07 Nov This assignment is intended to assess your ability to integrate selected decision-making and problem-solving tools into a comprehensive personal problem-solv
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Workplace Problem 5-3
This assignment is intended to assess your ability to integrate selected decision-making and problem-solving tools into a comprehensive personal problem-solving process.
Overview
This final individual project assignment calls for you to reflect on how each of the decision-making tools has performed a role in impacting your assessment and resolution of the problem statement you defined in Module 1 and refined throughout the course. This is your opportunity to bring together and explain the key points you have learned from the various tools examined in this course. You are encouraged to refine the outcomes of your experiences with these tools and their impact on understanding and directing your thinking on your individual problem.
Action Items
1. This assignment is a culmination of the work you've done on your problem-solving process. The intent of this assignment is to compile all of the work you have done on your individual problem into a single report that would be worthy of submitting to your boss or their boss.
a. Re-use the diagrams and discussions from your previous assignments to compile this paper.
b. For each technique you used, be sure you have adequately described its value and purpose in the problem-solving process. It may seem evident to you, but assume that your audience is someone 2-3 levels above you in the organization – your report needs to make sense to them the first time through. You want the audience to understand not only your problem but also the tools you used to solve it and why you used them. All the written work shows your rationale.
2. You should add new knowledge and incorporate any feedback you have received to improve where necessary. You'll also need to add a discussion of the ethical implications involved in your problem and solution, a discussion of the Effective Solution formula and its applicability, and a brief discussion of the impact of your solution to the natural and social environment.
3. The paper should follow the outline below. Use the bolded words as section headings:
a. Introduction: Introduce the paper and the problem briefly (1-2 paragraphs).
b. Problem Background: 1-2 paragraphs.
c. Cause and Effect Analysis: Describe and demonstrate the use of this technique. Clearly discuss your findings as a result of using it. Place the written part in the body of the paper (1-2 pages of discussion), and put the diagram in the Appendix.
d. Defining the Problem: Describe the technique used to frame and define your problem (approximately 2-3 pages of discussion).
i. End this section with a very clear and distinct sentence that says, “The final problem statement is: _______.”
e. Divergent Thinking: Discuss your divergent thinking process and the results. Place the written part in the body of the paper (1-2 pages of discussion), and if you have a mind map, diagram, or long list of brainstorming results, put them in a separate document in the Appendix.
f. Convergent Thinking: Discuss your convergent thinking process and the results. Place the written part in the body of the paper (1-2 pages), and if you have a diagram or list, put it in a separate document in the Appendix.
g. Devil's Advocate Thinking: Discuss your devil's advocate thinking process and the results. Place the written part in the body of the paper (1-2 pages), and if you have a diagram or list, put it in a separate document in the Appendix. Be sure to clearly show how you used the Devil's Advocate questioning technique to critically examine your solutions.
h. Weighted Ranking Matrix: Discuss the technique, including a description of the criteria you selected and the weights you assigned. Also describe the findings after working through the technique. Place the written part in the body of the paper (1-2 pages) and your weighted matrix chart in the Appendix.
i. After using this technique, declare a final solution: which solution will you choose to implement? Note it clearly at the end of this section.
i. Implementation Plan: Describe and discuss the PDPC technique. Describe your findings, noting any significant issues related to the implementation of your solution. Place the written part in the body of the paper (1-2 pages) and the diagram in the Appendix.
j. Ethical Considerations: Even if there are no apparent ethical considerations, note here that you have at least considered this fact (1-2 paragraphs).
k. Effective Solution Formula: Use Es=QxA to examine the potential effectiveness of your solution. Consider all stakeholders (1-2 paragraphs).
l. Environmental and Social Considerations: Identify any potentially harmful impacts on the environment or society/community (1-2 paragraphs).
m. Conclusion: summarize and conclude (1-2 paragraphs).
Note: Each diagram or long list should go in an Appendix. Clearly label each document in the Appendix, with Appendix number and the title of the diagram (for example: Appendix A: Cause & Effect Diagram).
