Effective Problem-Solving and Decision-Making

Problem-solving and effective decision-making are essential skills in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing workplace. Both require a systematic yet creative approach to address today’s business concerns. This course will teach an overarching process of how to identify problems to generate potential solutions and how to apply decision-making styles in order to implement and assess those solutions. Through this process, you will gain confidence in assessing problems accurately, selecting the appropriate decision-making approaches for the situation at hand, making team decisions, and measuring the success of the solution’s implementation. Using case studies and situations encountered by class members, you will explore proven, successful problem-solving and decision-making models and methods that can be readily transferred to workplace projects.

Upon completing this course, you will be able to: 

1. Identify key terms, styles, and approaches to effective problem-solving and decision-making 

2. Explain both the affordances and limitations associated with problem-solving and decision-making 

3. Reflect on how mindset and personal bias influence your ability to solve problems and make decisions 

4. Explain and discuss how organizational decisions or non-decisions impact personal development, team dynamics, and company-wide performance 

5. Articulate how both good and bad team decisions can benefit your professional growth