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Problem Solving Techniques
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Appreciation - Extracting maximum information from facts |
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| 5 Whys - Getting quickly to the root of a problem. | |
Cause & Effect Diagrams - Identifying likely causes of problems |
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| Affinity Diagrams - Organizing ideas into common themes | |
Appreciative Inquiry - Solving problems by looking at what's going right |
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| Flow Charts - Understanding process flows | |
| Risk Analysis and Risk Management | |
SWOT - Analyzing your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats |
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| PEST Analysis - Understanding "big picture" forces of change | |
| The Marketing Mix and the 4 Ps - Understanding how to position your market offering | |
| The Ansoff Matrix - Understanding the different risks of different options | |
The Boston Matrix - Focusing effort to give the greatest returns |
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| Porter's Five Forces - Understanding the balance of power in a situation | |
| Core Competence Analysis - Get ahead. Stay ahead. | |
| USP Analysis - Finding your competitive edge | |
| Critical Success Factors - Identifying the things that really matter for success | |
| The Greiner Curve - Surviving the crises that come with growth | |
| The McKinsey 7S Framework - Ensuring all parts of your organization work in harmony | |
| Career Excellence Club Member Tools: (How to become a member) | |
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Using Aides Memoire - Feeding experience back into problem solving |
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| SIPOC Diagrams - Making sure your change process serves everyone | |
| Inductive Reasoning - Drawing good generalized conclusions | |
| Avoiding Logical Fallacies - What they are, and how to avoid them | |
| Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) - Understanding very complex issues | |
| Queuing Models - Optimizing service and resources | |
| Activity-Based Costing (ABC) - Understanding what really drives costs | |
CATWOE - Understanding the different elements that contribute to a problem |
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Swim Lane Diagrams - Mapping and improving processes in your organization |
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Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) - Spotting problems before a solution is implemented |
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| Download the Problem Solving Section of Mind Tools in PDF format to browse and print at your leisure... | |
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The first article explains the context into which these tools fit. To read it, click "Next Article" below. Other relevant destinations are shown in the "Extension Resources" list underneath.
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Next Article |
Drill Down - Breaking problems down into manageable parts
The Concept Fan - Widening the search for solutions
Root Cause Analysis - Tracing a problem to its origins
Unblocking Bottlenecks - Fixing unbalanced processes
Systems Diagrams - Understanding the way factors interact
Writing a Procedure - Making sure things are done without mistakes and omissions
Storyboarding - Planning and checking a process as a team
Heuristic Methods - Using rules of thumb
The Straw Man Concept - Build it up, knock it down, create a solid final solution
Simplex - An integrated problem solving process
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