Army Problem Solving vs. Rapid

Army problem solving vs. Rapid decision making

The concept of problem solving is a daily occurrence in the military and it is a systematic way of arriving at the best possible solution to a crisis or a problem. It also involves risk management techniques that need the army leaders to remain objective while undertaking such decisions and can be used to gauge individuals' critical thinking skills (Business Dictionary, 2011). The seven most important stapes in solving problems in the army are as follows;

Identification of the problem- this is one of the most crucial steps since the real problem may not be as obvious as it seems. There should be sufficient time and energy directed towards the identification of the problem. There should be much focus on the root cause of the problem as the symptoms may just be the reasons why the problem was identified. The critical questions at this step that will help in the identification of the problem are who does the problem affect? What is affected? When did the problem occur? Where is the problem? And why did the problem occur?

Gathering of information- once the problem has been identified, there is a continuous gathering of information that goes on to the very last step of the problem solving. One of the most significant sources of information are the primary sources which includes people with the first hand experience of the problem and may be witnessed the problem. Here, there are two types of information that will help in proceeding with the problem solving; facts-verifiable pieces of information with objective reality and assumptions-pieces of information accepted as being true in the absence of facts. The army leader will also look into the opinions which are personal views of various people. Then he will organize the information so as to verify its accuracy. There should be two or more people who are supposed to verify the factual aspects of the gathered information.

Develop criteria- this is the next step where a standard test or rule by which the information gathered will be judged is developed, it is the measure of value of the pieces of information. The test of suitability has five major aspects as Suitability-does the criteria solve the problem and is it legal and ethical, Feasibility-fits within available resources, Acceptability-worth the cost or risk, Distinguish-ability-differs significantly from other solutions and Completeness-contains the critical aspects of solving the problem from start to finish.

Generate possible solutions-at this stage the army leaders will consider the opinions and advice of their seniors and advance some few and most relevant solutions to the problems that are at hand, bearing in mind that too many options may result into wasted time. This stage has two major aspects as generate options i.e. State the problem and make sure all participants understand it, appoint someone to record all ideas, withhold judgment of ideas, encourage independent thoughts, aim for quantity, not quality, combine one's thoughts with those of others. Summarize the solution in writing and sketches -- the army leader accurate records each plausible solution in an understandable manner.

Analyze possible solutions- at this stage, each possible solution is analyzed to look into the merits and the demerits that each solution has. There is a screening procedure that is developed and only those that meet the required threshold will be considered for the next step.

Compare possible solutions- here, the solutions that have been shortlisted as having passed the set screening standard are compared against each other. The use of decision matrix is commonly used at this stage of decision making. The quantitative technique should be used and summarized so as to clearly indicate the most appropriate solutions and avoid assumptions.

Make and implement the decision- after the analysis and subsequent comparison has been made, the leaders will together pick the most preferred solution to the problem and hence proceed to implementation of the solution. This will be followed by the monitoring of the solution implemented so as to rebuff any problems that may arise on the process of the implementation.

Rapid Decision Making and Synchronization Process (RDSP)

Rapid decision making is an acronym or a technique that describes the roles and responsibilities for clear decision making for any organization including military combats. This decision making process has five basic stages which are embodied in the name itself (RAPID) namely:

Recommend. This stage involves information gathering and data collection and identification of variances during execution and likely changes that might take place.

Input. This stage takes into account all the material facts that brought by each individual or staff and the commander looks at their practicability and any possible maneuver.

Agree/Approve. This entails having a closer negotiation of staff and commander to establish the best course of action (COA). Commander decides on which action to take basing on his experience and intuition.

Perform. After the decision has been reached, the sensible thing to do as a subordinate or staff is to go ahead and execute that plan by following commander's order.

Decide. This is an implementation stage and it's only the individual who holds the final authority can commit the organization or direct the course of action depending on operation outcome.

Comparison of the MDMP and RDSP

MDMP is a lengthy process involving several systematic approaches to problem resolution while the RDSP defines it as a quick process of decision making but in both definitions, MDMP and RDSP are planning tools involved in decision making process.

Both MDMP and RDSP involve production of orders to complete the combat successfully.

Both MDMP and RDSP involve course of action (COA) best selected by the commander using his intellect, character, experience, intuition and his intent on combat mission.

In both MDMP and RDSP, there is synchronization of combat support and service as well as allocation of resources.