Planning is the fundamental components of project planning and problem-solving. It offers a general conceptual framework to integrate different
skills, such as project planning, problem solving, scheduling, time management, performance appraisal,
negotiation, and conflict resolution. Planning enables the learner to:1
Identify problem-solving as one of they key techniques in developing
the group's capability.
Gain knowledge of a definite technique for problem-solving and planning.
Understand the value of problem-solving in group commitment to the
task and to group unity.
The basic
outline for this competency has not changed in over 30 years. Additional
information is added, layers of complexity are introduced, but the basic
scheme remains: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate.
About Planning
Planning
has six phases:
Consider the Task
What is the task? Legitimize it. How does it feel? What's the
real problem? What's the best/worst/most probable result likely
if we solve this problem? Who has ownership? State as a question.
Problem as given/Problem as understood (PAG/PAU). Lasso. Is/Is not.
Diagram.
Analysis
Why is it a problem? (Basic questions).
Break it down/component parts.
Force Field analysis (forces for sustaining the problem/forces against/restraining
the problem).
Generalize/exemplify.
Ask the Expert.
Generate Alternatives
Win/Win (consensus)
Both/And
Build up/synthesize
Straw voting
Negative voting
Focus on Agreements
Back off
Implementation
Concurrent evaluation.
Sharing leadership.
Keeping group together.
Getting the job done.
Evaluation Feedback.
Strengths and weaknesses.
Improvements.
Feed-forward.
Planning
includes:
Using specified skills to identify the nature of a given situation
or task.
Alternative methods for determining the appropriate solution
Applying guidelines for analyzing a task or problem in order to solve
it.
Along
with Evaluation and Manager of Learning, this competency is one of the most
critical and complex in leadership development. Skilled use of this competency
positively influences the leader's ability to get the job done and keep
the group together in all kinds of situations. See Figure
15-1 for a graphical description of problem-solving process described
in this chapter.
The
effective use of problem-solving will do more than any other competency
to advance both getting the job done and keeping the group together. It
is an "umbrella" competency in its effect on a variety of issues. Planning
is useful both in group situations and one-on-one.
It
is the same competency as planning, useful for outlining a course of
action in order to achieve an objective. Planning can serve as a "core
curriculum."
Principles of Planning
When
making decisions, applying a few key principles will enhance the problem-solving
process.
Present a win/win attitude.
Legitimize all perceptions, problems, misunderstandings, and bad feelings
in the early phases.
Establish ownership and responsibility for the problem.
Get agreement on the problem before going on to solutions.
Be explicit about each phase of problem solving.
for little successes first, before tackling the "big" problem.
Look for ways of breaking fixation and redefining the problem/solution
space.
Seek agreement on criteria before evaluating the alternatives.
Keep backing up to the phase and level of generality where a foundation
of agreements can be developed.
Avoid premature motions.
Use formal "majority" voting as a last resort, for it is a win/lose
approach.
