Step 3 - Plan Implementation of Solutions

Potential Problem Avoidance planning is an eight-step process. After making a decision, about the solution, we implement the decision through effective planning. Good planning is an eight-step process for avoiding potential problems.

The eight steps are as follows:

1. Write a planning statement.
2. List the steps.
3. Identify critical steps with high potential risk.
4. List potential problems/obstacles.
5. Set priorities on potential problems/obstacles.
6. Analyse each major potential problem/obstacle.
7. Repeat steps 3 – 6 for other critical steps.
8. Insert major preventive and contingent actions back into the original plan.

Participative Solution Management

Again, essential for the effectiveness of the solution, is to approach it in a participative style from the word GO! The whole process of implementing a solution should be done with stakeholders. They should be part of each step as described in this module.

The template of the implementation plan as given to you at the end of the module should be used to draw up your implementation plan. The plan is then to be communicated to all stakeholders. If for some reason some of the stakeholders have not attended the problem-solving process meetings, make sure they attend this solution implementation meeting.

First: Write a Planning Statement

Now that we have made a decision, we are ready to write a planning statement in objective form. A planning statement is simply a description of exactly what we want to accomplish. Such a statement should have the following three characteristics:

Quantifiable: For example, the statement, “To have productive cross-functional team meetings” does not communicate enough information. What does the word “productive” mean? How will I know when my team members are “productive”? Since my planning statement doesn’t give enough specific information about my goal, it will be hard to actually know when we are successful. To make the statement more quantifiable, I can specify behaviours or what the team members will do when they are productive. I could, for example, observe that:

• They will use the problem-solving process that we were taught.
• Team members will come to the meetings.

End Result: A planning statement that only identifies behaviours is still not an effective way of specifying our future direction. We can also include end results. For example, I could expand my initial planning statement as follows:

• The team will use written problem-solving processes in 4 of the next weekly meetings.
• My team members will have a meeting absenteeism rate of not more than 5%.

Completion Date: Finally, my planning statement should specify a date by which the plan will be accomplished. The planning statement would now look something like this:

• Create a productive team by January the 5th by using the problem-solving process in 4 of the next 6 weekly meetings and reducing absenteeism to not more than 5%.
• There is nothing remarkable about step 1. It’s a regular goal or objective – a planning statement that includes measurability, an end result and a completion date.

Second: List the Steps

After you have written a planning statement, you can then develop the steps you will take to achieve them. As you identify the steps in your plan, establish completion dates for each step. But do not assign a final number to your steps at this point, as you may need to add additional steps later.

As an example, I know a person – let’s call her Elizabeth – whose planning statement was to become a manager in her organization within four years. The initial step of her plan looked something like this:

This part of the planning process is simple. Most people can probably write a planning statement and then list the steps in their plan. In fact, this is where most individuals stop their planning process. But wisely, Elizabeth realized that she needed to also look carefully at the steps in her plan, noting anything that could cause difficulties – let’s call them “critical steps".

Third: Identify Critical Steps with High Potential Risk

From past experience, you sometimes know that a particular step means trouble! (Maybe you took that step before and it led to a disaster.) If a step is completely new to you, look out. “Murphy’s Law”, what can go wrong will, may get you. Major steps, with lots of parts and pieces, are especially vulnerable, particularly if you have no experience with the step. You have also probably noted that problems can result when people have to communicate over distances by phone, letter, fax or e-mail and also when there are a number of people involved. If a step means operating close to the limits of your space, time or money, you order a new item that’s exactly 3 feet wide and your door is 3 feet 2 inches, you better get an axe! Or if someone tells you the items you ordered will be here Wednesday, and you have to have them Thursday, you might be wise to assume that they won’t arrive until Friday. If a step in your planning “will only cost “R 99.95,” and you have exactly R100.00, then you know what’s going to happen!

The key question to ask here is “When we perform this step in our plan, what could go wrong?”

All this potential problem analysis may sound negative. But the good news is that if you anticipate potential problems before you carry out your plan, you can often develop solutions that will greatly increase the chances that you will achieve your goal.

In the example of Elizabeth, she selected as a critical step in her plan, “Attend night classes and get the 24 credits I need to finish college.” She viewed this step as a potential problem because it was new for her (she had never attended college at night). It was also a very important one. She had worked for a boss who had once said to her, “Your chances of being selected as a manager in this organization are a lot better if you have a college degree. In fact, your chances of making it without one are zero!”

Click on the link/s below to open the resources.

Participative Solution Management Template