Apply Problem Solving Techniques and Tools

Apply Problem solving Techniques and tools
BELES PARADISE COLLEGE

C\NURSEING LEVELE IV
MODULE TITLE: applying problem solving techniques and tools
TVET-PROGRAMME TITLE: NURSING LEVEL IV
MODULE TITLE: Applying Problem Solving Techniques

and Tools
MODULE CODE: HLT NUR4 Mo16 0219
NOMINAL DURATION: 40 Hour
Gambell: ETHIOPIA
Prepared By :- Abdulmejid.Y Page 1

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the module the learner will be able to:
LO1.Identify and select theme/problem
LO2.Grasp current status and set goal
LO3.Establish activity plan
LO4. Analyze causes of a problem
LO5.Examine counter measures and their
implementation
LO6.Assess effectiveness of the solution
LO7.Standardize and sustain operation

LO1.Identify and select theme/problem
Work health and safety procedures
A procedure sets out the steps to be followed for work activities.
Resolving work health and safety issues
 consulting with workers on work health and safety

 monitoring workers’ health and workplace conditions
 Providing information and training.
What is a Safety and Health Management System?
A safety and health management system means the part of the Organization’s management
system which covers:
 the health and safety work organization and policy in a company

 the planning process for accident and ill health prevention
 The line management responsibilities and the practices, procedures and
resources for developing and implementing, reviewing and maintaining the
occupational safety and health policy.
The system should cover the entire gambit of an employer's occupational health and safety
organization. The key elements of a successful safety and health management system are:
1. Policy and commitment
 The workplace should prepare an occupational safety and health policy programme as
part of the preparation of the Safety Statement required by Section 20 of the Safety,
Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
 Effective safety and health policies should set a clear direction for the organization to
follow.
 They will contribute to all aspects of business performance as part of a demonstrable

commitment to continuous improvement.
 Responsibilities to people and the working environment will be met in a way that fulfils
the spirit and letter of the law. Cost-effective approaches to preserving and developing
human and physical resources will reduce financial losses and liabilities.
 In a wider context, stakeholders' expectations, whether they are shareholders,

employees or their representatives, customers or society at large, can be met.

2. Planning
The workplace should formulate a plan to fulfil its safety and health policy as set out in the
Safety Statement.
An effective management structure and arrangements should be put in place for delivering the
policy. Safety and health objectives and targets should be set for all managers and employees.
3. Implementation and operation
For effective implementation, organizations should develop the capabilities and support
mechanisms necessary to achieve the safety and health policy, objectives and targets.
All staff should be motivated and empowered to work safely and to protect their long-term
health, not simply to avoid accidents. These arrangements should be:
 underpinned by effective staff involvement and participation through appropriate

consultation, the use of the safety committee where it exists and the safety
representation system and,
 Sustained by effective communication and the promotion of competence, which
allows all employees and their representatives to make a responsible and
informed contribution to the safety and health effort.
4. Measuring performance
The organization should measure, monitor and evaluate safety and health performance.
Performance can be measured against agreed standards to reveal when and where
improvement is needed.
Active self-monitoring reveals how effectively the safety and health management system is
functioning.
Self-monitoring looks at both hardware (premises, plant and substances) and software (people,
procedures and systems, including individual behavior and performance).
. The objectives of active and reactive monitoring are:

 To determine the immediate causes of substandard performance
 To identify any underlying causes and implications for the design and operation
of the safety and health management system.
5. Auditing and reviewing performance

The organization should review and improve its safety and health management system
continuously, so that its overall safety and health performance improves constantly.
The organization can learn from relevant experience and apply the lessons.

There should be a systematic review of performance based on data from monitoring and from
independent audits of the whole safety and health management system.
Performance should be assessed by:
 internal reference to key performance indicators

 External comparison with the performance of business competitors and best
practice in the organization’s employment sector.
Critical factors like number of customers affected

10 FACTORS THAT AFFECT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
 There’s more to customer satisfaction than customer service.
 The most pleasant experience with a person can’t make up for bad
food, faulty products, or shipping delays.
 The customer is always right, right?
 Well, that’s what the playbook for any successful business says.
 Satisfying customers may seem like a no-brainer, but the methods and
psychology behind securing a loyal following takes more than discount
coupons and free balloons.
 “The single most important factor that affects customer satisfaction is

employee satisfaction,” Once the employees are in a company’s
corner, if the following 10 areas are incorporated into a business plan,
it will be smooth sailing towards big financial returns from high
customer satisfaction.
.There are various environmental factors which can impact the businesses in an economy.

