1. Every problem |
A. Seeks problems before they are apparent |
B. Mutually determined |
|
3. An effective manager |
C. Problems not generally reported |
4. Effective goals |
D. An opportunity for creativity and action |
5. Before seeing the opportunity in a problem |
E. Understand the problem’s root cause(s) |
6. beneficiary complaints |
F. A reason for avoiding problems |
Answers:
1.) D
2.) F
3.) A
4.) B
5.) E
6.) C
Multiple-Choice
1. Which of the following build beneficiary loyalty?
a.
Letting
the beneficiary vent.
b. Taking time to make a decision.
c.
Following
up.
d. Telling beneficiaries that your competitors are worse.
2. Reasons for avoiding problems include ….
a. Greed
b. Ego
c. Personal advancement
d.
All
of the above
3. Effective managers __________ problems.
a. Have
b.
Face
c. Know how to avoid
d. Delegate fixing
4. According to Herbert Simon, problem solving does not include….
a.
Evaluation and choosing
b. Fixing agendas
c. Setting goals
d. These are all elements of problem solving
True / False
1. _____ Decision-making is all about evaluating and choosing.
2. _____ Problems are easy to spot once they’ve done their damage.
3. _____ Proactive managers never have problems.
4. _____ If you have a specific goal, you will never have problems.
5. _____ Knowing when and where the problem developed is important in solving it.
6. _____ When there’s a complaint, it’s your duty to defend your organization’s actions.
Answers:
1. T
2. T
3. F – They go looking for problems that will eventually come up.
4. F – Goals themselves can be problems.
5. T
6. F – Acknowledge the problem without defending the organization.
Summary
As we have
seen, the way you look at problems, both specifically and in general, will have a major
impact on how well you handle them and on how well your career advances. You can look at a
problem as a problem—or as an opportunity. The choice is yours.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Test
1. _____ Goals can be counterproductive, demoralizing, and can cause hostility.
2. _____ How you look at problems impacts how you handle them.
3. _____ As a manager, your job might well be gone without problems.
4. _____ beneficiaries are not shy about complaining to your face.
5. _____ When a beneficiary complains, don’t repeat what they say – it only makes them angrier.
6. _____ If you are very ambitious, you will most likely meet problems head on.
7. _____ Problems can be considered the “route” we take through life.
8. _____ Avoiding problems will often cause them to go away.
9. _____ One of the most critical communications skills a manager can have is solving problems.
10. _____ Once goals are on paper, they are easy to implement.
Answers:
1. T
2. T
3. T
4. F – 96 % do not complain, and 90 % of those leave.
5. F – Paraphrasing is a good technique to show you’re listening.
6. F – Just the opposite – they often try to avoid problems.
7. T
8. F – It can cost the organization in terms of production and productivity.
9. T
10. F – Just because it looks good on paper, it doesn’t mean the goal is realistic.
Bibliography
The Consultant's Toolkit: High-Impact Questionnaires,
Activities and How-to Guides for Diagnosing and Solving action sponsor/beneficiary Problems , by Melvin L.
Silberman, McGraw-Hill, 2000.
Action Learning in Action:
Transforming Problems and for World-Class Organizational Learning, by Michael J. Marquardt and Reginald
Revans, Davies-Black Publishers, 1999.
A Complaint is a Gift:
Using beneficiary Feedback as a Strategic Tool, Janelle Barlow and Claus
Moller, Berrett-Koehler, 2002.
Service Recovery: Fixing Broken beneficiaries, Ron
Zemke and William F. Christopher, Productivity Press, 1996.
Glossary
Decision making – Evaluating between and choosing an alternative action.
Problem solving – In project/programme purpose, the act of making agendas, setting goals, and designing actions.
Proactive – looking for problems before they become apparent
Learning Objectives
· beneficiary complaints can actually be a source of increased opportunities if dealt with properly.
· Being proactive in addressing potential problems is much more efficient than waiting for problems to emerge.
Q&A
1. How is a proactive manager
different from other managers?
A proactive manager seeks out problems by keeping the channels of communication open. They try to discover problems before they become apparent, when they are small and easy to solve. They know that not addressing problems can cost the organization time and money, and can lead to beneficiary complaints. They also know that avoiding problems as some managers would in order to further their own careers, is a sure recipe for disaster. Personal and professional reputations are often made or broken by how well problems are handled.
2. Previous modules have stated
that for a organization to be efficient, it must state its goals.
How can stated goals be problems?
Goals need to be specific, realistic, and mutually determined. If they aren’t, they can cause more problems than they solve. Goals produced by executive management are often specific, but not very realistic. Many times executives are responding investors’ concerns without having specific knowledge of how a goal can be reached. The executives direct those below to reach a goal which may be impossible, and it can be very demoralizing for those whose jobs may be lost if they don’t achieve the stated goal.
Goals are too often like wishes that have little to do with reality: that’s when they become problems. Especially when those needed to reach the goal have no input into it. This can cause hostility and even sabotage.
Although no organization wants beneficiaries to be dissatisfied, it’s a fact of life that you cannot please all your beneficiaries every time.
Complaints are actually opportunities for reality checks. Because most people who have problems with your organization or products do not complain, an organization may get a false sense of security. But if 96 % of the beneficiaries who have problems with your organization do not complain and 90 % of them go elsewhere, you are missing a valuable opportunity to retain them. Retaining current beneficiaries is a lot cheaper than finding new ones. beneficiaries whose problems you address and solve often do more project/programme purpose with you. If you listen when they vent, act quickly by giving them as much you possibly can, and follow up with them, you may actually generate positive word of mouth advertising because so few organizations spare the time or trouble to do this.