Discussion 6-1: Presentations 10 Slides
While the written paper is important, equally important is the ability to effectively present the information to the correct audience in an easily understood and applicable manner. To this end, you will develop and deliver a presentation that communicates the key ideas of your Workplace Problem full report. You will narrate your presentation, upload it to the discussion board, and seek feedback from your peers. You also will need to comment on 2 other students’ presentations. A key presenting skill is to be concise, yet thorough and engaging.
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Workplace Problem 1-1
Workplace Problem 1-1
At my present job, we have struggled with employee turnover for the past few years. It started almost concurrently with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We had over 20 team members early in 2020 who intended to depart our organization in two weeks. I have put much effort into hiring new employees and increasing the workforce size to the ideal level. The issue we continue to have is that our younger personnel need to gain familiarity with our goals and procedures. The inexperience has generated great trouble among our operations staff. The reduction in output was the most obvious at first. We planned to produce sales each month in 2019. A monthly average has scaled back that goal. Furthermore, we have reduced our change over time, that is, the time between the end of one lot and the beginning of the next. There has also been a noticeable increase in the number of procedure infractions. Our operations team's inexperience has led to declining high-quality output and business expectations.
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Cause and Effect Analysis
Introduction
The most significant issue facing me in my current work environment was employee turnover, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 20 of our team members planned to quit in early 2020 within two weeks of each other. Their sudden exit has kept us from hiring new employees to rebuild the workforce to the ideal level. However, most new workers must familiarize themselves with our objectives and processes, creating operational problems. This has manifested in lower output, extended change over time, and increased procedural violations. Inexperienced operations have led to degraded high-quality production and an inability to meet the expectations of the business.
Cause-and-Effect Analysis
The cause-and-effect analysis is a technique that helps to identify the root causes of a problem by categorizing potential sources of an issue. That is very important to problem-solving because it systematically considers all possible causes rather than just symptoms of a problem. Commonly developed using a fishbone diagram, the causes of this Ishikawa diagram have been categorized into six main groups: people, processes, materials, equipment, environment, and management, with many causes branching off from these major categories.
Findings and Key Points
From the fishbone diagram, several critical causes of employee turnover and the subsequent operational issues emerged:
1. People: Lack of experience and familiarity with procedures among new employees.
2. Processes: Inefficient onboarding and training programs.
3. Management: Need more support and guidance for new employees.
4. Environment: The disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
5. Materials: Limited resources for training and development.
6. Equipment: Inadequate tools and technologies to support new hires.
These factors collectively contribute to the ongoing challenges of maintaining high-quality output and meeting business expectations.
Problem Restatement and Definition
Importance of Defining and Framing a Problem Correctly
It became clear that problem formulation determines the direction of a solution search, so defining and framing are critical activities for problem-solving. A well-defined problem guarantees that the actual problem is being solved, not only the symptoms. Such precision helps harmonize the work of a team, its leadership, and resources to meet a shared end, not forgetting the impact on productivity. Besides, problem definition can help stakeholders improve their comprehension by giving everyone the same understanding. Properly defining a problem also avoids common pitfalls of cognitive errors that lead to wrong or less-than-ideal solutions. It assists in making issues more comprehensible by isolating them into comprehensible fragments that can be dissected and handled independently. Further, it fosters excellent attention to the problem, and one may notice that some underlying factors contributed to it. It is thus essential to come up with an overall understanding of the problem so that the solution found is not a temporary one that would not solve the given issue.
Problem Statement Testing Technique
To frame and define the problem statement effectively, I will use the problem statement testing technique. This technique involves evaluating the problem statement to ensure it accurately reflects the core issue and is framed in a way that facilitates solution generation. The original problem statement from Module 1 is: "At my present job, we have struggled with employee turnover for the past few years. It started almost concurrently with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We had over 20 team members early in 2020 who intended to depart our organization in two weeks. I have put much effort into hiring new employees and increasing the workforce to the ideal level. The issue we continue to have is that our younger personnel need to gain familiarity with our goals and procedures. The inexperience has generated great trouble among our operations staff. The reduction in output was the most obvious at first. We planned to produce sales each month in 2019. A monthly average has scaled back that goal. Furthermore, we have reduced our change over time: the time between the end of one lot and the beginning of the next. There has also been a noticeable increase in the number of procedure infractions. Our operations team's inexperience has led to declining high-quality output and business expectations."
