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Decide which of the available options you will choose. You should be prepared to give reasons why and be able to show that this is the best of all options available. From the list of possible solutions you can sort out, which are most relevant to your situation and which are realistic and manageable. You can do this by predicting outcomes for possible solutions and also checking with other people what they think outcomes might be. When you have explored the consequences, you can use this information to identify the most relevant
Author: Neftaly Malatjie
114054 LG 1.52 Step 5: Select a possible solution
114054 LG 1.51 Step 4: Look at alternatives
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How many different approaches can you think of that will solve the problem? What are the pros and cons of each approach? When you have decided what your goal is you need to look for possible solutions. The more possible solutions you find the more likely it is that you will be able to discover an effective solution. You can brain-storm for ideas. The purpose of brain storming is to compile a list of possibilities. It does not matter whether the ideas are useful or practical or manageable: just write down the ideas as they come into your mind. Some of the best solutions arise from creative thinking during brain storming. You can also seek ideas about possible solutions from friends, family, a partner, a counsellor, books or the internet. The aim is to collect as many alternative solutions as possible.
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114054 LG 1.50 Step 3: Set goals
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Goal setting is crucial to reach your strategic objectives. Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality. Key questions are: What is it that you want to achieve? What would it be like without the problem? What do you want things to be like instead? It is important to solve a problem at the right level. If you ask questions that are too broad, then you’ll never have enough resources to answer them effectively. If you ask questions that are too narrow, you may end up fixing the symptoms of a problem, rather than the problem itself. One effective tool to set goals at the right level is the SMART criteria.
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114054 LG 1.49 Step 2: Explore possible strategies
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The next stage is to research the problem as fully as possible and to explore possible problem solving strategies. Think about the different elements of the problem by watching it from different angles. You can ask yourself questions such as: How would another person perceive the situation? What would he/she do? What were the best ideas that my competitors have had? Are there existing solutions? Explore as widely as possible, e.g. through brain storming, imaging/visualization or other creative and analytical tools in order to generate many potential solutions. List and discuss them. Then, form possible problem strategies. The next step helps you in doing this.
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114054 LG 1.48 Step 1: Identify the problem
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What is the problem? The first step consists in recognizing the existence of a problem that needs to be solved. In order to find an appropriate solution, you need to identify and name the problem. While it may seem like an obvious and simple step, finding the source of a problem is often the most challenging part of the process. You may not be clear of what the problem is or feel anxious and confused about what is getting in the way of your goals. Ask questions, which help you to determine the difference between what is expected and what is occurring, like: What is the nature of this special problem? Is it temporary or longer-term? Does the problem affect other persons or only you? Will others need to be consulted? What do they know about it? What is hindering you from completing this task? Do you need more time, information or experience?
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