{"id":67,"date":"2014-08-25T03:19:35","date_gmt":"2014-08-25T03:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/collegesuccess1x1\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=67"},"modified":"2016-07-27T20:36:49","modified_gmt":"2016-07-27T20:36:49","slug":"problem-solving-and-decision-making","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/chapter\/problem-solving-and-decision-making\/","title":{"raw":"Problem Solving and Utilizing Advice","rendered":"Problem Solving and Utilizing Advice"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h3>LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/h3>\r\nBy the end of this section, you will be able to:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Understand the steps to take when solving problems.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Learn to combine creative thinking and critical thinking to solve problems.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Understand the role of input in making good decisions.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nMuch of your college and professional life will be spent solving problems; some will be complex, such as deciding on a career, and require time and effort to come up with a solution. Others will be small and will allow you to make a quick decision based entirely on your own experience. In either case, solving the problem will involve the same basic steps.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>Define the problem.<\/strong>\u00a0Analyze the situation by answering the following questions: What is the real issue? Why is it a problem? What are the root causes? What kinds of outcomes or actions do you expect to generate to solve the problem? What are some of the key characteristics that will make a good choice: Timing? Resources? Availability of tools and materials? For more complex problems, it often helps to write out the problem and the answers to these questions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Narrow the problem.<\/strong> Many problems are made up of a series of smaller problems, each requiring its own solution. Can you break the problem into different facets? What aspects of the current issue are \u201cnoise\u201d that should not be considered in the solution? Use your critical thinking skills to separate facts from opinion in this step.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Generate possible solutions.<\/strong> List all your options. Use your creative thinking skills in this phase. Did you come up with a second \u201cright\u201d answer, a third, or fourth? Can any of these answers be combined to create a stronger solution? What past or existing solutions can be adapted or combined to solve this problem?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>Choose<\/b> <b>the<\/b> <b>best<\/b> <b>solution<\/b>. Evaluate the pros and cons of each possible solution, and commit to the best course of action for your situation.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/560\/2015\/04\/21142855\/decision.jpg\"><img class=\" wp-image-618 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/560\/2015\/04\/21142855\/decision.jpg\" alt=\"Figure deciding between three red paths with arrows\" width=\"287\" height=\"285\" \/><\/a>\r\n<h2>Decisions, Decisions<\/h2>\r\nAs discussed above,\u00a0it will be necessary\u00a0for you to make many major and minor personal decisions in college and in life, and\u00a0you will most likely be asked for your input\u00a0to help others make decisions that affect their personal and professional lives as well. To be effective in\u00a0both of those\u00a0circumstances, it is helpful to understand\u00a0the role of advice in making\u00a0good\u00a0decisions.\r\n<h2>Advice<\/h2>\r\nWith major decisions, it is always best to seek the advice of someone who is\u00a0an expert\u00a0in that particular area, for example an academic advisor to help you determine your major or a realtor\u00a0to help you find a home to buy. Advice is\u00a0usually not necessary for our day to day choices, but for the big decisions, it's best\u00a0to use your critical thinking skills to\u00a0determine who would be the best people\u00a0to give you\u00a0input and then consider their advice carefully.\r\n\r\nInput is sought or given due to experience or expertise, but it is up to the decision maker to weigh the input and decide whether and how to use it.\r\n\r\nAdvice\u00a0is\u00a0just one of the pieces of\u00a0knowledge needed to make sound decisions, and that input should be fact based, or if an opinion is offered, it should be clearly stated as such. Sometimes people will give\u00a0conflicting advice or have very strong\u00a0ideas about what\u00a0should be\u00a0done, so while it's important to consider what they say, it's vital to\u00a0evaluate\u00a0all information and decide for oneself.\r\n\r\nIn the examples above, it is ultimately the student, not the advisor, who will be\u00a0pursuing that course of study and looking for jobs in that field\u00a0and the customer, not the realtor, who will be\u00a0living in that neighborhood and paying that mortgage. Always remember that the advice given should not be ignored but does not have to be followed either if it isn't the right decision for the situation at hand.\r\n\r\nFinally, once input is given and a course of action is chosen, the advisor should support the decision made, whether or not the input is actually used.\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\r\n<h3>Key Takeaways<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Effective problem solving involves critical and creative thinking.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The four steps to effective problem solving are the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Define the problem<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Narrow the problem<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Generate solutions<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Choose the solution<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Advice from experts should be used as\u00a0one piece of all the information gathered and used to make decisions.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\r\n<h3>Exercise<\/h3>\r\nApply the problem-solving steps described above to an academic struggle or challenge you are experiencing. Write out the entire process on paper in any form you'd like: a journal entry, charts, a concept map, or lists, for example.\r\n\r\nIf possible, seek out and consider the advice of an advisor, a professor, or another appropriate person.\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h3>LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/h3>\n<p>By the end of this section, you will be able to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Understand the steps to take when solving problems.<\/li>\n<li>Learn to combine creative thinking and critical thinking to solve problems.<\/li>\n<li>Understand the role of input in making good decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Much of your college and professional life will be spent solving problems; some will be complex, such as deciding on a career, and require time and effort to come up with a solution. Others will be small and will allow you to make a quick decision based entirely on your own experience. In either case, solving the problem will involve the same basic steps.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Define the problem.