Problem Restatement Techniques
i. Paraphrase
Restating the problem differently: ‘Our organization has been facing a high turnover rate post-COVID-19 outbreak, and therefore has had to recruit many new inexperienced employees.’ The inexperience displayed is the root of operation problems, such as diminished efficiency, higher rates of errors, and inability to fulfill business requirements and goals.
ii. 180 Degrees
Turning the problem around to find an opportunity: How could we use the new employees to bring new ideas that alter the former means of operations and enhance the organization’s performance?
iii. Broadening the Focus
Restating the problem in a larger context: ‘The underlying problem is the difficulty of achieving business objectives and effectively managing operations amid drastic workforce shifts and disruptions resulting from, for instance, COVID-19.”
iv. Redirection
Changing the overall focus of the problem: Rather than dwell on the inexperience of the new employees, how can we improve training and methods of placing the newcomers under work so that they become productive and valuable members of our team as soon as possible?
v. Why Ask Why
Continuously asking "why" to dig deeper into the problem:
Why are we struggling with employee turnover? Because the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions and uncertainty.
Why did the pandemic cause such high turnover? Employees faced health concerns, work-life balance issues, and remote work challenges.
Why are new employees inexperienced? Our hiring processes have been rapid to fill gaps, and our training programs may need to be revised.
Why is inexperience causing operational issues? New hires need to familiarize themselves with our specific procedures and goals.
Why are they unfamiliar with our procedures? Our onboarding and training processes may need to be more comprehensive and practical.
Final Problem Statement
The final problem statement for our organization is: "How can we improve our onboarding and training processes to integrate new employees better, reduce procedural errors, and enhance overall operational efficiency?" This formulation focuses on actionable steps to address our operations' core issues.
Conclusion
Looking at the problem and its changes, it is clear that these changes correspond to the problem restatement techniques. Initially, the issue was generally defined as linked with a high coefficient of employee turnover and related organizational losses. If we paraphrase, redistribute focus, and make other restatements, it is evident that this matter arose from insufficient onboarding and training procedures. This change of focus provided more clarity in terms of defining the issue; our objective turned to how to prepare PAs to produce at the desired organizational level. The use of the restatement process showed that while change in personnel may be an essential factor, a more significant problem is the impact of High Turn Over Rate on New Hires Corporation’s operations have been affected in several areas including Therefore, maintaining efficiency and quality during turnover is one of the biggest problems New hires have to be integrated and trained promptly to continue operating at optimal efficiency. As previously mentioned, during the problem restatement process, some findings that need additional research were identified. First, there is information to be gathered about the particular methods of onboarding and training because it is essential to apply practical methods that would help to integrate the newly employed employee quickly and totally. Also, analysis of the specific deficiencies in our present training courses will enable the enshrinement of these endeavors towards our precise application modalities. Furthermore, they could gather valuable information regarding how training effectiveness might be affected by remote work and other hybrid models in the post-pandemic environment. In aggregate, these innovations stress how scientific, strategic approaches to addressing process problems promote the right ways and means of getting new employees up to speed toward contributing to our vision and mission.
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Workplace Problem 3
Introduction
The pertinent issue of the organization’s workplace deals with employee turnover and stability regarding operations. This issue became very apparent during the COVID-19 outbreak when the organization lost a considerable number of employees, and, in turn, its workforce was considerably reduced. At the same time, many of the recruits were relative novices, with little understanding of the company objectives and work policies; these new personnel inconveniences, reduced productivity, and procedural violations. Fixing this problem necessitates using a systematic problem-solving model, including divergent and convergent problem-solving models and a ‘devil’s advocate’ approach to problem-solving.
