Implementing the Solution - Business Decision Making - ثاني ثانوي

Lesson 4 Chapter 2 www.ien.edu.sa Developing Effective Problem Statements Moving from planning to implementation is a significant milestone when you are solving a problem. This is when you begin to make decisions, take actions, and put your plans into practice. Keep everyone informed of your intentions as you move ahead by communicating clearly and frequently. Take action and remember that in most cases, it is better to act decisively with a good solution than it is to plan endlessly looking for the perfect one. Table 2-4 offers do's and don'ts for putting solutions into practice. case Based on the results of the 12 by 12 team's work, Omar has decided to offer popular tours more often in an effort to increase sales for the company. TABLE 2-4: Implementing the solution do's and don'ts Guidelines Communicate with others Develop a plan Anticipate opposition Take action Do • Involve the problem owner in the decision • Describe the steps you followed to make a decision • Communicate clearly and frequently • Notify staff and managers • Outline the steps to take to put the solution into place • Identify the resources you need • Draft a realistic schedule •Reconsider your goals • Build support for your solution • Continue to communicate about your plans and progress • Start following your plan soon after making a decision Don't • Don't go forward with the solution if the problem owner is uncomfortable • Don't withhold information in the hopes of having everyone agree • Don't underestimate the amount of time you need to complete each step of the plan • Don't move forward if your plan doesn't meet your goals • Don't ignore the opposition • Don't block out opposing points of view, but don't abandon the solution either • Don't let inaction end your efforts to solve the problem وزارة التعليم Ministry of Education 2024-1446 95198_book_PP1.indb 55 Essential Elements 1. Get approval from the problem owner Before you implement a solution, consult with the problem owners and make sure they support your idea. Discuss the process you followed, explain the options you considered, and make your case for the solution you chose. If a problem owner is uncomfortable with the solution you recommend, work together to identify an acceptable option. Solving the Problem 55 07/05/2024 10:57

QUICK TIP Make sure that your plan leads you to this desired end state. 2. Develop a plan Outline the steps to apply your chosen alternative. List the resources you need, including people, money, facilities, and influence. Estimate how much time the solution will take, and develop a schedule. Define the expected outcome, and consider what the situation should look like when the prob- lem is solved. Work with other people in your team, if necessary, to identify all parts of the plan. What factors should be considered when developing a plan? 3. Notify stakeholders How you communicate your decisions significantly affects how others accept your proposed solution. Internal staff and managers need to understand how each decision relates to their jobs and missions. As you begin to implement your solution, let people know what you are doing so they can take action. Your communication should include the elements shown in Figure 2-6. FIGURE 2-6: Communicate with stakeholders Topics to discuss with stakeholders: What the decision is How the solution will be put into place How it will be monitored and evaluated How changes will be decided on and made 56 Chapter 2 Ministry of Education 2024-1446 4. Anticipate opposition Decisions that cause change can upset or threaten others in the organiza- tion. To avoid this, build support for your solution before you put it into practice. Preview your plan to reassure people who resist change. Clearly Business Decision Making S1 S2 S3.indb 56 30/06/2023 14:28

explain the nature of the problem, and show why your solution is the most responsible way to deal with it. 5. Take action Until the solution takes effect, your decision is little more than a good inten- tion. After making decisions and securing approvals, start to take specific actions. Projects suffer from inertia, so it usually requires extra effort to keep your plan moving. However, once you start, it becomes easier to manage. Unintended consequences: when solving one problem spurs new ones All business owners and managers need to be good problem-solvers. This is not always easy, because in solving one problem it is possible to create another. The law of unintended consequences maintains that any purposeful activity can produce some unintended consequences. In 2008, for example, authorities in the United States attempted to crack down on spam (junk e-mail sent out in bulk to clog your inbox). However, their actions had unintended consequences; and as a result, a group of servers in California (U.S.), considered to be the source of 40% of the world's spam, were disconnected from the Internet, leading to a sudden decrease in nuisance emails. Shortly after, researchers discovered a significant increase in activity of `botnets' (software robots that secretly gather e-mail addresses and, use them to spam). As you consider solutions, keep in mind that at least one of them is likely to produce an unintended side effect. In line with Saudi Vision 2030, a number of electronic services have been offered to residents, who were then encourage to implement them in both the private and public sectors. The goal was to provide quality services and improve the workflow in different organizations. However, since the tech world was still new, people were unaware of the importance of keeping your data private; and this lack of understanding led them to receive phony advertisements for fraudulent products. These scams would often be disguised as emails from supposedly legitimate sources, asking people for their banking information. They would even pose as real "Absher" accounts to swindle funds from people's accounts without them noticing. As a result, the Saudi Commerce Ministry and the Central Bank warned consumers to be vigilant against online scams, putting measures in place to protect shoppers and for reporting violations. YOU TRY IT وزارة التعليم Ministry of Education 2024-1446 Business Decision Making S1 S2 S3.indb 57 Practice implementing solutions by identifying why a solution was not success- ful. Complete the following steps. 1. Get ready Read the following description of the events leading to a solution for the problem of improving educational tours at the travel company you're work- ing for. 1. Asma, vice president of operations at the company, asked Rasheed to look into the problem of improving the educational tours and to help her implement a solution. Solving the Problem 57 30/06/2023 14:28

2. Rasheed gathered and analyzed some data, developed alternatives, and evaluated the options. He decided that adding a class, workshop, or other learning experience to each tour was the best way to solve the problem because that solution was the most popular with customers. 3. Rasheed talked to the tour developers and asked them to add an educa- tional experience to each of their tours. When a few tour developers objected, saying specialized classes required too much effort and expense, Rasheed said they should start by adding just one class to one tour. 4. When Asma received reports from the tour developers requesting extra funds for the classes, she was not pleased. In fact, she told the tour developers to stop planning the classes until further notice. 5. Rasheed was very disappointed. He wanted to surprise Asma with a complete, successful program, and thought Asma would be delighted by his initiative. 2. Now you try it REVIEW QUESTIONS List the reasons the solution was not successful. 1. An effective plan for implementing a solution includes a(n): a. analytical hierarchy matrix b. collective wisdom indicator c. schedule d. mind map 2. Communication about your proposed solution should include: a. a notice that you have a limited amount of time b. a code of ethics c. a worst-case scenario d. details about how the solution will be put in place 58 Chapter 2 Ministry of Education 2024-1446 Business Decision Making S1 S2 S3.indb 58 30/06/2023 14:28