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Decision Making and Problem Solving Skills Blog

Chris Farmer's Leadership and Management Training Blog

Chris Farmer

Welcome - the purpose of the blog page is to provide you with a never ending source of valuable, practical and entertaining information designed to help you get the best performance from yourself and others.

In these blogs you will find all the information you need to make faster progress in less time and effort. Here you will find all the information you need to achieve your goals. In addition to helping yourself to achieve your goals, you can use the same information to help others to achieve their goals.

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Decision Making and Problem Solving Skills Blogs

Decision making and problem solving are the most important skills you can develop, since your whole life depends upon your ability to solve problems and make the right decision.

You make decisions all the time: Your career depends upon your reputation as a Problem solver, and as person who makes the right decision.

Decisions come in different types. There are five major types of decision you need to be able to handle;

  1. Yes or no decision. (Should we, or should be NOT?)
  2. Which one, what kind decision. (Picking one from more than one option)
  3. Value order priority decision. What is the order of importance?
  4. Logical sequence priority decision. What is the most efficient sequence of steps?
  5. Problem cause solution: What is the problem? what are the three causes? What are the six solutions?

Each of these types of decision has its own decision-making technique which you can and should learn (or develop) for yourself.

Then you can walk into any situation, assess the current state, identify the problem, determine which of the five types of decision it is and then use the correct method to make the best decision possible.

Decision Making and Problem Solving Skills Blogs

How to Overcome Procrastination

21 May 2024 How to Overcome Procrastination Thumbnail

To overcome procrastination, develop strong time management skills by identifying tasks and commit to completing them regardless of your mood.This approach contrasts with procrastination, where tasks are delayed due to a lack of immediate motivation.

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Five Important Problem-Solving Questions

27 February 2024 Five Important Problem-Solving Questions Thumbnail

Success requires that we solve problems. There are five questions that may be profitably applied to any situation, the answers to which will provide valuable information and help solve any problem.

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Unlocking the Power of First Principles

13 June 2023 Unlocking the Power of First Principles Thumbnail

When supporting our opinions, we often turn to facts or fundamental principles. However, one of these approaches emerges as significantly more impactful. We explore why this is important.

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Key Steps to Better Decisions

6 June 2023 Key Steps to Better Decisions Thumbnail

Better decisions shape our lives, impacting careers, relationships, and happiness. Here are key principles to guide decision-making and steer towards success.

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Effective Decision Making

16 May 2023 Effective Decision Making Thumbnail

Effective decision making is essential, but it can be challenging when the situation is complex. Learn how to simplify the process and make better choices. Free apps available to help you.

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Perception Bias In the Workplace

28 February 2023 Perception Bias in the Workplace Thumbnail

Perception bias occurs when we form beliefs based on our experiences and then use these to irrationally judge people. What can be done to ensure that we make rational decisions when recruiting or selecting people for roles?

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Influencing Decisions When You're Not the Most Senior Person

2 August 2022 Influencing Decisions When You're Not the Most Senior Person Thumbnail

Decisions are usually made by the most senior people in an organisation. But less senior employees can influence the decisions if they develop certain skills and attributes. We examine how you can influence decision-makers.

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When and How to Use the Five Whys Technique

24 May 2022 When and How to Use the Five Whys Technique Thumbnail

Discovering the root cause of a problem is vital to finding a satisfactory solution. The 5 Whys Technique is a method of problem solving based on asking "Why?" five times. Corporate Coach Group have an improved version of the 5 Whys Technique.

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How Rational Thinking is the Key to Success

14 December 2021 How Rational Thinking is the Key to Success Thumbnail

Logic is our primary tool in understanding how to act to survive, make progress and succeed. By identifying and eliminating contradictions we can act according to the principles of reason. Be clear, be rational, be positive.

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What is the Law of Cause and Effect?

29 September 2020 What is the Law of Cause and Effect? Thumbnail

"Everything happens for a reason" is a commonly used expression, but not necessarily accurate. Everything that happens has a cause, or causes. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."

