Creative Problem Solving and Decision Making Skills Action
1. CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING AND
DECISION MAKING SKILLS ACTION PLAN
ADENA EDWARDS
SOC/110
NOVEMBER 30, 2015
KELLY SIMPSON
2. CONFLICT STYLES
• Encountered while working in groups:
• Avoidance
• Accommodation
• competition
• compromise
• collaboration
(Google., 2014, April 14)
3. CONFLICT STYLES CONT’D.
• Approach to conflict change in the future:
• Understand my own habitual thinking styles
• Contrast constructively and destructively
• Attentively listen to other members’ habitual thinking styles
• Utilize various ways of conflict management strategies
(Google., 2014, April 14)
4. GROUP COHESION STRATEGIES
• Apply in future team work:
• Create a group identity and traditions
• Put emphasis on teamwork
• Identify and give bonuses for contributions
• Highly esteem group members
(Google., 2014, April 14).
5. GROUP COHESION STRATEGIES
Avoid causes of Groupthink:
• Highly cohesive
• Structural flaws
• Situation is volatile
(Google., 2014, April 14).
7. DECISION-MAKING STYLE CONT’D.
• Application for future group:
• Ensuring everyone contributes all information
• Discuss undecided decision and ask feedback
• Attentively listen to opinions, suggestions, and arguments
• Explanation for the reason of the decision I anticipate to
make
8. APPROACH PROBLEM
Problem solving in the future based on what I learned in this
class:
• Structured Problem Solving:
• Balanced participation
• Conflict resolution
• Organization
• Group empowerment
(Google., 2014, April 14)
9. APPROACH PROBLEM
A Single Question Format strategy and application for future
group:
• Identify the problem
• Create a collaborative setting
• Analyze the issues
• Identify possible solutions
• Answer the single question (Google., 2014, April 14).
10. REFERENCE
Apollo Group, Inc. (2015). Working in Groups, Ch. 5, 8, & 9. University of Phoenix. Retrieved from
http://phoenix.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781323010167/cfi/6/22[;vnd.vst.idref=P700047885200000000000000000
2E3F]
Google. (2014, April 14). Images for group cohesion . Retrieved from What is group cohesiveness?:
https://www.google.com/search?q=group+cohesion+pictures&sa=X&biw=911&bih=692&tbm=isch&tbo=u&sourc
e=univ&ved=0ahUKEwjOzorw6LnJAhVD4iYKHdXEBcEQsAQIIQ
Google. (2014, April 14). Images for conflict styles. Retrieved from conflict styles.
https://www.google.com/search?q=pictures+of+conflict+styles&biw=911&bih=692&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=uni
v&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiAwoLKlbTJAhXCRiYKHbN6DWUQsAQIHA&dpr=1
Editor's Notes
I have encountered various types of conflict styles as being in a learning team and group in all of my classes both in UOP and the community college. There had been team members who avoid conflict because he or she was not willing to accomplish his or her goal including attaining the group’s goal. When one of our team members did not turn in his or her part, each team member would have to accommodate at the expense of our group goals. I think that having a team member who is willing to accommodate our team’s goal then it is beneficial to preserve our group harmony. I have also experienced a competitive conflict style in which one of my team members continued to argue with me that her ideas are superior to my ideas. However, I had to be more assertive on my idea on how to do an outline because I knew we would have gotten an F in our group grade if we decided to go with her idea of an outline. She wanted to do summaries of our outline, and she did not know what an outline looks like. We have also compromised as a group because we argued which it is a better method to resolve issues. The conflict collaboration style is the best experience that I had with my group because everyone is involved in seeking creative solutions in which satisfy each member’s interests and needs (Apollo Group, Inc., 2015).
My habitual thinking styles as an assertive person could be more talkative than any other team members in which could dominate the group discussion. I need to listen more to each team members habitual thinking styles constructively and empathically understands their point of view. I would approach conflict in contrasting between constructive and destructive conflict. With constructive conflict, I would focus on issues, respect team members, supportive, flexibility, cooperation with a win-win solution, and be committed to conflict management. With destructive conflict, I would not focus on any personal attacks, disrespectful tone of voice, defensive, inflexibility, compete as in “I” win solution, and avoid conflict. I would like to utilize various ways of conflict management such as we should express concerns and suggest a solution, which is the A-E-I-U Model. It is important to negotiate to settle differences. If it is needed a mediation, then a third party is welcomed to facilitate the group discussion and a third party arbitration to make a decision (Apollo Group, Inc., 2015).
