Apply Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Techniques in the Workplace (ACPTW)

Trainer: Mr. Beeneil A. Quitola

Qualification Title: N/A NC Level: N/A Total Training Hours:

Name of TVI: Angelita V. Del Mundo Foundation (AVM Foundation) Inc.
Competency/ies to be LEARNING OBJECTIVE/S:
Achieved and Learning After reading and understanding this Information sheet, you should be able to:
Outcomes  Identify the problem
 Determine corrective action

Learning Activities/ Tasks 1. Read Information Sheet

2. Answer Self-Check
3. Perform Task Sheet

Training Period / Training Lesson 2

Duration
Training Method
Method of Assessment
Learning/Training Resources
Hybrid (Face to Face, Modular and Online Learning Modality)
Written test, Practical/ Performance Test & Interview
TESDA TR & CBC
https://blog.mindmanager.com/202007problem-solving-tools/

Problem Solving Tools

9 Essential Problem Solving Tools: The Ultimate Guide
By: Leanne Armstrong

Some studies have suggested that the average business professional spends 3 hours every week solving work-
related problems!
Problem solving may unfold differently depending on the industry, or even the department you work in. But most
of us will agree that before you can fix any issue, you need to be clear on what it is, why it’s happening, and what your
ideal long-term solution will achieve.
Understanding both the nature and the cause of a problem is the only way to figure out which actions will help
you resolve it.
And given that most problem-solving processes are part inspiration, part perspiration, you’ll be more successful,
more often, if you can reach for a problem solving tool that facilitates collaboration, encourages creative thinking, and
makes it easier to implement the fix you devise.
We’ve put together this roundup of versatile problem solving tools and software to help you and your team map
out and repair workplace issues as efficiently as possible. The problem solving tools include three unique categories:
problem solving diagrams, problem solving mind maps, and problem solving software solutions. They include:
 Fishbone diagrams
 Flowcharts
 Strategy maps
 Mental maps
 Idea maps
 Concept maps
 Layered process audit software
 Charting software
 MindManager

Problem solving diagrams

Mapping your way out of a problem is the simplest way to see where you are, and where you need to end up.
 Not only do visual problem maps let you plot the most efficient route from Point A (dysfunctional situation) to
Point B (flawless process), problem mapping diagrams make it easier to see:
 The root cause of a dilemma
 Steps, resources, and personnel associated with each possible solution
 The least time-consuming, most cost-effective options

A visual problem solving process help to solidify understanding and are a great way for you and your team to
transform abstract ideas into a practical, reconstructive plan.

Here are three examples of common problem mapping diagrams you can try with your team.

1. Fishbone diagrams
Fishbone diagrams are a common problem solving tool so-named because, once complete, they resemble the
skeleton of a fish.
With the possible root causes of an issue (the ribs) branching off from either side of a spine line attached to the
head (the problem), dynamic fishbone diagrams let you:
 Lay out a related set of possible reasons for an existing problem
 Investigate each possibility by breaking it out into sub-causes
 See how contributing factors relate to one another
Fishbone diagrams are also known as cause and effect or Ishikawa diagrams.MindManager Fishbone Diagram 1

2. Flowcharts
A flowchart is an easy-to-understand diagram with a variety of applications. But you can use it to outline and
examine how the steps of a flawed process connect. Made up of a few simple symbols linked with arrows indicating
workflow direction, flowcharts clearly illustrate what happens at each stage of a process – and how each event impacts
other events and decisions.Flowchart | MindManager

3. Strategy maps
Frequently used as a strategic planning tool, strategy maps also work well as problem mapping diagrams. Based
on a hierarchal system, thoughts and ideas can be arranged on a single page to flesh out a potential resolution. Once
you’ve got a few tactics you feel are worth exploring as possible ways to overcome a challenge, a strategy map will help
you establish the best route to your problem-solving goal.Strategy Toolkit MindManager 2018

Problem solving mind maps

Problem solving mind maps are especially valuable in visualization. Because they facilitate the brainstorming
process that plays a key role in both root cause analysis and the identification of potential solutions, they help make
problems more solvable.
Mind maps are diagrams that represent your thinking. Since many people struggle taking or working with hand-
written or typed notes, mind maps were designed to let you lay out and structure your thoughts visually so you can play
with ideas, concepts, and solutions the same way your brain does.

By starting with a single notion that branches out into greater detail, problem solving mind maps make it easy to:
 Explain unfamiliar problems or processes in less time
 Share and elaborate on novel ideas
 Achieve better group comprehension that can lead to more effective solutions

Mind maps are a valuable problem solving tool because they’re geared toward bringing out the flexible thinking
that creative solutions require. Here are three types of problem solving mind maps you can use to facilitate the
brainstorming process.