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10 Steps to Solving Problems At Work

2 September 2020 10 Steps to Solving Problems at Work Thumbnail

Problem solving is an essential skill, not only at work, but in personal situations. Use these ten steps to improve your problem-solving skills. Learn how to identify the circumstances around the problem and the logical steps to take.

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Be a Straight Thinker

6 March 2020 Be a Straight Thinker Thumbnail

Being able to think straight is an asset in life. We know this means making rational decisions, but what exactly does that mean in reality? You need to learn to be a critical thinker and here are four things to remember to get your thinking straight.

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Black and White Thinking

21 February 2020 Black and White Thinking Thumbnail

Right or wrong? Real life problems are often too complex to apply black and white thinking to. Instead, try using another concept, the Law of Identity, on which to base your analysis and decision making.

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How to Solve Problems

30 July 2019 How To Solve Problems Thumbnail

The ability to solve problems in business are an essential still. Whether you need to solve a problem for yourself or for your employer, these tips will help you to identify and work out a solution to your problem.

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The Walt Disney Model

29 January 2019 The Walt Disney Model Thumbnail

Walt Disney was a great problem solver. He approached problems from a variety of perspectives. We would all benefit from being able to find practical solutions to problems. Check out his model and see how you can use his methods to your advantage.

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The Four Causes of All your Problems

12 June 2018 The Four Causes of all Your Problems Thumbnail

There are four main causes of all your problems. Find out the major causes of all problems and learn how to find the right solution to those you can fix.

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How to Make a Good Decision

1 May 2018 How to Make a Good Decision Thumbnail

You are faced with making decisions every day, and it is important to make the right one. We explore the different types of decisions you will face and some fantastic tools we have developed in order to help decision-making easier for you.

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Tips on How to be Innovative

21 March 2017 Tips on How to be Innovative Thumbnail

Your business needs to adapt and grow in today’s ever-changing economic climate. Being innovative is not just about inventing, it also means adapting your current business model and making changes to your working practices.

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The Law of Diminishing Returns

17 February 2017 The Law of Diminishing Returns Thumbnail

More is not necessarily better. There is a point which is optimum. After this point comes diminishing returns, where additional amounts of time, money and effort are ineffective and may even be dangerous.

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The Single Most Important Thing

19 August 2016 The Single Most Important Thing Thumbnail

Be the best by learning how to pick out the single most important thing, in any situation or conversation.

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Decision Making and Problem Solving Training

1 September 2015 Decision Making and Problem Solving Training Thumbnail

When you are faced with a situation, you need to classify what kind of situation it is, then use the appropriate mode of thinking for the problem.

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Creative Problem Solving and Decision Making

6 March 2013

Creative problem solving and decision making Have you got problems? Of course! We all have problems. And we all want to know how to solve them. How can you solve your problems? Here are some notes on problem solving. What is "a problem"? A problem is the difference between your

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Blog Categories

Accelerated Learning (6)

Accelerated learning techniques are special methods of organising information, so that you can more rapidly memorise and more accurately recall it on demand. Accelerated learning also includes mind mapping and creative thinking techniques.

Assertiveness (4)

Assertiveness is a both a communication style and a mind-set which, when combined, allows a people to express their meaning using just the amount of forcefulness, in relation to their body language, voice tone and spoken language.

Change Management (15)

Change management training is how to use the fact of continuous change, to work FOR you, rather than against you. It is a fact that all improvement implies change, but many people hate change. Change management is about training people to love change as a means of making the future better.

Coaching, Mentoring and Developing Staff (8)

There is a pressing need to develop the next generation of leaders, managers and technical experts. One way to develop staff is through coaching and mentoring. To be an effective coach and mentor is not an easy skill to master. These blogs discuss the skills of coaching, mentoring and staff development.

Communication - Clear Communication (79)

One to the most important facets of communication is clarity. Whenever you write or speak, your words should denote only one possible meaning. If your words can be properly interpreted in multiple ways, then you are creating the conditions for confusion, error and misunderstanding. These blogs discuss the nature of clear communication.