These environmental factors can be categorized into external and internal environment of the businesses.
Leadership and Manufacturing (quality).
Government regulations and policies, accounting agencies like accounting standard board, Resources in
an economy and demographics of people.
1.) Social
2.) Political
3.) Financial
4.) Quos
5.) Product Quality
6.) Distribution Channels
7.) Promotional Channels
8.) Manufacturing
9.) Employee
10.) Leadership
10 Critical Factors that could be Constraining Your Sales Growth
Low scores in any of these areas could be holding you back:
1: CUSTOMER/MARKET FOCUS - the extent to which you been able to identify the common
characteristics of your most valuable prospects and customers.
2: DIFFERENTIATION - your organisation’s ability to clearly “stand out from the crowd” in your
target markets
3: SOLUTION REPEATABILITY - the proportion of your sales revenues that come from standardised,
repeatable solutions
4: MARKETING STRATEGY - the ability of your marketing strategy to measurably and consistently
deliver the intended results
5: SALES PROCESS - the extent to which you have been able to establish a repeatable, scalable and
successful sales process
6: SALES FORECASTING AND PIPELINE MANAGEMENT - the accuracy of your

weekly/monthly/ quarterly sales forecasts
7: SUPPORTING SYSTEMS - the extent to which you have been able to establish repeatable, scalable
sales and marketing systems

8: PARTNER RELATIONSHIPS - the measurable impact that your partner relationships are having on
revenue
9: CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS - where you sit on the scale between being just another vendor and
acting as a truly strategic partner to your customers
10: PEOPLE - your ability to recruit, develop and retain all the people you need to sustain the growth of
your business

LO2:-Grasp current Status and Set Goal

The following steps will guide you through the A3 Process.
To get a more in-depth explanation of the step,
click on the step and a popup window will appear with more information.
If you're using Internet Explorer and have popup blocked,
you will have to unblock them to see the window.
Step 0: Identify a problem or need
Step 1: Conduct research to understand the current situation
Step 2: Conduct root cause analysis
Step 3: Devise countermeasures to address root causes
Step 4: Develop a target state
Step 5: Create an implementation plan
Step 6: Develop a follow-up plan with predicted outcomes
Step 7: Discuss plans with all affected parties
Step 8: Obtain approval for implementation
Step 9: Implement plans
Step 10: Evaluate the results
Step 5: Implementation Plan
In order to reach the target state, one needs a well thought-out and workable
implementation plan.
The implementation plan should include a list of the actions that need to be
done to get the countermeasures in place and realize the target condition,
along with the individual responsible for each task and a due date.
Other relevant items, such as cost, may also be added.
Step 6: Follow-up Plan

A critical step in the learning process of problem-solvers is to verify whether
they truly understood the current condition well enough to improve it.
Therefore, a follow-up plan becomes a critical step in process improvement

to make sure the implementation plan was executed,
the target condition realized, and the expected results achieved.
Step 7: Discuss With All Affected Parties
It’s VITALLY important to communicate with all parties affected by the

implementation or target condition, and try to build consensus throughout
the process.
We have included it as a specific step before approval and implementation

to make sure it does not get skipped.
But the most successful process improvement projects we have witnessed

do this step at each critical juncture.
Target condition, or implementation plan.
The goal is to have every one affected by the change aware of it and, ideally,
in agreement that the organization is best served by the change.
Step 8: Get Approval
If the person conducting the A3 process is not a manager, it’s imperative to

remember the importance of obtaining approval from an authority figure to
carry out the proposed plan.
The authority figure may then approve the change and allow implementation.
Step 9: Implementation
Without implantation, no change occurs.
The next step is to execute the implementation plan. .
Step 10: Evaluate the Results
Process improvement should not end with implementation.

It is very important to measure the actual results and compare to predicted.
If the actual results differ from the predicted ones, research needs to be
conducted to figure out why, modify the process and repeat implementation
and follow-up
Problem analysis has been defined techniques to:
 analyze the existing situation surrounding a given problem condition,

 identify the major problems and the core problem of a situation, and
 visualize the cause-effect relationships in a Problem Tree diagram.
2.1 The extent of the problem is defined.
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method of problem solving used for identifying the root causes
of faults or problems.[1] A factor is considered a root cause if removal there of from the problem-
fault-sequence prevents the final undesirable outcome from recurring; whereas a causal factor is
one that affects an event's outcome, but is not a root cause.
Though removing a causal factor can benefit an outcome, it does not prevent its recurrence with
certainty.
Essentially it is based on four general principles, extended throughout this article:
 Define and describe properly the event or problem ('five whys' technique).
 Establish a timeline from normal situation until the final crisis or failure.
 Distinguish between root causes and causal factor.
 Once implemented (and with constant execution), RCA is transformed into a method of problem
prediction
2.2 Appropriate and achievable goal is set
Weight-loss goals: Set yourself up for success
Well-planned goals can help you convert your thoughts into action. Here's
how to create successful weight-loss goals.
Set SMART goals
A good goal-setting strategy is the SMART goal checklist. Be sure that your
weight-loss goals — whether a process goal or an outcome goal — meet the
following criteria:

 Specific. A good goal includes specific details. For example, a
goal to exercise more is not specific, but a goal to walk 30
minutes after work every day is specific. You're declaring what
you will do, how long you will do it, and when you will do it.
 Measurable. If you can measure a goal, then you can objectively
determine how successful you are at meeting the goal. A goal of
eating better is not easily measured, but a goal of eating 1,200
calories a day can be measured.
 A goal of riding your bike is not measurable. A goal of riding your
bike for 30 minutes three days a week is measurable.
 Attainable. An attainable goal is one that you have enough time
and resources to achieve. For example, if your work schedule
doesn't allow spending an hour at the gym every day, then it
wouldn't be an attainable goal. However, two weekday trips to
the gym and two weekend trips might be attainable. If a
particular type of exercise, such as running, is physically too
difficult for you, then running every day would not be an
attainable goal.
 Realistic. For most people, a realistic outcome goal is losing 5 to
10 percent of their current weight.
 Process goals must also be realistic. For example, your doctor
can help you determine a daily calorie goal based on your current
weight and health. Setting an unrealistic goal may result in
disappointment or the temptation to give up altogether.
 Tractable. Goals are best achieved if you keep a record of your
progress.
 If you have an outcome goal of losing 15 pounds (7 kilograms),
record your weight each week. If your goal is to eat 1,400
calories a day, keep a food diary. Keeping track can help you
evaluate your progress and stay motivated.
 Long-term and short term-goals
Long-term goals help you focus on the big picture.
They can shift your thinking from simply being on a diet to
making lifestyle changes.
But long-term goals may seem too difficult or too far away.
 Allow for setbacks
Setbacks are a natural part of behavior change.

Everyone who successfully makes changes in his or her life has
experienced setbacks. It's better to expect them and develop a
plan for dealing with them. Identifying potential roadblocks — a
big holiday meal or office party,
for example — and brainstorming specific strategies to over
come them can help you stay on course or get back on course.
 Reassess and adjust your goals as needed
Be willing to change your goals as you make progress in your weight-loss

plan.
If you started small and achieved success, you might be ready to take on
larger challenges. Or you might find that you need to adjust your goals to
better fit your new lifestyle.
LO3:- Establish Activity Plan

How to Establish Objectives for a Work Plan
Work plans, and accompanying objectives, can benefit small projects to major operations.
Management by objective, or MBO, is a concept postulated by Peter Drucker in his 1954 book, "The
The principle provides a means of focusing all who are involved with a work plan or project. When those
involved contribute to the creation of objectives, they are more likely to feel ownership with the work
plan. Using the mnemonic specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time based, or SMART method,
gives an effective process to establish objectives.
How to prepare a detailed project plan document
The Project Plan Document is the deliverable that terminates the planning phase
(and opens the of execution phase of the project management).
A comprehensive project plan is a key document that binds you, your project team, the
project sponsor, and the beneficiary.
It is an agreement that defines the work of the project and the beneficiary's
project/programme purpose objectives.
A comprehensive plan can help you identify changes in scope after the project has
started and help you plan for any modifications or adjustments that might be needed
during the life cycle of the project.
A detailed project plan document will include:
The information already provided in the project scope document i.e.:
 Project justification: The need that the project meant to address and the solutions
envisaged.
 Project outcomes: The changes expected as a direct consequence of the delivered
project outputs.
 Project outputs: The deliverables (products) and direct results (services, events, etc.)
that the project team is expected to deliver and that will lead to the project outcomes.
A description of the activities

Identification and description of the project activities proceed according the following
steps:
 Activity Definition
 Activity Sequencing
 Activity Resource Estimating
 Activity Duration Estimating
 Schedule Development
This is what is technically called to perform a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
The purpose of developing a WBS is to:
 Allow easier management of each component.

 Allow accurate estimation of time, cost, and resource requirements.
 Allow easier assignment of human resources.
 Allow easier assignment of responsibility for activities).
3. The next step is to assign the material and human resources required for each task.
The project team should also be clearly identified, along with specific roles and responsibilities.
This ensures that all work is “owned” by someone, that redundant work is minimized, and that
role conflicts are reduced.
Dependencies (or Activity on Node) diagrams can be used to display four type of relationship
between activities. These are:
 Finish-To-Start
 Start-To-Start
 Start-To-Finish
 Finish-To-Finish
Finish-to-start relationship means the dependent activity cannot start until the first
activity is finished. This is the most common way to represent relationships between
activities.
A definition of the tasks along a time sequence is also called "action plan". The action
plan described in the project plan is considered to be the project "baseline", i.e. the
plan agreed upon at the starting point against which future changes are measured.
(Not to be confused with the baseline survey concerning the needs of beneficiaries
before the project start).
LO4:- Analyze causes of a problem

Root Cause Analysis Tree Diagram. Use the Root Cause Diagram to perform
visual root cause analysis.
Root Cause Analysis Tree Diagram is constructed separately for each highly
prioritized factor.
The goal of this is to find the root causes for the factor and list possible
corrective action. Concept Draw Office suite is a software for problem
analysis.
Cause and Effect Analysis
Cause and Effect Analysis - The Seven Management and Planning Tools is a
tool for Cause and Effect Analysis that allows users to analyze the root
causes for factors that influenced the problem.
This diagram is constructed separately for each highly prioritized factor.
The Diagram is then used for further formulation of potential actions.
Influence Diagram
This sample shows the Influence Diagram. It was created in Concept Draw
PRO diagramming and vector drawing software using the Basic Diagramming
Solution from the Universal Diagramming area of Concept Draw Solution
Park. Influence diagram represents the directed acyclic graph with three
types of nodes and three types of arcs that connect the nodes. Decision node
is drawn as a rectangle, Uncertainty node is drawn as an oval, and Value
node is drawn as an octagon.

7 Management & Planning Tools

Land-use problems: symptoms and causes
SYMPTOMS OF LAND-USE PROBLEMS

 Migration to towns
Low rural incomes
Lack of employment opportunities
Poor health and nutrition
Inadequate subsistence production
Shortage of fuel and timber
Shortage of grazing land
Low, unreliable crop yields
Desertion of farmland
Encroachment on forest and wildlife reserves
Conflicts among farming, livestock and non-agricultural uses
Visible land degradation, e.g. eroded cropland, silted bottomlands, degradation of
woodland, salinity in irrigation schemes, flooding
UNDERLYING CAUSES RELATED TO LAND USE

Social problems
Population pressure on land resources
Unequal distribution of land, capital and opportunities
Restrictions of land tenure and landownership
Natural hazards and limitations
Inadequate water supply and distribution
Irregular relief
Drought-prone soils
Poor drainage
Diseases
Mismatch between land use and land suitability
Inadequate water control
Clearance of forest on steep lands
Inadequate soil conservation practices
Inadequate periods of bush fallow
Related rural planning problems
Inadequate power
Lack of fertilizer and pesticides
Lack of markets, unsatisfactory price structure
Lack of finance
Inadequate transport
Lack of technical support
Problems of land use

To define a problem it is necessary to establish the present situation, judge ways in which it is
unsatisfactory and identify ways in which it might be made better.
Apart from when planning new settlements on unoccupied land, this stage of diagnosis of problems is of
the highest importance.
Without identifying problems and analysing their causes, one is in no position to plan for improving the
situation.
The fundamental field survey method may be summarized as:
• talk to the people;

• look at the land.
"People" include the farmers and other land users, local leaders, extension staff and agencies active in
the area.
Where time allows, a set of interviews should be conducted with farmers sampled from each land-use
system.
Table 2 gives some examples of problems of land-use systems.
Identify which are considered to be the most important - by the farmers, by local agencies and by the
planning team.
At the same time, diagnose the causes of the problems identified.
The effects may be indirect: a labor shortage on farms at a critical period might be made worse by the
fact that women have to travel long distances to collect fuel wood or water.
Taking present land use as the basis, ask:
• How is the land managed now?
• What will happen if the present management continues unchanged?
• Why is it the way it is? Is it the best available system of land use or is it followed because of tradition,
insufficient labor,
Problem statements
This stage can be summarized by a set of problem statements which, for each problem, give:
• Its nature and severity with respect to land units and land-use systems;
• its short-term and long-term effects;
• a summary of its causes: physical, economic and social.
Opportunities

Planning involves seeking and appraising opportunities for closing the gap between the present situation
and the goals. Opportunities are presented by untapped human and land resources, new technology
and economic or political circumstances.
Research and extension services play key roles in developing, adapting and introducing new technology.
Economic opportunities include new sources of capital, new or improved markets, changes to the price
structure, the improvement of transport and communications..
Government action may create opportunities,
For example by the reform of land tenure and administrative structure and through policies of taxation,
pricing, subsidies and investment.
Options for change
There is usually more than one way to tackle a problem.
Alternatives may be needed to give due attention to the interests of competing groups and serve as a
starting point for negotiations.
The plan that is finally accepted may include aspects of more than one option.
Options can be described in terms of ways and means:
• Non-land-use planning options. In the example illustrated by Figure 7, population policy and food aid
are beyond the scope of land-use planning.
• Allocations of land use. Land-use types are allocated to specific areas of land; for example, irrigated
farming to bottomlands, forestry to steep slopes and stream reservations. This option is widely applied
in new settlement schemes but is more difficult to apply where land is already occupied.
• New land uses. A complete change is made by introducing new kinds of land use not previously
practiced in the area, for example irrigation.
• Improvements to land-use types. Improvements are made to existing farming systems or other land-
use types in order to make them more productive or sustainable.
• Standards. Standards may consist of planning guidelines or limits.
limits to safeguard life and property might specify "no housing or industrial development in designated
flood hazard or landslide zones". Standards of this kind, however, are hard to enforce, unless the
problems that have led to their being broken are addressed.
• Consider alternative land-use strategies. None of the following strategies are likely to be followed
alone. They represent extremes to be used as a basis for an analysis and comparison of different courses
of action.

o No change. Continue the present systems of land use. Since there are problems,
this is unlikely to be adopted, but examination of its consequences is useful to see
if suggested improvements are any better.
o Maximum production. This may be for all products, for selected products
o (e.g. food crops), for maximum financial benefit or to support the greatest number
of people on the land.
o Minimum public investment. To bring about improvements which benefit the
people while making the lowest demands on scarce investment funds.
o Maximum conservation. Maximum production in the short term may lead to
accelerating erosion or pollution. The alternative of maximum conservation may
be costly or may imply a lower level of production.
o Maximum equity. A deliberate attempt to give added benefits to poorer sections of
the community or to minority groups.
 Identify a range of possible solutions. Options may be built around various
themes. The planner must find the theme that is most relevant to the goals
and the planning area. Again, a compromise between extremes will be
necessary.
o Types of production. Which type of production should be encouraged:
commercial, subsistence or a combination of the two? How should land and
resources be allocated between the different kinds of production?
o Production or conservation? A trade-off between these alternatives is often
necessary in the short term. Standards, and hence allocation of land to different
uses, may differ between these alternatives. For example, the maximum slope
angle of cultivated land may be 20° in the "production" alternative and 8° in the
"conservation" alternative.
o Self-reliance or outside investment? An alternative favouring self-reliance would
be based on traditional crops, intermediate technology and local credit. An
alternative requiring outside assistance might introduce more sophisticated
technology, perhaps new crops and outside finance.
4.3 Causes of the problems are identified
Main causes of lack of profitability include:
 A flawed business model.
 An underperforming business, your sales & marketing and/or operations are
not working like clockwork.
 Lack of understanding of financial statements.
 Lack of accurate and timely financial statements.
 Lack of KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) and strict monitoring of them
 Low gross profit margins due to high direct costs and/or not charging enough
for your products/services and/or extreme competitive industry pressures.
 Poor performance and lack of productivity of staff.

 Poor processes, many errors/defects.
 Poor stock purchasing and management.
 Excessive overheads.
 Excessive interest and/or vehicle and equipment finance commitments.
 Poor credit approval of customers and poor debtor collection management
practices resulting in high bad debts experience.
 Undisciplined spending
LO5:- Examine Counter measures and their Implementation

The opinions expressed in the studies are those of the consultant and do not necessarily represent the
position of the Commission.
 Implementation process
 Prioritizing measures
 Public acceptance
 The role of cost-benefit analyses
The following is a suggested step by step implementation of counter measures:
 Increase public awareness of the problem.
 This could involve undertaking information campaigns, based on well-researched

information,
 sensitizing the public to the nature of the risk and encouraging changes in attitudes and
behavior. Also, political leaders could highlight the problem in speeches and other
interventions.
 This countermeasure may be undertaken immediately. In itself, it is not expected to yield

high reductions in risk,
• Implementation is monitored according to the agreed procedure and checked if the activities are implemented
according to the plan.

LO6:- Assess Effectiveness of the solution

Evaluating the solutions
There are various ways of evaluating the possible solutions to a problem.
 The evaluation process can be divided

into six stages:
 defining the 'ideal' solution
 eliminating unviable solutions, ie those
which do not meet the constraints
 evaluating the remaining solutions against
the results required
 Assessing the risks associated with the
'best' solution and, if acceptable making
the decision.
Assess Effectiveness of the

solution
Defining the ideal solution
The criteria of effectiveness which you defined to guide your search for solutions are
inadequate to make an effective evaluation.
Each solution may differ slightly or radically in the way and the extent to which it achieves your
various goals.
This information must be recorded and presented in a meaningful way to aid comparison.
The following questions must be

answered:

 What are the results
required?
 What are the benefits
desired?
 Any there obstacles or
causes that need
addressing?
 If the solution will be
acceptable to the relevant
stakeholders?
 What are the constraints
that exist?
 What resources are
available?
What is the minimum acceptable result?
What are the maximum levels of disadvantages that are acceptable?
Are there any other factors that must be considered?
Decisions are not always made by choosing the optimum mix of all the criteria of effectiveness.
Instead the following strategies may be used in certain situations:
Satisfying - refers to the selection of any solution which achieves a minimum set of
requirements.
It could be used when there is insufficient time for a detailed evaluation of all the options or
Maximizing - refers to giving preference to one particular evaluation criterion
Minimizing - refers to giving preference to solutions with minimal disadvantage on a particular
Eliminating unviable solutions
At this stage you examine each solution in turn and reject those which do not meet all the
constraints you have.
Evaluating the remaining solutions
Each of the remaining solutions is now examined to see how well it provides the results
required.
Assessing the Risks
Although the solution you have chosen offers the best balance of benefits versus
disadvantages, you need to examine the possible risks associated with this solution to ensure
that they are acceptable and to identify areas where risks could be minimized.

Making the decision
When you make a decision. you commit yourself to a particular course of action and take
responsibility for its consequences.
If you do not make this commitment you have not made a decision, so you can't proceed any
further and you will not solve the problem.
6.1 Tangible and intangible results are identified
Tangible and intangible results
Strategy
 Achieved leading profitability in the industry in Europe.

 Increased operating results from -10% to +3% of sales within 12 months.
 Improved purchasing terms by up to 15% – with better service.
 Quick economic turn-around of loss-making companies and business units through
strategic alignment on growth, often within a period of only 12 months.
 Created clear directions by focusing on external and internal customer requirements.
 Reduced one-time investments by 25 million Euros compared to budget, and achieved
regular savings of 5 million Euros.
 Restored growth capacity after a long restructuring period through the specific
involvement of capable employees as multipliers.
 Relevant work fields are identified much more quickly by management board
committees.
 Reduced average meeting frequency and meeting duration by half – with simultaneously
higher effectiveness
Leadership
 Up to 20% time savings at management board level through professional conflict

resolution in terms of a win-win-win approach.
 Cut in half the time required to make strategic and critical operative decisions – with
higher decision-making quality.
 Accelerated implementation of key projects by up to 100% compared to experience to
date.
 Significantly increased management effectiveness by adopting client methodology at the
organization.
Organization
 Drastic reduction of misunderstandings arising in projects based on a binding and clear

commitment on the part of executives and employees to be directed by common goals.

 Significantly accelerated international expansion – achieving break-even status faster
than expected.
 Ensured smooth transitions for outsourcing projects through profitable contracts.
 Institutionalized permanent performance improvements by introducing Best Practices.
 Processes
 Created error-free processes through consistent involvement of sales, production and
logistics.
 Full transparency on the current status of the company’s key projects in “real time”.
 Consistently aligned company administration to internal and external customer
requirements.
 Sales & Marketing
 Significantly accelerated market penetration through consistent cooperation between
marketing and sales departments.
 Increased profitability of sales by up to 20% – with identical costs.
 Reduced number of discussions on product range by up to 50% through structured
 Work with purchasing, sales and marketing.
Improved quality of delivery performance to customers to up to 99.5%
LO7:- Standardize and sustain operation

5S in the workplace
Many manufacturing facilities have opted to follow the path towards a “5S” workplace organizational
and housekeeping methodology as part of continuous improvement or lean manufacturing processes.
The term refers to five pillars:
A. Sort: Remove all items not needed for current production operations
B. Set in Order: Arrange needed items so that they are easy to use
C. Shine: Keep everything, every day, swept and clean.
D. Standardize: Integrate Sort, Set in Order, and Shine into a unified whole.
E. Sustain: Make a habit of properly maintaining correct procedures.
The 5S system improves business operations by creating and maintaining a clean and structured work
environment. Implementing a 5S methodology has a variety of benefits:
Reducing part retrieval times and errors
 Improving safety
 Lowering manufacturing costs
 Enabling quicker, more efficient production
LISTA storage solutions can help businesses implement the 5S system by maximizing the available space
and improving the overall organization of their facilities.
Read our 5S white paper to learn more about 5S and how LISTA storage solutions can help with your
lean manufacturing initiative.

Table below provides an overview of the 5 pillars, with a brief definition of why it’s important, and the
list of problems it avoids if implemented.

The new procedures are standardized and made part of daily activities if the goal is achieved

Supervision
Good supervision affects organizational results and the overall work environment.
A strong supervisory team that contributes to a positive work environment and enables employees to
be and feel successful can provide your organization with a competitive advantage in attracting and
retaining talented employees -
In this Section:
 Role of a supervisor
 Functions of a supervisor
 Supervisor competencies
 Transitioning into the supervisor role
Executive director's guidelines for promoting and managing supervisors
Related HR Management Standard:

Managers and supervisors with the
responsibility for managing the
What is this? efforts of others are provided with
appropriate learning opportunities
to develop their supervisory skills.
Role of a supervisor
Supervisors manage both processes and people.
Process responsibilities include activities such as:
 Work unit planning

 Budgeting
 Scheduling
 Task/work assignment
 Work implementation and problem solving
 Monitoring work unit progress
 Evaluating results
People responsibilities include activities such as:
 Developing work team and individual employee skills and capabilities

 Motivating employees
 Monitoring and providing feedback on day-to-day performance
 Conducting formal performance reviews
 Carrying out disciplinary activity
 The seniority (level) of the managerial job
 A greater number of employees being supervised

 Greater complexity of the goals and responsibilities within the function
 Lower expertise and knowledge of employees being supervised
 Greater risks associated with the work being completed
Functions of a supervisor
The following are examples of typical supervisory functions: people management and task
management.
People management functions
Typical people management functions of a supervisor include:
 Developing work team and individual employee skills and capabilities

 Motivating employees
 Monitoring and providing feedback on day-to-day performance
 Formal performance review
 Disciplinary action
Developing work team and individual employee skills and capabilities
As part of achieving objectives, supervisors need to ensure that their work team is comprised of
individuals with the skills, knowledge, and capabilities to carry out the work. Supervisors can
achieve the desired mix of skills, knowledge, and capabilities through effective staffing and/or
through the development of current employees.
Motivating employees
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that work unit goals and objectives are achieved.
Critical to fulfilling this responsibility is motivating employees to successfully accomplish
assigned activities. Supervisors can use a number of motivation techniques, including:
 Providing positive feedback on employee achievements

 Assigning interesting and challenging work
 Providing effective guidance, support and training
 Recognizing and rewarding positive performance
Successfully motivating employees requires:
Identifying the results and behaviors expected of employees
Monitoring and providing feedback on day-to-day performance
While most organizations require an annual performance review be done with all employees,
effective people management is based on on-going feedback, coaching and support throughout
the year.

Formal performance review
In most organizations supervisors are required to conduct a formal review with all of their
employees (usually annually,
more often in other organizations). Refer to the Performance Management section, and the
Policy Guideline for more information on this function.
Disciplinary action
Supervisors are required to carry out disciplinary actions with employees, when required, to
ensure performance expectations are met and a positive work environment is maintained. Refer
to the Discipline section and the HR Policy Guidelines for more information on this function.
Process management functions
Typical process management functions of a supervisor include:
 Work unit planning and budgeting

 Scheduling
 Task/work assignment
 Implementation and problem solving
 Monitoring work unit progress
 Evaluating and reporting on results
For each goal, whether qualitative or quantitative, supervisors should reflect on

and document:
What - the activities involved and expected outcomes related to this goal
How -- the activities and desired behaviors required to complete the goal
When - the timing of activities and the target date for goal achievement
Use the SMART system when developing your qualitative and quantitative goals.
Scheduling
Scheduling can refer to assigning staff to particular shifts or work hours in an organization
where services are provided and/or organizational activities occur outside the normal business
week.
Task/work assignment
Task/work assignment involves assigning specific work tasks and responsibilities to employees
in the work unit. The supervisor:
 Determines the skills, knowledge and capabilities required to carry out the task
 Assesses the skills, knowledge and capabilities of the individual employees
 Assigns work to the most appropriate individual

When assigning work to employees, the supervisor needs to consider not only what each
employee is capable of doing but also what assignments will provide challenges and
development opportunities to employees.
Implementation and problem solving
The supervisor is responsible for ensuring that activities and tasks within the work unit are
implemented effectively.
This requires the supervisor to oversee the implementation of activities and tasks at the
individual employee level as well as managing the implementation at the work unit level.
During implementation of activities and tasks the supervisor is often required to solve problems
impacting the ability of the work unit to achieve its goals and objectives.
The supervisor needs to determine the root cause of the problem and determine an effective
course of action to resolve the issue.
Monitoring work unit progress
Monitoring work unit progress on achieving goals and objectives involves tracking progress on
projects and individual employee assignments.
The tracking process should reflect the work cycles within the work unit (typically monthly or
quarterly, but can also be weekly in certain work environments).
Evaluating and reporting on results
Supervisors are responsible for evaluating the results achieved by the work unit and reporting
those results to their manager.
Evaluation of results involves not only determining if planned goals and objectives have been
met, but also how effectively they were met.
Supervisor competencies
The combination of process and people responsibilities results in a requirement for supervisors
to have a combination of process management competencies and people management
competencies.
Those identified below are meant to provide examples of typical competencies required of
supervisors; it's not an exhaustive list..
People management competencies
Examples of people management competencies include:

 Coaching
 Managing conflict
 Communication
 Group leadership
Coaching
In today's work environment, the role of a supervisor is not that of the authoritarian task
master. Supervisors are expected to coach their employees,
not to micro-manage every aspect of how activities or tasks are accomplished.
Coaching means providing direction, guidance, and support as required on assigned activities
and tasks. Additionally, as a coach,
Managing conflict
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring a positive work environment and effective teamwork,
which often involves managing interpersonal dynamics and conflict.
Supervisors need to allow and promote healthy conflict and prevent or resolve destructive
conflict.
Communication
Communication is a key competency for supervisors. They are responsible for communicating
information up, down and across the organization hierarchy,
as well as with parties external to the organization (volunteers, donors, clients,
Depending on the specific job, there may be more or less importance placed on written versus
verbal communication,
.Group leadership
In the course of carrying out their functions, supervisors are often in the position of leading
team meetings and group work.
Successful group leadership results in increased productivity and employee morale.
Successful group leadership involves:
 Establishing goals and agendas

 Creating focus and purpose
 Minimizing distractions and interruptions
 Planning group activities
Managing participation to ensure involvement of all team members
Following through on action items
Technical and process management competencies
Examples of technical and process management competencies include:

 Functional knowledge
 Decision making
 Delegation
 Time management
 Functional knowledge
Decision making
Pretty much all supervisory functions involve making decisions. Some decisions are prescribed
by an organization's policies and procedures, in which case the supervisor's responsibility is to
understand those policies and procedures and apply them appropriately.
Identify and clarify the problem
Obtain all information needed to understand what is causing the problem
Identify alternative courses of action and evaluate those courses of action against desired
outcomes and possible risks
Delegation
Delegation is key to surviving the demands of the dual role of most supervisors (as discussed
above in the section Role of a Supervisor.
Effective delegation also contributes to the growth and development of employees.
While supervisors cannot delegate ultimate accountability for their functions,
they can delegate prime responsibility for many of the activities within their functions.
(note that in a unionized environment, a supervisor may not be permitted to download

supervisory-type functions.)
Effective delegation involves:
Assessing the knowledge and skills required to carry out an activity, evaluating the risk
associated with the activity, and then deciding if it's appropriate to delegate the activity to a
supervised employee
Time management
Time management is an important competency for most people in business; if time is not
managed effectively the dual supervisory role can result in fatigue and burnout, and impact the
supervisor's ability to fulfill his or her job responsibilities.
Time management involves:
The ability to evaluate priorities and allocate work time accordingly
Effectively delegating work activities and responsibilities

Establishing consistent work habits that maximize time usage (i.e. a set amount of time each day
spent on e-mail and voice messages)
Taking on a supervisory role is an exciting and challenging opportunity.
The change in the nature of the relationships with coworkers
Additional time demands that can create stress during the workday may also conflict with
personal demands
Increased responsibility and decision-making
Re-establish relationships and build new relationships
There is often a period of discomfort between new supervisors and their former coworkers,
particularly when those coworkers become direct reports of the supervisor. Given that so much
of our day is spent at work, it is inevitable that friendships develop and those friendships can be
threatened when the nature of the work relationship changes. The truth is, some friendships will
withstand the change while others will revert to collegial relationships.
The challenge is to maintain positive relationships through the transition period and going
forward. To maintain positive relationships with former coworkers and friends, the new
supervisor should:
Be careful to avoid favoritism (or perceived favoritism) both in seeking input and in delegating
work
Examine motivation when providing positive or negative feedback.
Establish work-life balance
Time management is a key supervisory competency and has been discussed above.
Establishing a balance between the time demands of work priorities and personal priorities
(work-life balance) poses additional challenges.
They should discuss their commitment to work and personal life with those individuals that will
be impacted by the change in priorities - including their supervisor and family members.
Acquire new skills and knowledge
Typically, individuals are promoted to positions in which their supervisor believes they are
capable of performing well.
There is normally an expectation that the newly promoted individual will have some abilities
and experience required of the job and will require development in other areas of the job.
A new supervisor should work with his or her supervisor to evaluate current knowledge, skills
and abilities against those required in the position.

Find a mentor or coach
New supervisors can benefit greatly from a mentor or coach to act as a sounding board and
support person.
If your organization does not have a formal coaching/mentoring program, seek out a mentor for
yourself. Your mentor should be someone who:
 Has a greater level and breadth of experience than you

 Is someone you trust and respect
 Is comfortable giving honest feedback
 Is willing to spend a dedicated amount of time with you on a regular basis
 Executive director's guidelines for promoting and managing supervisors
 Clear
 Concise
 Instructional
 Logical
Where any form of testing, checking, verification activity is being performed.
Even when staff is fully competent and familiar with their on-going tasks,
Title and number:
Each procedure should have a title and a unique identification number. It is also a good idea to build in a
facility to deal with updated versions.
Effective date and/or revision date:
To prevent premature use and the use of outdated SOPs.
List of revisions:
A history of the changes made to the document since its first issue, with reasons for the changes.
Page number:
Each should be numbered: page x of xx
Purpose:
A statement of the purpose of the procedure
Scope:

A statement of what the SOP covers
Responsibility:
A list of the people who use the procedure
Environmental/Health & Safety:
SOPs should briefly inform operators of any hazards associated with the materials or the completion of
the procedure and how to protect themselves from dangers. There will be references to the relevant
MSDSs (Material Safety Data Sheets). Environmental precautions are also mentioned here.
SOP is verified and followed by all employees.
Definition
An important aspect of a quality system is to work according to unambiguous Standard

Operating Procedures (SOPs).
In fact the whole process from sampling to the filing of the analytical result should be described
by a continuous series of SOPs. A SOP for a laboratory can be defined as follows:
"A Standard Operating Procedure is a document which describes the regularly recurring
operations relevant to the quality of the investigation.
The purpose of a SOP is to carry out the operations correctly and always in the same manner. A
SOP should be available at the place where the work is done".

Apply Problem Solving Techniques and Tools

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Apply Problem Solving Techniques and Tools

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Apply Problem Solving Techniques and Tools

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Apply Problem solving Techniques and tools

BELES PARADISE COLLEGE

MODULE TITLE: applying problem solving techniques and tools

TVET-PROGRAMME TITLE: NURSING LEVEL IV

MODULE TITLE: Applying Problem Solving Techniques

MODULE CODE: HLT NUR4 Mo16 0219

NOMINAL DURATION: 40 Hour

Prepared By :- Abdulmejid.Y Page 1

Prepared By :- Abdulmejid.Y Page 2

LO1.Identify and select theme/problem

Work health and safety procedures

A procedure sets out the steps to be followed for work activities.

Resolving work health and safety issues

 consulting with workers on work health and safety

What is a Safety and Health Management System?

 the health and safety work organization and policy in a company

1. Policy and commitment

 They will contribute to all aspects of business performance as part of a demonstrable

 In a wider context, stakeholders' expectations, whether they are shareholders,

Prepared By :- Abdulmejid.Y Page 3

3. Implementation and operation

 underpinned by effective staff involvement and participation through appropriate

. The objectives of active and reactive monitoring are:

5. Auditing and reviewing performance

Prepared By :- Abdulmejid.Y Page 4

Performance should be assessed by:

 internal reference to key performance indicators

Critical factors like number of customers affected

 There’s more to customer satisfaction than customer service.

 The customer is always right, right?

 “The single most important factor that affects customer satisfaction is

Prepared By :- Abdulmejid.Y Page 5

Leadership and Manufacturing (quality).

5.) Product Quality

6.) Distribution Channels

7.) Promotional Channels

10 Critical Factors that could be Constraining Your Sales Growth

Low scores in any of these areas could be holding you back:

6: SALES FORECASTING AND PIPELINE MANAGEMENT - the accuracy of your

Prepared By :- Abdulmejid.Y Page 6

Prepared By :- Abdulmejid.Y Page 7

LO2:-Grasp current Status and Set Goal

To get a more in-depth explanation of the step,

If you're using Internet Explorer and have popup blocked,

you will have to unblock them to see the window.

Step 0: Identify a problem or need

Step 1: Conduct research to understand the current situation

Step 2: Conduct root cause analysis

Step 3: Devise countermeasures to address root causes

Step 4: Develop a target state

Step 5: Create an implementation plan

Step 6: Develop a follow-up plan with predicted outcomes

Step 7: Discuss plans with all affected parties

Step 8: Obtain approval for implementation

Step 9: Implement plans

Step 10: Evaluate the results

Step 5: Implementation Plan

Other relevant items, such as cost, may also be added.