8605-416 Solving Problems by Making Effective Decisions in the Workplace

Unit Overview

Managers within the organisation need to ensure that they are able to solve problems that are faced within the organisation on a daily basis. 8605-416 Solving Problems by Making Effective Decisions in the workplace is a unit within ILM Level 4 Module that aims at ensuring that the ability of managers take identify problems within the workplace and generate effective solutions to the challenges is improved. This process ensures that the manager has the capabilities and required skill sets to handle the different issues that they could face within the organisation and ensure that they lead the people within the organisation to handle problems in their areas of practice or operation.

8605-416 Solving Problems by Making Effective Decisions in the workplace focuses the impact that decision making could achieve in influencing the ability of the leaders to solve problems and ensure that the people within the organisation follow such as procedures in handling complex problems within the workplace. The main purpose and aim of the unit is to enable the learners who are practicing or potential middle managers to make effective decisions that contribute to the ability of solving complex problems that may be experienced within the workplace. The unit is taught in 14 hours of guided learning and contributes to 3 credit values in the completion of the ILM Level 4 Module.

Suitability of the unit

The unit is suitable for leaders within the organisation. Leaders must have the capacities to effectively handle issues and problems that arise within the workplace. This involves develop problem solving skills that are aligned to organisational need and boosting their personal ability to lead teams and other organisation in general towards achieving the desired state of problem solving abilities.

The unit is designed to meet the learning needs of the middle managers. This include departmental heads, line managers and regional managers who oversee activities of the organisation from the tactical level. With information and skills provided within this unit, this leaders are able to effectively solve complex problems and influence the overall performance of the organisation. However, the unit is significantly versatile and is applicable to other stakeholders. Executive managers are tasked with the duties of making organisation decisions involving the different aspects of the strategic plan of the organisation.

They have to implement the skills built within the unit to ensure that they are able to address critical organisational problems with effective decisions making. The first-level managers and team leaders are also suited to the unit as a move to improve their professional and personal abilities. By pursuing this unit, this individuals are able to develop the required skills and capabilities surrounding being able to effectively influence the individuals they lead in the lower units of the organisations and prepare them for future leadership positions as middle or executive managers.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this unit, the learner should be able to:

• Identify and define complex problems within the workplace context and focus on understanding its scope and impact

• Analyse information on the complex problems that has been defined to help the make effective decisions in handling the problems

• Suggest specific alternative or solutions to the identified problem

• Use decision making techniques and models to evaluate the range of potential solutions identified and select the most appropriate solution to eh problem

• develop an implementation plan to address the identified complex problem in the area of practice

• conduct effective communication on selected alternatives and implementation plan to the stakeholders

• Evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the selected technique in successfully addressing the issue identified.

Key learning Areas

8605-416 Solving Problems by Making Effective Decisions in the workplace focuses on building the ability and skills required to ensure decision making of leaders is able to influence the performance of the organisation in solving complex issues that may be experienced within the workplace. Some of the key learning areas in this unit include:

Identifying Complex Problems

This area of learning helps the learners to develop ability to diagnose and identify problems. It builds the skills that are required in recognising, investigating and analysing complex problems within the organisation. The learners are also guided in collecting information on the problem that can contribute in making effective and valid decisions providing solutions to the problem.

Effective Decision Making

This area of learning provides the learners with effective modes that they can use to make decisions and choices on the best alternatives of the organisation. The area presents the techniques of generating solution that are creative and innovative to organisational challenges and ensures that rational solutions are and decisions are made.

Within the area of learning, the learner is guided to understand the process of setting priorities and evaluating available options to select the best for their situation and organisational setting. Additionally, the are taken through techniques and models of decisions making such as grid analysis, paired comparison and decisions trees which contribute in improving the capabilities of the learners in selecting the best solution. Learners must also understand the different types of decisions and the application in the specific setting with the organisations.

Implementation of Plan

This area of learning provide the learners with the required guidelines to ensure they are able to develop effective measures that can be used to address the issue suggested. It covers the process of implementing the solutions that have been chosen in the decision making stage to ensure organisation issues are adequately addressed and promote success within the organisation.

The area of learning covers the resource allocation strategies and tools of planning and implementation of strategies such as GANTT charts, PDCA cycles and PDSA model. The area further establishes plan of effective communication hat can be sued to achieve the desired levels of collaboration with other stakeholders and facilitate success in the implementation process.

Evaluation

The unit is evaluated using different methods. A written assessment is used to test the theoretical mastery of information taught within the unit, learners are required to respond to questions within the assessment template eon the content that they have learned within the unit. Additionally, a supervised practice is used to examine the practical skills acquired in the process of leanring.