Communication - Listening Skills (6)

Communication includes the ability to attend to, understand and memorise what people say to you. Effective Listening is an active, not a passive process. These bloggs discuss what it takes to be a good listener.

Communication - Nonverbal Communication (8)

Communication includes a large visual component. How you appear, as you speak, makes a big difference to how your message is received. These blogs are about how to best use your body language. (Eye contact, posture, dress, hand and arm gestures, etc.)

Communication - Persuasive Communication (40)

Persuasion is the art of convincing others that your ideas are good, right, fair and practical, and in addition, persuasion includes motivating people to put your ideas into action. Persuasion is a key communication skill that everyone should study. These blogs discuss how to be more persuasive.

Communication - Written Communication (5)

A part of your communication is in the written form. Writing well is a skill that most people do not study, though it is of immense importance. These blogs discuss how you might improve your written communication.

Conflict Management and Handling Difficult People (28)

Conflict is inevitable, and when it occurs, you need to resolve it quickly and efficiently. Conflict management (and handling difficult people) is about managing your communication and your emotions, so that you arrive at a negotiated solution as quickly as possible. This series of blogs discusses the various ways you can best manage conflict.

Decision Making and Problem Solving (22)

Decision making is the skill of selecting the best option from many options. And problem solving is the skill at determining the causes and implications of a problem and finding efficient remedies. This series of blogs discusses the elements of effective decision making and problem solving.

Goal Setting (8)

Success is the achievement of a worthwhile goal. And therefore, the first step to achieving a goal is to set it. Goal setting is the starting point of all achievement and is one of the most important topics you could study. This series of blogs discuss the elements of goal setting.

Leadership and Management (151)

Leadership is the art of setting a clear goal and inspiring others to achieve it. Management is the art of organising resources so as to most efficiently achieve that goal. This series of blogs discuss the details of leadership and management.

Mental Health (12)

Mental health is the skill of managing your own mind so as to achieve mental stability and a high degree of rationality. Mental ill health is the opposite, mental instability and irrational actions. This series of blogs, discusses how you might manage your mind.

Motivation (34)

Motivation is an emotion that induces action. Without motivation, nobody would achieve anything of value. This series of blogs discusses the various ways you can motivate yourself and others.

Other (36)

Whilst interesting and informative in their own right, these blogs don't fit into a category.

People Management (13)

People management is a combination of skills including goal setting, communication, planning, handling conflict and motivation skills. This series of blogs discusses people management skills.

Personal Development (73)

The best investment you can make is in your own personal development. If you develop your skills, knowledge and experience, then you will maximise your potential to produce excellent results. This series of blogs looks at the details of personal development.

Personal Effectiveness (86)

You are not paid for how hard you work; you are paid for your effectiveness. It is possible to improve your effectiveness and get more valuable work done in less time and effort. This series of blogs discusses how you might improve your personal effectiveness and therefore speed up your rate of progress.

Positive Thinking (9)

The quality of your results is based upon the quality of your actions. And your actions are controlled by your thoughts. To simultaneously improve both your material results and your mental health, it is vital to develop the skills of positive thinking.

Stress Management (4)

Stress can be both good for you and bad for you. Good Stress triggers improvement. Bad stress grinds you down. Stress management is about using stress to help you to improve, and to avoid the negative effects of too much stress. These blogs discuss the various aspects of stress management.

Supervisory Management Skills (4)

Supervisory management skills are a combination of five major skill sets, setting goals, communication skills, planning, performance management and motivation. These blogs discuss the details of supervisory management skills.

Team Leadership (6)

For the most part, we all work in teams. Leading the team effectively can make all the difference to the performance of the team, as a whole. This series of blogs discuss the details of team leadership.

Teamwork (19)

Teams are often composed of people who have very different personalities and skills. In order to perform well, the members of the team must work well together and play to each other’s strengths. This series of blogs covers the importance of team work skills.

Time Management (16)

Time management is about prioritising, planning, organising and delegating, so that, at any moment, you are always adding the most value, and setting the conditions for your future success. This series of blogs investigates how you might better manage your time.