Discussion: Water Cooler: Managing Ambiguity – 2

Problem solving is a higher-order cognitive skill. Techniques for solving problems typically start with a clarification of the goal to be achieved and an inventory of the current state of affairs. The solver then looks for one or more ways to transition from the current state to the desired one.

True problem solving requires an understanding of the current situation. How do you proceed when you do not have any idea what is happening and there is nobody to help clarify for you? If you blindly take action, you could make the situation worse. If you delay acting until you have a clear picture, the situation could deteriorate to something much worse. Therefore, you must quickly act to stabilize the situation, without causing additional damage.

To prepare for this Discussion, review a situation in your academic, professional, or personal experience where you needed to act before you understood the situation adequately.

Summarize the situation you chose for this Discussion and describe the approach you used and the outcome. Explain any self-control challenges you faced in demonstrating full confidence so you and/or your team remained focused. Reflect on ways in which this experience did or did not change your approach to solving problems and why. Justify your response.

SAMPLE SOLUTION

Water Cooler: Managing Ambiguity – 2
It is interesting how the decision, either in the workplace or in life are made by taking into account the time factor and the data or information available to make a sound decision (Hogarth & Soyer, 2015). However, in most cases, time is essential, and some decisions allow a limited period. On the other hand, deciding without considering the available data and information can lead to a catastrophic…