Divergent Thinking Process
The cognitive technique for developing multiple solutions to a particular issue is called divergent thinking. It is a fact that this method of problem-solving lets several ideas flow in rapid succession without immediate judgment. To solve the problem of employee turnover, a meeting with colleagues and other stakeholders was held following the brainstorming. The goal of the session was the generation of as many potential solutions as possible while following the rules, which state that one must not say anything wrong about an idea, that there should be a focus on quantity rather than quality, the time limit to complete the session, and improvement of suggestions of other participants. Getting ideas from the participants was easy after they were initially asked to get out of their comfort zone to brainstorm. It was much livelier as the ideas began to pour in. The solutions generated included:
1. Promoting effective onboarding processes such as complete on-board training.
2. Paying reasonable wages and allowances during their contracts or producing cheap products.
3. Improving educational and career training activities.
4. Creating mentorship programs.
5. Increasing organizational culture and climate.
6. Continuing the evaluation of people exiting the organization to get to know the reasons for turnover.
7. Allowing employees to work for shorter hours or establish part-time work.
8. Offering high rates of incentives and fairly treating employees.
9. Laying down a rigid set of promotion standards.
10. Using wellness programs as a means of speaking to the hearts and minds of the workers.
11. Open and accessible working environment practices.
12. Fortifying of team development exercises.
13. Recruiting competent and experienced workers to train fresh members of staff.
14. Performance appraisals and performance feedback sessions are conducted on a frequent and timely basis.
15. Enhancing the communication of organizational goals and functional processes.
These solutions were written down and depicted in mind map form so that the scale of the thinking and the connections between ideas could be seen.
Convergent Thinking Process
Convergent thinking is all about identifying the best solution from the possible solutions. Such an approach necessitates a step-by-step approach involving a critical assessment and categorizing the many invariable ideas to arrive at the most viable solutions. The solutions were reviewed and consolidated into critical themes: recruitment, recruitment consummation and training, physical benefits and inducements, organizational culture, information-sharing, and staff development.
1. Onboarding and Training: Develop extensive onboarding strategies and include efficient guidance to help newcomers understand the company's policy and vision.
2. Employee Benefits: To ensure that they get and retain employees, they should offer better remunerations, provide numerous and attractive employee benefits, and have flexible working hours.
3. Workplace Culture: This means focusing on the best personnel practices in the organization, such as group activities and health consciousness, as well as incentives for the workforce.
4. Communication: There should be coordination and effective feedback on how things are done internally to fix all the necessary concerns.
5. Professional Development: Career mobility for employees and training opportunities within the firm.
The feasibility of each solution was explained in terms of its ability to solve turnover causes and organization inefficiencies. For example, practical orientation can eliminate most problems that emanate from inexperience while providing attractive benefits that will help to discourage employee turnover.
Devil's Advocate Thinking
The devil's advocate technique was used to reinforce the feasibility of the proposed solutions. One of the unique methods involves analyzing the solutions given by evaluating their strengths and weaknesses.
1. Onboarding and Training:
· Why should this solution be implemented? It equips new hires with the necessary knowledge and skills, reducing procedural errors and increasing productivity.
· What could go wrong? Insufficient resources or poorly structured programs could lead to inadequate training.
· Weaknesses and risks: High initial costs and time investment.
· Alternative solutions: Outsourcing training to specialized firms.
· Who might resist? Budget-conscious management.
· Unconsidered factors: The need for continuous evaluation and updates to the training program.
2. Employee Benefits:
· Why should this solution be implemented? Competitive benefits attract and retain talent, reducing turnover.
· What could go wrong? Unsustainable costs if not managed properly.
· Weaknesses and risks: Potential financial strain on the company.
· Alternative solutions: Performance-based incentives.
· Who might resist? Financial officers are concerned about cost implications.
· Unconsidered factors: Balancing short-term costs with long-term gains.
3. Workplace Culture:
· Why should this solution be implemented? A positive culture enhances employee satisfaction and engagement.
· What could go wrong? Superficial initiatives might fail to bring about real change.
· Weaknesses and risks: Potential for cultural changes to be met with skepticism.