<\/strong>\u00a0Analyze the situation by answering the following questions: What is the real issue? Why is it a problem? What are the root causes? What kinds of outcomes or actions do you expect to generate to solve the problem? What are some of the key characteristics that will make a good choice: Timing? Resources? Availability of tools and materials? For more complex problems, it often helps to write out the problem and the answers to these questions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Narrow the problem.<\/strong> Many problems are made up of a series of smaller problems, each requiring its own solution. Can you break the problem into different facets? What aspects of the current issue are \u201cnoise\u201d that should not be considered in the solution? Use your critical thinking skills to separate facts from opinion in this step.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Generate possible solutions.<\/strong> List all your options. Use your creative thinking skills in this phase. Did you come up with a second \u201cright\u201d answer, a third, or fourth? Can any of these answers be combined to create a stronger solution? What past or existing solutions can be adapted or combined to solve this problem?<\/li>\n<li><b>Choose<\/b> <b>the<\/b> <b>best<\/b> <b>solution<\/b>. Evaluate the pros and cons of each possible solution, and commit to the best course of action for your situation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/560\/2015\/04\/21142855\/decision.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-618 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/560\/2015\/04\/21142855\/decision.jpg\" alt=\"Figure deciding between three red paths with arrows\" width=\"287\" height=\"285\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Decisions, Decisions<\/h2>\n<p>As discussed above,\u00a0it will be necessary\u00a0for you to make many major and minor personal decisions in college and in life, and\u00a0you will most likely be asked for your input\u00a0to help others make decisions that affect their personal and professional lives as well. To be effective in\u00a0both of those\u00a0circumstances, it is helpful to understand\u00a0the role of advice in making\u00a0good\u00a0decisions.<\/p>\n<h2>Advice<\/h2>\n<p>With major decisions, it is always best to seek the advice of someone who is\u00a0an expert\u00a0in that particular area, for example an academic advisor to help you determine your major or a realtor\u00a0to help you find a home to buy. Advice is\u00a0usually not necessary for our day to day choices, but for the big decisions, it&#8217;s best\u00a0to use your critical thinking skills to\u00a0determine who would be the best people\u00a0to give you\u00a0input and then consider their advice carefully.<\/p>\n<p>Input is sought or given due to experience or expertise, but it is up to the decision maker to weigh the input and decide whether and how to use it.<\/p>\n<p>Advice\u00a0is\u00a0just one of the pieces of\u00a0knowledge needed to make sound decisions, and that input should be fact based, or if an opinion is offered, it should be clearly stated as such. Sometimes people will give\u00a0conflicting advice or have very strong\u00a0ideas about what\u00a0should be\u00a0done, so while it&#8217;s important to consider what they say, it&#8217;s vital to\u00a0evaluate\u00a0all information and decide for oneself.<\/p>\n<p>In the examples above, it is ultimately the student, not the advisor, who will be\u00a0pursuing that course of study and looking for jobs in that field\u00a0and the customer, not the realtor, who will be\u00a0living in that neighborhood and paying that mortgage. Always remember that the advice given should not be ignored but does not have to be followed either if it isn&#8217;t the right decision for the situation at hand.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, once input is given and a course of action is chosen, the advisor should support the decision made, whether or not the input is actually used.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\n<h3>Key Takeaways<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Effective problem solving involves critical and creative thinking.<\/li>\n<li>The four steps to effective problem solving are the following:\n<ul>\n<li>Define the problem<\/li>\n<li>Narrow the problem<\/li>\n<li>Generate solutions<\/li>\n<li>Choose the solution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Advice from experts should be used as\u00a0one piece of all the information gathered and used to make decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\n<h3>Exercise<\/h3>\n<p>Apply the problem-solving steps described above to an academic struggle or challenge you are experiencing. Write out the entire process on paper in any form you&#8217;d like: a journal entry, charts, a concept map, or lists, for example.<\/p>\n<p>If possible, seek out and consider the advice of an advisor, a professor, or another appropriate person.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-67\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Revision and adaptation. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Monroe Community College. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.monroecc.edu\">http:\/\/www.monroecc.edu<\/a>. <strong>Project<\/strong>: College Orientation and Success. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Monroe contributes its revision and adaptation under the same license as the original work.<\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Success in College. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: anonymous. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/\">http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of figure with arrows. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Impact Hub. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/64TEyQ\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/64TEyQ<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":9,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Success in College\",\"author\":\"anonymous\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of figure with arrows\",\"author\":\"Impact Hub\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/64TEyQ\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Revision and adaptation\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Monroe Community College\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.monroecc.edu\",\"project\":\"College Orientation and Success\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"Monroe contributes its revision and adaptation under the same license as the original work.\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-67","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":216,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/67","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/67\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2946,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/67\/revisions\/2946"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/216"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/67\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=67"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=67"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/monroe-collegesuccess-thirdedition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=67"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}