A strategy to create a group identity and traditions, which a group should only permit to use terms like we and our instead of I and my. This will strengthen group work because they will improve rituals and ceremonies to support their traditions. In obtaining cohesive group members, it is important for the group to emphasize teamwork in which each team member combined contributions are necessary to group success. It is also important to recognize and reward each team members for his or her contributions. This will strengthen a group supportive climate because it causes others to be thankful for each other’s efforts. When each team members highly esteem each other, it creates a strong interpersonal relationship in which members are more sensitive to each other’s needs (Apollo Group, Inc., 2015).
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It will strengthen a group if the group can avoid groupthink. A groupthink highly values consensus in which can cause a group to fail to think critically about their specific decisions. A highly cohesive groups is a high risk of yielding to groupthink. Structural flaws will constrain the movement of information and encourage carelessness in which can cause a leader or member to have too much influence in a group. This will bring limitation of access from the outside information needed. A situation may be volatile when a group decides to make a high-stakes decision that causes a high level of stress on the members. Therefore, the best way to avoid groupthink is the avoid it from occurring in the first place (Apollo Group, Inc., 2015).
As a rational decision maker, I carefully weigh information and other options before making an impacting decision that will necessitate using logical reasoning to reach and justify my conclusions. At times, it is important to recognize not to analyze a problem too long, but ensure to consider every issue. Sometimes, I intuitively make a decision when I know the right thing to do according to my instincts and feelings. Usually, most of the outcome of my intuitive decision making is the right choice even though I can’t specifically give any reasons for my decisions. It is also important for me to seek other people’s advice and listen to their rational thinking especially if others disapprove. If others think that it is wise to make such decision especially when the majority votes counts, I will do it (Apollo Group, Inc., 2015).
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I would strategically apply my decision-making style by ensuring that everyone contributes information needed to obtain a quality decision successfully. I would ask for feedback and discuss the undecided decision with members. However, it is important that each member does not interpret my out-loud thinking in which the group will benefit from discussing options. It is important for me to listen attentively to each team members opinions, suggestions, and arguments in which I might discover that the group only needs a very little assistance to make a decision or solve the issues. Always make sure that the group knows when I am about to make my decision in which I should explain the reason for the decision I anticipate to make. This way they will be prepared for the results, but they might be able to make a better decision than me (Apollo Group, Inc., 2015).
For a future problem solving, I would utilize a structured problem solving and follow it with a single question format will enhance our meeting productivity. Using a well-planned, structured procedure can generate a balanced participation. A balanced participation will help minimize the impact of powerful leaders or members in which would be difficult for them to dominate the group discussion. The procedures should also add guidelines for managing conflict, agreeing on disagreements, and empowering to build a genuine compromise. It can also require each team members to keep an eye on a clear organization pattern, and they are also able to focus on the same thing at the same time. As for a group empowerment, the group will have a sense of control in which the procedures are followed well, effectively manage conflict, all members participated equally, and the outcome the group made an effective decision (Apollo Group, Inc., 2015).
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The strategies of a single question format and its application will provide a sharp focus on an agreement to a specific question in which clearly analyzed and responsibly answered and offered a solution to a problem. As a group identifies the problem, they need to know a single question that will assist them to accomplish their agreed-upon goal. Creating a collaborative setting will produce a “we will” statements that will identify assumptions and biases to influence the group discussion. Analyzing the issues will help assess relevant subquestions such as what is the problem to address to answer a single question. The group has to identify two or three reasonable solutions to a single question and talk about the advantages and disadvantages of every solution. After studying the pros and cons to each potential solution, then the group chooses the best solution to the issues in which is clear and shared understanding of all the appropriate issues (Apollo Group, Inc., 2015).
