Critical Thinking and Problem Solving for Project Leaders

This program will take place in-person. Please review our Covid-19 guidelines and updates here prior to the program.

Business changes in the “blink of an eye.” Executives are constantly bombarded with a plethora of problems. The obstacles to success are plentiful and great ideas are simply not enough.

In a world of rapid, constant change, managers need a reliable process to quickly evaluate issues and identify the best solutions. Based on the idea that logically-sound, evidence-based decisions that are rapidly executable are better than ideal solutions that come too late, this course covers a proven process for solving complex problems. Using a combination of analytical approaches, participants will acquire a powerful tool kit for effectively and efficiently developing achievable project outcomes, identifying real solutions, exploring plausible alternatives, creating realistic work plans, and driving execution - all without sacrificing thoroughness or creativity. The net result: better solutions developed faster to positively affect your growth, profitability, and ability to service your customers.

Topics

• Problem definition & situation analysis
• Objective setting
• Stakeholder analysis
• Scoping the problem
• Hypothesis building & rapid testing
• Logical work planning
• Interviewing and data collection
• Data matrix
• Logic diagrams
• Drawing conclusions based on facts
• Designing the best solution
• Driving execution
• Overcoming barriers to change

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, participants will have learned and practiced the techniques needed to:

• Identify the key business issues, and reach consensus about the nature of the problem to be solved – as well as the specific areas that will be explored to solve it
• Plan and organize faster, more effective and efficient data collection
• Move beyond biases and assumptions, making their logic transparent and open to legitimate discussion and exploration of the data
• Nurture commitment and develop support during the problem solving process to drive results
• Analyze the potential effectiveness of alternative solution options

Who Should Attend

Executives and managers from all functional areas, change agents, and professionals with responsibility for driving business results and/or improving organizational effectiveness. Leaders managing cross-functional teams or task forces, management consultants, and those who are transitioning into internal consulting/problem solving roles will also benefit.

This program is applicable to all for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.

Program Reading

The following texts are included with the program materials:

• Designing Solutions for Your Business Problems by Betty Vandenbosch

  

Costs

Individual Participants: $1,390
Package Pricing: 2 class day per participant

Available Discounts