Issue-Based Problem Solving

Issue-Based Problem-Solving: Antidote to Mental Messing Around

Copyright © 2008 Accenture All Rights Reserved. Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture.

This guest lecture will focus on…

– Issue-based problem solving – a must-have skill in management – Some ways you can use Issue-based problem solving effectively – How to address the right problems as efficiently as possible

Copyright © 2008 Accenture All Rights Reserved.

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This will going to be a long season…

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Effectiveness means…

– Understanding and articulating the client problem that the project will solve – Thinking creatively about innovative, value-adding ways to solve the client problem – Decomposing the problem into key issues to analyze and hypotheses to test

Copyright © 2008 Accenture All Rights Reserved.

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This approach to solving client problems emphasizes attention to the issues involved

Where the client is

Define the problem

Solve the problem

Communicate the answer

Where the client wants to be

Structure the ideas

Generate ideas

Develop the research plan

Analyze findings
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Issue-based problem-solving is intended to clarify and simplify the problem-solving process
Actual Problem-Solving
100%
Progress Review Progress Review Progress Review Final Review Implementation Team Orientation

Preliminary Fact Finding

Confidence in Recommendations

In-Depth Analysis

Syndication of Conclusions Solution Development/ Testing

Focus Groups/Surveys

0% Planning
Issues/Analysis/Conclusions

Delivering
Issues/Analysis/Solutions

Operating
Issues/Analysis/Results

Managing
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Be sure to address the right problem

– Review client problem definition – Check if it is a symptom or a problem is real, but less urgent – Common problem