MOL 626E COURSE ANALYSIS SUMMARY, ASMT 7.2
MOL 626E Course Analysis Summary
Russell Battaglia (10007123)
MOL 626E Problem Solving and Decision Making
Jerry Kozlowski
18 March 2016
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MOL 626E COURSE ANALYSIS SUMMARY, ASMT 7.2
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A system or process can and most times should be used in making decisions that are
important to you. The method that is easy for me to remember and what I use for personal
decisions is the PrOACT method. The first step is to identify the problem. In most cases the
problem is relatively easy, you are about to make a purchase or you have to choose which
direction to take in a personal matter. The problem is known and little time is required on
identifying what it is. The second step is to identify your objectives, what are you trying to
accomplish. Depending on the circumstances, writing down the list of objectives can be helpful
later in the decision process. Some objectives are predetermined for personal use and a short list
will not be required. The next step is to create a list of alternatives. Alternatives are important
and give you your list of options to select from. In some cases for personal decision-making,
these three steps are all that is required to make your decision. My wife and I usually groceries
shop together. She is responsible for the list of items we need and plans the menu for the weekly
meals. I do the calculating of better deals and push the cart. The simple process of selecting
milk as one of our products needed off the shopping list is an example of using PrOACT to make
the smart choice. The problem is easy; buy milk. The list of objectives has a little more detail.
In the list of objectives, I must look at my schedule if I am watching my grandson during this
time frame. I now must be concerned with the quantity and expiration date of the possible
choices. Our primary shopping location is Tops market for our major purchases. My wife will
check the ads to see if any milk is on sale for that week. Our alternatives for selecting milk is
also have may options. We usually buy skimmed or no fat milk for our consumption. If we
expect grandkids to stop over we will purchase 1% milk fat. Under rare circumstances we will
purchase 2% milk fat but almost never higher than that. The next alternative we look at is the
size of the container. We are not heavy milk drinkers and very seldom go through more than one
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quart of milk during the week. If I am watching grand children we will opt for the half-gallon
size and always check the sell by date to ensure freshness. The last alternative is brand name for
our selection. We are not loyal to any brand so Tops brand is usually our selection because it
cost less.
This is how we stand so far with our alternatives:
Am I watching grandkids this week? No
One quart of milk will be sufficient with the latest sell by date.
No fat or skimmed
Am I watching grandkids this week? Yes
How many days and how many children must be considered
Will I need 1% or 2% milk fat
What size container and the latest sell by date
The last consideration in either case is price. I realize price per gallon is cheaper with the larger
containers but the consequence is the milk will spoil if not consumed. I can use sour milk for
some recipes like pancakes or certain cakes and I could also give the excess milk to their parents
of the children I watch. The tradeoff of buying the larger container because of price would not
be worth the amount of milk that spoils hence not cost effective.
From here the selection is rather simple. Without children, buy a quart of no fat or
skimmed mild with the latest sell by date for the best price. The other option is with children for
the week. For more that two days, we buy a half gallon of 1% milk fat for the best price and the
latest sell by date.
In most cases we will go by the same selection process for most items we purchase at the
grocery store. We feel it is important to watch the ingredients for chemicals and artificial
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additives that are not healthy for you and especially high fructose syrups that are recommended
to stay away from. Other items may have other tradeoffs and consequences with some
uncertainty and risk tolerance. All of these factors are weighed in our selection process. We
also will consider linked decisions for future purchases because of special offers and store
coupons.
The yes or no guide to better decisions is a process that I believe is better if you have to
make a personal decision yourself. You may ask for outside help with questions but the decision
is yours alone. This method of decision-making is an examination of yourself in several ways as
described in the book.
To start the process you ask yourself if a real need exists on the problem you are working
on. Is this a real need or a want? A want is a wish that is not really required but desired. A real
need is a necessity and is essential for success and fulfillment. Get all the facts on the situation
and formulate your options. Realize that there are some options that you may not think about so
get try to gather all the facts and verify all that you can. The next part is thinking all of the
options through with an understanding of what they entail. Consider similar situations you may
be familiar with from the past. Did you have to make a decision regarding that matter? If so,
was it the correct decision? Compare your results to your current situation and ask your self the
question: Am I meeting the real need, informing myself of options and thinking it through? Yes
or No?
The next part of the equation has to do with your heart and three traits involving your
personal character. A person with integrity, intuition and insight will make better decisions.
People with integrity will not try to fool themselves with nonsense and get to the truth quickly.
People with intuition know to trust their own thoughts and not rely on others to make the tough
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decisions for them. People with insight know that it is possible to sabotage their own results and
do not allow that to happen. This part of the process deals with your heart when you ask yourself
this question: Does my decision show I am honest with myself, trust my intuition and deserve
better? Yes or No?
In my professional career I believe the Harvard Business Essentials guide is your best
option. There are five steps to better decisions. Step one is setting the stage for success. Get the
right people in a team to participate in the process. Agree on how the decision will be made and
encourage open dialogue and communication. Small groups are usually better than large groups.
If you are working on a large project or problem, break the project into smaller parts and divide
the group up into smaller groups to work on a specific part. When it is time to make the
decision, the group can be reformed and the decision can be made.
The next step is framing the problem. Without knowing the real problem you can not get
very far on alternatives or decisions. State the problem several ways to see if it changes the
requirement. Ensure that you are all thinking and working on the same issue. Understand that
some people will frame the problem to meet their own personal agenda. Personal bias is another
trap you must avoid. Recognize when this is happening and put an end to it fast. Your group
will be better off with the results.
Step three is generating several alternatives for possible solutions. If you do not have
alternatives, you already have the solution and I am sure that is not the case. My personal best
method of creating alternatives is to brainstorm. Your group should feel comfortable to be open
with free dialogue no matter how it sounds. Several key points can be put together to formulate
a possible solution. Better solutions come from more alternatives available.
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After several alternatives are formulated, the next step is to evaluate each alternative.
The goal to evaluating alternatives is to estimate how well each choice meets the objective. The
use of technology and tools to assist in your evaluation is recommended. Financial data is
always a huge concern in corporate America so use the information you have to get the financial
edge. Prioritize your alternatives and compare how well each one meets your objectives. Utilize
tradeoffs if available to make one alternative better than others. Other tools like decision trees
and computer software have been developed to assist in crunching the numbers to apply weights
to possible options.
Step five is making the decision. Ensure you utilize the method of decision previously
agreed upon by the group. Ensure the facts are discussed and you do not end the discussion too
early. You also do not want to prolong the obvious for no reason. After a decision is made, you
must begin to communicate that decision and begin implementation. If necessary show some
alternatives in your communication and explain why this was the best possible solution. The
more buy-in you get on your decision, the easier it will be to implement.
I believe all three processes are valuable in their own right. Each approach has in my
mind and using the methods learned is a bonus to my problem solving abilities. I am certain I
will use all three methods in one form or another. Currently I still have to refer to my notes for
the right order and not confuse the steps in each process. The more you use the process the
easier it will be to increase your proficiency.
MOL 626E COURSE ANALYSIS SUMMARY, ASMT 7.2
References
Harvard Business Essentials: Decision Making 5 Steps to Better Results. (2006). Boston, MA:
Harvard Business School Press.
Hammond, John S., Keeney, Ralph L., Raiffa, Howard. Smart Choices A Practical Guide to
Making Better Life Decisions. (1999). Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press
Johnson, Spencer. YES or NO The Guide to Better Decisions. (1992). New York, NY:
HarperCollins Publishers.
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