Effective Planning & Problem Solving – Leading Through People™, Module 12

Session Length: 8 Hours | Target: Supervisor and Above | Prerequisites: None | Delivery: taught live only

Planning is the thinking that precedes the work, something that all effective leaders do as part of their managerial discipline. This module explores the different aspects of leading the planning and problem solving process with staff, in order to consistently execute action plans that accomplish each objective – on time and on budget. Strategic planning and SWOT analysis round out the key skills learned. Completion of Wiley’s Team Dimensions™ online assessment as session pre-work. Topics include:

• Fundamentals of Planning
  • Formal vs. informal planning
  • Engaging staff in the planning process to create ownership
  • The G.N.I.T.T.S. Planning Formula
  • Planning and Murphy’s Law
• The Different Planning Styles and Roles – Team Dimensions™ Assessment Review
  • The general flow of planning and the action plans that follow
  • The five roles people people play in the planning process
  • Workshop: My own planning strengths and weaknesses
  • My group’s planning style and dynamics
• Fundamentals of Problem Solving
  • Problem solving exercise: The Great Larsonville Fire
  • Formal vs. informal problem solving
  • Common characteristics of problems
  • Henry Ford’s 1-10-100 Law of Problem Resolution
  • Engaging you staff in problem solving
• Step 1: Properly Defining a Problem with a Problem Statement
  • The role of problems, causes, symptoms, and contributing factors
  • Root cause analysis
  • Five methods to perform a root cause analysis
• Step 2: Developing an Effective Plan to Solve Each Problem
  • Creative brainstorming and dealing with creativity blockers
  • Refining and synthesizing ideas
  • Developing an action plan that has staff agreement and buy-in
  • Keeping problems from re-occurring
• SWOT Analysis and Similar Planning Tools
  • What is a SWOT Analysis?
  • How to perform a SWOT analysis
  • The Stop-Start-More-Less planning tool
  • The Stop-Start-Continue-Fix planning tool
• Strategic Planning Made Simple™
  • Ten reasons why strategic planning usually fails
  • Assembling the right strategic planning team
  • Ten steps to strategic planning success