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Problem Solving
On a regular basis, humans must solve problems or issues. This has been true for millennia, from the time in which we were hunter-gatherers to now having a myriad of choices in almost every single moment of our lives. We must choose clothing, colors, styles, entertainment, meals, and time schedules, almost down to the minutiae. Because we are now confronted with so many decisions, these decisions often bleed off into more serious and interpersonal conundrums -- colleagues, subordinates, loved ones that problem and decision making solutions are even more complex. However, one way of thinking about a problem or set of challenges involves a rather simple, but powerful, form of analysis: 1) Identify the problem, 2) Brainstorm the alternatives, 3) List advantages/disadvantages for each alternative, 4) Propose a solution, 5) Test the solution. This method is, in fact, part of John Chaffee's Critical Thinking methodology, and may serve one well in a variety of situations (Chaffee, 2011).
I am a 40-year-old male and a professional Fire Chief. My duties vary, but I supervise a number of Firefighters and Administrative Staff on a regular basis. The current situation involves two employees, both trained and certified Firefighters. There is a Community/Homeland Security liaison position open that does not pay a great deal more salary wise, but does allow the individual selected...
Two candidates have applied for the position, with one making it very clear that he will go to his union and file a formal protest if not selected.
Candidate A is a younger man, late 20s, a 5-year veteran of the force with a college degree in management. He is well-liked and respected by his peers, congenial, and always seems willing to help others, will trade shifts, is conscientious in the house, with a real can-do attitude. Candidate B. is a 17-year veteran of the force, is extremely competent in all aspects of his position, but has been passed over promotion before for a variety of factors. First, he is competent in his job, safety conscious, yet his colleagues do not trust him. He is surely, always needs to be right and have the last word, cynical to the extreme, and tends to hold a rather entitlement mentality. He has refused to use Department funds to further his education, and begrudgingly attends training sessions only when they are mandatory. His reason for wanting the position is to "get away from the BS" of the day and try something new. He believes his experience in the force makes him a more appropriate candidate because he knows more of the intricacies and has a longer track record. He has told numerous people that if he doesn't get the position he…
REFERENCES
Chaffee, J., et.al. (2011). Proposing a Solution to a Problem. In Critical Thinking, Thoughtful
Writing. Cenage Learning. Retrieved from: http://college.cengage.com/english/chaffee/critical_thinking/2e/students/writing/chap11.html
Taking No Action - the costs of this approach weight far more than the benefits Costs: immediate improvements are unlikely to occur; most of the hope for future advances lays in the responsibilities and capabilities of the Washington D.C. authorities; the problem might degenerate in the future Benefits: it requires no additional investments and no risks; short-term operational efficiency and productivity will not be affected as a result of organizational changes 3.
School Transporation Time Management Problem Solving by the District Transportation Department Management Issues. Several management issues are presenting at the Public School Transportation Department. These issues are of concern to management and human resources as they are impacting workplace harmony, efficiency, and productivity. The Human Resources Department has collaborated with management to ensure that practices related to the assignment of overtime and the assignment of routes to drivers comply with the district's rules
China's Intellectual Property Rights: Current Issues, Strategic Considerations And Problem Solving In this paper, the focus is primarily on the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) that are given to individuals within the Republic of China. The paper starts off by defining IPR and the different ways that IPR is provided like copyright infringement. The paper them moves on to define IPR and its progression in China through the imperialistic years, the era
The first consideration is that employees may be reluctant to reveal their innermost feelings about the company for fear that they will be punished for their responses. For this reason, it is imperative that employees are assured of absolute anonymity. This will also encourage honest answers and be the most likely to result in discovering the root causes of the problem. Employees will be able to respond anonymously by dropping
Human Factors in Aviation Brief Historical Background The Airline Industry has a history that dates back to 1903 when the Wright brothers made their first successful flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Initially the public did not take the idea of the airplane travel favorably. But this event marked the beginning of the Airline Industry as more and more inputs were given by people such as Charles Lindbergh who successfully completed a
The frontal lobes rely on processing of internal information, including memories, in order to guide behavior, while the parietal lobes specialize in processing of externally-based sensory information, in order to guide behavior. Both sources of information are needed to self-regulate one's own behaviors but internal mnemonic sources are crucial to resist enslavement to external and salient events (p. 72)." While McNamara has explained the technical functions taking place in the