Management Problem Solving

Business Problem Solving Needs Big Improvement
& The Scientific Method of Problem Solving Can Help

Evidence About Management Problem Solving & BusinessProblem Solving

In Complex Problem Solving (1991) Wagner states:

Mintzberg’s influential studies of what managers actually do, as opposed to what they are supposed to do, or what they say they do, provided unwelcome news to proponents of rational approaches to managerial problem solving. Mintzberg found that even successful managers rarely, if ever, employed rational approaches. Rather than following a step-by-step sequence from problem definition to problem solution, managers typically groped along with only vague impressions about the nature of the problems they were dealing with, and with little idea of what the ultimate solution would be until they found it. Isenberg reached a similar conclusion in his analysis of how senior managers solve problems.

Problem Solving Training and Decision Making Training

Management problem solving can be greatly improved if managers are trained in the use of the scientific method of problem solving and decision making with its step by step sequence. This site includes free material on problem solving and decision making that can be used to start training them for workplace problem solving.

Divisions of Problem Solving

Earlier I explained the problem solving divisions that should be studied. They are:

  • Use of intuition
  • Short problem solving model formula
  • Full problem solving model formula
  •  The various organized and little sciences of problem solving

My website www.decisionmaking.org contains more specific advice on decision making. Business intelligence bubbles, and economic crises today require a detailed knowledge of problem solving and decision making.

Problem Solving Business Courses

Many universities have courses on scientific management as part of their business problem solving courses. Scientific management requires the application of the scientific method of problem solving using a model formula such as SM-14. However, most courses do not include a model formula for workplace problem solving. Now that my free problem solving knowledge is available, I suggest my problem solving training material be used in scientific management courses.