¶ … organization identifying problems after the fact. When a strategy failed to yield the expected results, an audit was conducted to determine the source of the deviation. This form of activity audit was used in response to negative stimulus. The style is known as results analysis (Low & Heil, 2007). The strength of this type of problem identification is that because the deviation is a known entity, it can be easier to identify the specific issues that lead to the deviation. However, the main negative impact is that because the deviation has already occurred, the organization has already suffered a negative impact of the problem. Fixing it now may mitigate the damage, however, and defend against future occurrences off the problem. While it is preferable to anticipate problems, it is inevitable that some problems cannot be anticipated. Therefore, it is recommended that the organization have a formal means to address deviations in outcome that do occur, rather than to simply assume that they will always meet their targets.
Although not specifically expressed, the organization followed a form of the Kepner-Tregoe model, in which the company systematically identified the problem and then worked through a system of determining the causes and the fixing the issue. This model is strong because it is formalize and has been proven over time. However, its structure also lends it a degree of rigidity -- it essentially closes off the more creative aspects of problem solving. By working through the model's steps, however, the organization was able to determine some of the issues that had lead to the deviation. In addition, other issues were uncovered. There is a risk that in working through the model some of the issues uncovered early on may be confused for the real source of the problem, leading the firm to abandon change efforts prematurely.
Works Cited:
Low, James T. & Heil, Karl. (2007). Problem-Solving Styles. Encyclopedia of Business. Retrieved August 1, 2009 from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Per-Pro/Problem-Solving-Styles.html
No author. (2009). Kepner-Tregoe Decision-Making. Decision-making-confidence.com. Retrieved August 1, 2009 from http://www.decision-making-confidence.com/kepner-tregoe-decision-making.html