· Alternative solutions: External consultancy for culture transformation.
· Who might resist? Employees are resistant to change.
· Unconsidered factors: Need for leadership commitment and consistency.
4. Communication:
· Why should this solution be implemented? Effective communication ensures alignment and addresses issues proactively.
· What could go wrong? Miscommunication or lack of follow-through.
· Weaknesses and risks: Overload of information without clear prioritization.
· Alternative solutions: Implementing communication training programs.
· Who might resist? Employees are overwhelmed by changes.
· Unconsidered factors: Ensuring communication channels are accessible to all.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the following approaches have to be taken on employee turnover and operational efficiency. The primary interventions created through convergent were designing and implementing proper training programs, employee perks and privileges, creating a pleasant work climate, crafting suitable intra-organizational communications structures, and offering opportunities for personal and career growth. Possible limitations were considered with the help of the devil’s advocate system so that the proposed solutions were balanced and sound. The first strategy at this stage is extensive onboarding and training to address the problem. In contrast, the second strategy is the provision of proper remuneration packages to retain employees. The above strategies, a positive working environment, and good communication skills should help solve the problem.
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Workplace Problem 4-2.
Introduction.
High turnover is a considerable challenge in maintaining organization functionality within institutions like school systems, including Detroit Public Schools (DPS). There are negative impacts, such as disruption of workflows, reduced morale, and increased hiring and training costs (Stamolampros et al., 2019). This aspect is concerning since it affects the quality of education and does not preserve services and continuity for students and staff in administrative assignments. Several possible solutions can be implemented regarding this issue, such as conducting thorough onboarding processes, creating competitive employee salaries, and creating a positive work environment (Narayansany & Isa, 2021).
Weighted Ranking.
The process involves;
1. Developing a list of criteria.
· Impact on Retention: How likely is the solution to improve employee retention?
· Cost Effectiveness: The financial viability of the solution.
· Time to Implement: The time needed to roll out the solution.
· Employee Satisfaction: How well the solution addresses employee well-being and morale.
2. Assigning weighted percentages to the criteria.
· Impact on Retention: 0.4 (40%)
· Cost Effectiveness: 0.2 (20%)
· Time to Implement: 0.1 (10%)
· Employee Satisfaction: 0.3 (30%)
3. Rating each solution against the criterion on a scale of 1-5.
Comprehensive onboarding programs:
· Impact on Retention: 4
· Cost Effectiveness: 3
· Time to Implement: 2
· Employee Satisfaction: 4
Employee Benefits:
· Impact on Retention: 5
· Cost Effectiveness: 2
· Time to Implement: 3
· Employee Satisfaction: 5
Workplace Culture:
· Impact on Retention: 3
· Cost Effectiveness: 4
· Time to Implement: 4
· Employee Satisfaction: 5
4. Multiplying ratings by the weighted criteria.
Comprehensive onboarding programs:
· Impact on Retention: 0.4 x 4 = 1.6
· Cost Effectiveness: 0.2 x 3 = 0.6
· Time to Implement: 0.1 x 2 = 0.2
· Employee Satisfaction: 0.3 x 4 = 1.2
· Total: 1.6 + 0.6 + 0.2 + 1.2 = 3.6
Employee Benefits:
· Impact on Retention: 0.4 x 5 = 2.0
· Cost Effectiveness: 0.2 x 2 = 0.4
· Time to Implement: 0.1 x 3 = 0.3
· Employee Satisfaction: 0.3 x 5 = 1.5
· Total: 2.0 + 0.4 + 0.3 + 1.5 = 4.2
Workplace Culture:
· Impact on Retention: 0.4 x 3 = 1.2
· Cost Effectiveness: 0.2 x 4 = 0.8
· Time to Implement: 0.1 x 4 = 0.4
· Employee Satisfaction: 0.3 x 5 = 1.5
· Total: 1.2 + 0.8 + 0.4 + 1.5 = 3.9
5. Selecting the solution with the highest score.
The solution with the highest score is benefits with 4.2.
Table 1: Weighted Matrix Table.