Every one of us has them – problems. Problems occur in the most diverse facets and forms and we are confronted with them almost daily.
Some of you may now think that this topic is trivial and that you usually have to deal with the situation individually and spontaneously anyway. However, if you ask yourself the question: “Which method do I use systematically and how do I analyze the problems?” you will quickly gain an insight that the question is not as easy to answer as it may seem at first.
Among other things, leadership also means being able to make transparent, objective and reproducible decisions. For this reason, we will combine the best of two worlds in this course.
We use analytical approaches from the perspective of IT Management to search for the causes of problems. In the chapter on systemic problem solving, we will explain in more detail how we apply concrete questions to problems and why an accompanying process is sustainable in finding solutions.
With this course you are perfectly prepared for the next problem and the acquired key competence can also be applied 1:1 to your private life.
What we cover in this course:
- Introduction: At the beginning of the course we discuss the framework and that systemic problem analysis is more than just a solution finding process.
- Traditional Problem Solving: For an understanding of how the majority of organizations and individuals solve problems, we will discuss traditional problem solving in more detail. We will start with a selection of definitions of what a problem is and the different facets a problem can have. We will then go into how IT management and the systemic approach are breaking new ground in finding solutions. Furthermore, we discuss why the word “why” is essential and look at more examples from the traditional problem solving process. At the end there will be an exchange of experiences.
- IT management related approach: At the beginning we cover the problem solving process and which contents from the IT world are applicable. One competence we should definitely have in our fast-paced world is the ability to reduce complexity. In addition to a few examples, we will also go over the basics and importance. We will then move on to problem analysis and root cause analysis. For this we will get to know the 5x Why method with some examples. Likewise, we will cover an abstract example of root cause analysis. With the explicit definition of constraints we get approaches to solutions and thus come closer to a solution. The last chapter is about reframing problems and what we can derive valuable from it.
- Creative thinking in practice: Almost overused is the term: “creative thinking”. In this example, we discuss the concept of serendipity and why serendipity is playing an increasingly important role in practice. In the rest of this chapter, we will go through two creativity techniques in detail and use examples to emphasize the power of implementation. From the perspective of thought processes, we will reflect on our own actions and take a hard look at our own implementation power from the previous chapters.
- Systemic approach to problem solving: The systemic approach is very well suited especially for the problem solving process. In addition to a brief introduction, we explore the question of what a problem is from a systemic perspective. We go through an example of observing without interpreting, because this is an essential part of objective root cause analysis. Skills such as active listening and problem definition from a systemic perspective are also part of the basic repertoire of this course. In addition, it is about hypothesizing and constantly querying in the systemic loop to approach a problem solution. At the end of the lesson we will go through the restriction model, which once again should emphasize the creative methods on implementation strength.
- Systemic questioning techniques with many examples: Many of us are already familiar with some questioning techniques. But as the saying goes: communication cannot be played out. For this reason, the focus of this section is on questioning techniques from the systemic method box.
With my professional experience as a systemic coach and business information scientist, I live both topics. For each chapter I give you insights into my working methods as well as tips and tricks, review questions and reflection tasks.
Strengthen your leadership skills with “systemic problem solving”.
I look forward to seeing you in class.
Markus Edenhauser, MA MSc