4. Mental maps
A mental map helps you get your thoughts about what might be causing a workplace issue out of your head and onto a
shared digital space. Because mental maps mirror the way our brains take in and analyze new information, using them to
describe your theories visually will help you and your team work through and test those thought models.Mental Map |

5. Idea maps
Idea maps let you take advantage of a wide assortment of colors and images to lay down and organize your scattered
thought process. Idea maps are ideal brainstorming tools because they allow you to present and explore ideas about the
best way to solve a problem collaboratively, and with a shared sense of enthusiasm for outside-the-box thinking.
6. Concept maps
Concept maps are one of the best ways to shape your thoughts around a potential solution because they let you create
interlinked, visual representations of intricate concepts. By laying out your suggested problem-solving process digitally –
and using lines to form and define relationship connections – your group will be able to see how each piece of the solution
puzzle connects with another.Concept Map | MindManager Blog

Problem solving software solutions

Problem solving software is the best way to take advantage of multiple problem solving tools in one platform. While some
software programs are geared toward specific industries or processes – like manufacturing or customer relationship
management, for example – others, like MindManager, are purpose-built to work across multiple trades, departments,
and teams.

Here are three problem-solving software examples.

7. Layered process audit software
Layered process audits (LPAs) help companies oversee production processes and keep an eye on the cost and
quality of the goods they create. Dedicated LPA software makes problem solving easier for manufacturers because it helps
them see where costly leaks are occurring and allows all levels of management to get involved in repairing those leaks.

8. Charting software
Charting software comes in all shapes and sizes to fit a variety of business sectors. Pareto charts, for example,
combine bar charts with line graphs so companies can compare different problems or contributing factors to determine
their frequency, cost, and significance. Charting software is often used in marketing, where a variety of bar charts and X-
Y axis diagrams make it possible to display and examine competitor profiles, customer segmentation, and sales trends.

9. MindManager
No matter where you work, or what your problem-solving role looks like, MindManager is a problem solving
software that will make your team more productive in figuring out why a process, plan, or project isn’t working the way it
should.
Once you know why an obstruction, shortfall, or difficulty exists, you can use MindManager’s wide range of
brainstorming and problem mapping diagrams to:
  Find the most promising way to correct the situation
 Activate your chosen solution, and
 Conduct regular checks to make sure your repair work is sustainable

MindManager is the ultimate problem solving software.

Not only is it versatile enough to use as your go-to system for puzzling out all types of workplace problems,
MindManager’s built-in forecasting tools, timeline charts, and warning indicators let you plan, implement, and monitor
your solutions.
By allowing your group to work together more effectively to break down problems, uncover solutions, and rebuild
processes and workflows, MindManager’s versatile collection of problem solving tools will help make everyone on your
team a more efficient problem solver.
Lean Six Sigma is one powerful problem solving and efficiency auditing technique that can be accomplished using
MindManager. Watch this webinar for a full overview of what Lean Six Sigma is, and how MindManager fits into the
process.

DO NOT RETURN THIS MODULE.

KEEP IT AS NOTES FOR FUTURE TOPICS & ASSESSMENTS.
 Apply Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Techniques in the Workplace (ACPTW) Lesson 2 Assessment

Name: Date:
Section: Score:

I. IDENTIFICATION: Identify the word/term that is defined or described by the following statements/ example. (10
Points)
1. ____________________, it comes in all shapes and sizes to fit a variety of business sectors.
2. ____________________, maps are one of the best ways to shape your thoughts around a potential solution
because they let you create interlinked, visual representations of intricate concepts.
3. ____________________, a common problem solving tool so-named because, once complete, they resemble the
skeleton of a fish.
4. ____________________, an easy-to-understand diagram with a variety of applications.
5. ____________________, it take advantage of a wide assortment of colors and images to lay down and organize
your scattered thought process.
6. ____________________, it help companies oversee production processes and keep an eye on the cost and quality
of the goods they create.
7. ____________________, it helps you get your thoughts about what might be causing a workplace issue out of
your head and onto a shared digital space.
8. ____________________, a problem solving software that will make your team more productive in figuring out
why a process, plan, or project isn’t working the way it should.
9. ____________________, are especially valuable in visualization.
10. ____________________, it also work well as problem mapping diagrams.

II. TRUE or FALSE: Read each statement below carefully. Write TRUE on the space AFTER each number if you think a
statement it corrects or right or FALSE if you think the statement is incorrect or wrong. (5 Points)
1. __________, A visual problem solving process help to solidify understanding and are a great way for you and your
team to transform abstract ideas into a practical, reconstructive plan.
2. __________, Idea maps are ideal brainstorming tools because they allow you to present and explore ideas about
the best way to solve a problem collaboratively
3. __________, Lean Six Sigma is one powerful problem solving and efficiency auditing technique that can be
accomplished using MindManager.
4. __________, Mind maps are diagrams that represent your thinking.
5. __________, Problem solving software is the best way to take advantage of multiple problem solving tools in one
platform.

III. ESSAY: Discuss briefly and give or enumerate example. Please use the back of the paper. (10 Points)
 The significance of using Problem Solving Tools?

PLEASE RETURN THIS ACTIVITY SHEET TO YOUR TEACHER

FOR CHECKING AND RECORDING PURPOSES.