The Best Problem-Solving Models to Use | Emeritus India
It is difficult to solve a problem easily, especially when considering any situation where the decision can put the entire business at stake. There are many things to be considered, whether the risks of taking a certain decision or the impacts of the decision in real-time. Since so many variations exist, it can be difficult to solve a problem and make a proper decision.
Most teams usually work in a haywire method, causing everything to become a mess and nothing else. However, if a team follows a proper structure and well-described method, it becomes easier for them to decide and minimize the risks. There are a plethora of ways in which one can orchestrate a problem-solving model. But not all of them can lead you to success or help you to decide when there is a time crunch.
In such situations, the best way to handle the work will be to rely on two special problem-solving models. The following article will shed light on the two most popular decision-making models that can yield positive results and help you make any decision in the least possible time.
Two Best Models to Solve Problems in a Structured Manner
Nominal Group Technique
When you have a medium to large team with at least 10 people, and there is a crunch in time, you can use the nominal group technique as a decision-making model. It will help you to include everyone in the process with ease. To ensure the nominal group technique works for you, there are certain steps that you should follow. These are:
1. Listing ideas silently: The first method is to give the topic or question to every group member and then ask them to write all the ideas they think will help in solving the problem or will be the best answer to the question given to them.
2. Creating the master list: In this process, you must create a master list. Now, this is a more time-consuming process and also tiring. Here, you will ask each member to share the best idea they think will be suitable for the problem or question. Once you are done, repeat the process for the next best idea until you have created a list of all the best ideas.
3. Idea clarification: After you list the ideas that meet all the demands, you can go for further clarification. Ask the members to shed some more light on their shared ideas so that everyone can feel enlightened.
4. Voting anonymously: The last step is to conduct a voting round. Here, all the members will vote for the ideas without knowing whose idea they are voting for. The idea with the highest vote will answer the question or the solution for the problem you are trying to solve.
Single Question Technique
In this process, you have to come up with a single question and, through a process of ideation or brainstorming, find the best solution for the same. It is more efficient and will help you to use the team structure productively. This process has three steps, described in the below section.
1. Question identification: At the beginning, you need to run an analysis and find the most important question that needs to be answered at the earliest. To do so, give a priority rating to all the probable questions you have in hand and pick out the one with the highest rating.
2. Sub-question identification: The next step is identifying the sub-questions if any. Usually, when you consider a question involving multiple business processes, there ought to be several sub-questions. Without answering them, you won’t be able to form a solid answer for the prime question.
3. Determining available information: Sometimes, you and your team members might not have enough information required to answer all the sub-questions aptly. In this case, there will be two ways. Go for that if you have the information required to answer the sub-questions. Otherwise, you need to ignore the sub-questions and straightaway move to the main question.
Why Does Problem-solving Need a Proper Structure?
Before ending our discussion, you should know how having a proper team structure can help you to solve problems.
1.  First, when establishing a structure, it becomes easier to determine control flow from top to bottom.
2. You can easily include everyone in the team in the decision-making process, thereby getting more expertise.
3. Also, with a structured team, it will be much easier to gain more light regarding idea clarification and brainstorming.
Conclusion
As you now know the best ways to solve a problem and the right way to carry out the process, you won’t have any further problems implementing your knowledge. Ensure to pick the right method based on the prerequisites and the time you have in hand to conclude before the business takes a hit.
