Part One

The Nine-Step Approach to Problem Solving

Step 1: What’s the Problem?

Step 2: How did we get to where we are today?

             Past influences on today’s situation

Step 3: Cash, Culture and Competence.

             Resources: (Human and Material)

             Making the most of what we have.

             Company culture, history and values.

Step 4: What are our aspirations?

Step 5: Decision time.

             Finding a hidden agenda behind the decision taker.

             Decision meetings.

Step 6: Structuring the solution.

             Getting it down on paper: the Project Charter

             Goals, Objectives, Milestones and KPI’s.

             Building a detailed Road Map or Project Plan.

             The concept of Team..

             Fallback plans and really good Project Managers.

Step 7: Recruiting resources and obtaining buy-in.

             The difference between a contract and a favour

Step 8: Implementing the solution.

             Commitment: The English breakfast, train drivers and chickens.

             The Triple Constraint

             Avoiding Scope Creep.

             Do it now!

             Solving insurmountable problems.

             Keeping people motivated.

Step 9: Assessing the results.

             Coping with that hollow feeling of success.

             Basking in the glory.