Problem solving module
The problem
- What is the problem? defining the issue.
- Your agenda: What are you trying to do? What happens if you don’t do it?
- Tried and failed: What have you tried to fix the problem?
- Why didn’t it work?
- Identify the blocker: What (or who) is stopping you
- If you had a magic wand, how would you fix the problem? What (or who) stops that happening?
- Containment: stopping the bleeding
- Could the problem get worse?
- If so what can you do to contain it while you solve it?
- Conflicting mandates: Where that “what” or “who” is a person or process with a mandate: What is that mandate? How is that person or process trying to achieve it? Is it inherently contradictory?
- Negotiations:
- How much flexibility is there in the conflicting mandate? What sort of things could be changed to help you without disrupting that mandate?
- Psychological approaches: what problems does the mandate holder have? If it isn't working for you, likely it isn't working out for him/her either.