day we live, we CREATE our future and that of those we have relationships with, whether it is` directly or indirectly.
Granted, situations beyond our control have an influence on our life and the lives of others. It is how we choose to react to these situations that will determine their outcome.
Problem Solving is an art! One that can be mastered with practice. Solving problems in a way that is beneficial to you and those around you is an important step in guaranteeing that the future you create is a productive one.
The POWER method is designed to give you a systematic, step by step, approach that will help you make choices that are consistent with your personal values and goals. As you plan, you will find that you will have the opportunity to make choices that will possibly be in the best interest for yourself and others.
Let's look at a Practical Problem that a teenager may face.
You are a junior in high school, and you have just found out that your grades are not good enough to attend the local junior college. You would really like to attend the school because it will allow you to get an Associate Degree in Landscape Design.
You have a part time job during the week and your mom depends on you to watch your younger brother and sister so that she can work on the weekends. What will you do?
As we work through the problem step by step - observe that practical problems can be easy to solve or be more complicated, depending on the parties involved and influences that will shape your decision.
There may be more than one way to solve the problem. Remember what may be a right way to solve a problem for one person may not be the right way for the other person. Thus, there is no right or wrong answer as a solution.
The first step in problem solving is to identify the problem. Write the problem as specifically as you can.
What should I do about improving my grades, so that I can attend a local junior college?
What do you know? What ethics are involved? Who does this problem affect?
1. I have a part-time job after school.
2. My mother needs me to watch my brother and sister on the weekends.
3. My grades are low.
4. I want to do landscaping, as a career.
What are 3 possible solutions to the problem and the consequence of each solution?
SOLUTIONS CONSEQUENCES
1. Get help before school 1. Grades improve. and study more.
2. Forget junior college. 2. No career.
3. Stay with my part-time job 3. No school, no career, STUCK. and work full time after graduation.
There may be more than three possible solutions and consequences. Sometimes coming up with three will be hard. It is okay to think "Outside of the Box" and don't give up - All problems have a solution. The solution may be temporary or long term, depending on the situation.
When looking at all the information, there is only one solution that will work for this problem.
Getting help before school and spending more time studying will help to improve my grades.
Not going to junior college is not an option, as is not trying and just focusing on a job instead of a career.
Now that you have a possible solution:
- Getting help before school and spending more time studying.
You now have to come up with a plan.
1. Talk with teachers about coming in early for help, and scheduling time to work with them.
2. Talk with Mom about going in early to school, finding a ride if needed.
3. Spend time on the weekend studying.
4. Ask mom to help keep me on track.
As you work through the plan, you can add steps and rework the plan to fit the circustances and your needs.
So, what happened? Did it work out as you anticipated?
I was able to get extra help and bring my grades up. My mom supported me and helped me study. Getting up earlier to meet with my teachers was hard at first, but I was able to get a ride into school and my teachers were willing to help.
OR
It was really hard on my mom to get me to school early, and some of my teachers could not get there early. I had to change my plan by cutting back on my working after school, and staying after so that I could get the help.
The plan that you put in place may not turn out the way you anticipate. You must then re-evaluate other solutions, or come up with new workable solutions.
You may not be able to REVIEW THE OUTCOME once your plan has been implemented. The outcome may not occur in a timely manner - at least not timely to you. Critical problems (crisis situations) sometimes do not have an outcome for many days, weeks, months or years and they may need to be reworked over and over as time progresses.
Congratulations
You have just finished solving one of many problems in your future.
Remember: The future you create is dependent on how you react to situations you face each and every day. You get to choose ... and that choice will either make you or break you.
If you make a poor choice, don't give up, eventually you will get the hang of it and utilizing the resources you have and this new found knowledge - of POWERful problem solving - you CAN and WILL be Successful in Life!
POWER METHOD
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION.
What should ____________ do about?
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ORGANIZE AND EVALUATE THE FACTS, VALUES & PEOPLE INVOLVED.
(What do you know? What Ethics are involved? Who does this problem affect?)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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WEIGH AND EXAMINE THE OPTIONS AND SELECT THE BEST CHOICE.
(What are 3 possible solutions to the problem and the consequence of that solution?)
SOLUTIONS CONSEQUENCES
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
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The best choice for me is:
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ESTABLISH AND EXECUTE AN ACTION PLAN.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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REVIEW THE OUTCOME.
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Developed and designed by:
Cheryl E. LeFon
South Central RPDC | Missouri S&T |
800 University Drive | Rolla, MO 65409
Office Phone: (573) 341-6481 | Fax: (573) 341-6577
Email: lefonc@mst.edu
Web: http://rpdc.mst.edu
Pictures obtained from: