Problem Solving Decision Making,
KT Resolve
Situation Appraisal Application Performance Standards
Process Step
1. Narrative
2. List Threats and
Opportunities
3. Separate and Clarify
Concerns
4. Set Priority Using
Current Impact, Future
Impact, and Time Frame
Performance Standards
Your narrative should contain a one-page overview of the situation you analyzed and include the
following:
 What was the situation you selected
 Why was it selected
 How was it appraised
 Who was involved
 How did you gather the information
 How long did it take you to complete the appraisal
 What challenges did you face
 What results did the appraisal achieve
 What are the next steps
If all your applications are related, you can submit a single narrative containing information on all the
applications.
Your List of Threats and Opportunities should:
 Contain a list of things you need to resolve, change, improve or fix; choices you need to
make; changes that are about to happen that will contain new threats and opportunities; things
you need to act on within a given timeframe; plans you are about to implement
 Be brief—no extraneous facts or narrative is necessary
Your Separated and Clarified Concerns should:
 Consist of statements that will point to the analysis needed or the action needed
 Contain a single statement or several statements for each threat or opportunity listed
 Contain a single issue
 Be specific and clear (the overall statements should not be vague or general)
 Be based on facts
If your concern is specific and clear and you know what action or process to use to resolve it, no
further separation or clarification is needed
Your Prioritization should:
 Include factual evidence of the current impact (seriousness). For example, how the concern is
affecting you or the things you are responsible for; how it’s affecting other people; how
Copyright © 2008 Kepner-Tregoe, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Problem Solving Decision Making,
KT Resolve
Process Step
5. Determine Analysis
Needed
Performance Standards
customers are reacting; how it’s affecting safety standards; how much money has been lost;
how much productivity has dropped; or how your reputations is being damaged.
 Show your rating of the current impact of each concern using a High, Medium, Low scale.
First select the concern with highest current impact; all other concerns are rated relative to this
concern. You can have more than one highly-rated concern
 Include factual evidence of the future impact (growth) of the concern if left unresolved. For
example, how the situation will get better or worse; the long-term consequences of delaying
resolution; the consequences of doing nothing
 Show your rating of the future impact of each concern using a High, Medium, Low scale. First
select the concern with highest future impact; all other concerns are rated relative to this
concern. You can have more than one highly-rated concern
 Include factual evidence of the time frame (urgency) after which it would become meaningless
to resolve the concern. For example, the deadline for resolution and why it should be met;
events, issues, people driving the deadline; coming events that could have an influence;
availability of resources
 Show your rating of the time frame of each concern using a High, Medium, Low scale. First
select the concern with highest urgency; all other concerns are rated relative to this concern.
You can have more than one highly-rated concern
 Indicate overall priority of each concern based on an assessment of its current impact, future
impact, and time frame
 Indicate the order in which you will address the concerns
NOTE: The mechanics of setting priority are as follows: first complete the current impact of all
concerns (evidence and rating), then complete the future impact of all concerns (evidence and
rating, and finally the time frame of all concerns (evidence and rating). This means you will be
moving vertically down your list of concerns. When you are ready to set overall priority, move
horizontally across the current, future impact, and time frame of each concern.
Your work should show the process (analysis) needed to resolve each high priority concern:
 Select Problem Analysis if there is a difference between what is actually happening and what
should be happening; don’t know the cause of the problem; and need to know the cause before
you can deal with the problem
Write a short statement describing the problem (Problem Statement)
 Select Decision Analysis if you face a choice and the best alternative unclear; want to design a
Copyright © 2008 Kepner-Tregoe, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
2
Problem Solving Decision Making,
KT Resolve
Process Step
Performance Standards
solution; need the best way to contain a problem or select a way to fix the problem
Write a short statement describing the choice (Decision Statement)
 Select Potential Problem Analysis if you want to protect a plan
Write a short statement describing the action (Action Statement)
 Select Potential Opportunity Analysis if you want to enhance a plan
Write a short statement describing the action (Action Statement)
 Select Situation Appraisal if you are still unclear about how to resolve your concern
Write a short statement describing the concern (Situation Statement)
OR
The action needed to resolve each high-priority concern (no analysis needed)
5. Determine Help Needed
Your work should include how you will resolve each high-priority concern:
 Identify information needed
 Identify expertise needed
 Identify who will do the work
 Identify the deadline for completing the work
Copyright © 2008 Kepner-Tregoe, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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