Problem-solving and effective decision-making are essential skills in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing workplace. Both require a systematic yet creative approach to address today’s business concerns. This course will teach an overarching process of how to identify problems to generate potential solutions and how to apply decision-making styles in order to implement and assess those solutions. Through this process, you will gain confidence in assessing problems accurately, selecting the appropriate decision-making approaches for the situation at hand, making team decisions, and measuring the success of the solution’s implementation. Using case studies and situations encountered by class members, you will explore proven, successful problem-solving and decision-making models and methods that can be readily transferred to workplace projects.
Offered By
University of California, IrvineAbout this Course
Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?
Try Coursera for BusinessWhat you will learn
Explain both the affordances and limitations associated with problem-solving and decision-making
Reflect on how mindset and personal bias influence your ability to solve problems and make decisions
Explain and discuss how organizational decisions or non-decisions impact personal development, team dynamics, and company-wide performance
Articulate how both good and bad team decisions can benefit your professional growth
Skills you will gain
- Decision Theory
- analysis
- Decision-Making
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?
Try Coursera for Business
Offered by
University of California, Irvine
Since 1965, the University of California, Irvine has combined the strengths of a major research university with the bounty of an incomparable Southern California location. UCI’s unyielding commitment to rigorous academics, cutting-edge research, and leadership and character development makes the campus a driving force for innovation and discovery that serves our local, national and global communities in many ways.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Identify the Problem
Problem-solving is an essential skill in today's fast-paced and ever-changing workplace. It requires a systematic approach that incorporates effective decision-making. Throughout this course, we will learn an overarching process of identifying problems to generate potential solutions, then apply decision-making styles in order to implement and assess those solutions. In this module, we will learn to identify problems by using a root cause approach as a foundational tool. Additionally, we will address problem parameters that often occur in business situations. Throughout this course, we will utilize a case scenario that will provide specific examples to illustrate the steps in the problem-solving and decision-making process.
Generate Solutions
In the previous module, we learned how to identify the root cause of a problem. Now we will discuss how mindset and personal bias can potentially limit creativity in solving workplace challenges. We’ll review problem-solving styles and creativity enhancement approaches to generate a variety of unique solutions while addressing constraints and limited resources.
Make the Decision
In the previous module, we learned how to generate a variety of creative solutions. Now we need to decide which solution is the best option. We will explore which decision-making styles lend themselves to best solve the problem given its affordances and limitations. Tips for making better decisions are outlined as well as hazards to avoid.
Implement and Assess the Solution
In the previous module, we learned how to make the decision given the best information at hand. Once the decision is made, it’s time to implement and assess the chosen solution. As we get ready to implement, we are well-served to review situational variables as elements in the environment may have shifted during the decision-making process. We will also need to define the solution’s performance metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in order to later measure or assess the solution’s impact on the organization. Anecdotal data is equally valuable as it can share the emotional impact on employees.
Reviews
- 5 stars65.79%
- 4 stars23.71%
- 3 stars7.60%
- 2 stars1.76%
- 1 star1.11%
TOP REVIEWS FROM EFFECTIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING AND DECISION-MAKING
It's a very effective course for people who are in leadership positions, the materials were excellent and the professor explained the topics with clear examples.
This course has introduced me to different and useful methods of solving problems that I am excited to try applying on different issues. Thank you for providing it.
An excellent course that come out with a lo of great info and useful for me as self improvement in improving my personnel development. Thank you to Mr Rob Stone for this great course.
A very informative and easy course. I loved studying it, the professor was very well versed and delivered the lectures in a way so that students find it easy to understand the text and context.
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