Agricultural Education 842

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Agricultural Education 842

• Administration
• and
• Supervision

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Review

• Planning occurs at every admin. level
• Components range from Values to Budget
  information
• Mission Statement defines what an organization
  does
• Vision Statement is a lofty aim
• Goals provide general direction
• Objectives are specific, measurable targets
• Action plans address three key questions

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Lesson 3

• Problem Solving
• and
• Decision Making

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Objectives

• Define problem solving and decision making.
• Discuss the types and levels of decision making
  in an organization.
• Review the decision making process.
• Identify decision making styles.

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Objectives

• Analyze the benefits and limitations of group
  decision making.
• Discuss strategies for group decision making.
• Examine pitfalls to avoid in administrative
  decision making.
• Identify tests for ethical decision making.

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Making Decisions Everyday

• Clothes
• Speech
• Food
• Travel
• Work
• Etc.

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What is the most important decision you will make
in your life?

• SPOUSE?

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What is the most important decision made by
organizational administrators?

• HIRING EMPLOYEES

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This lesson focuses on

• Understanding process of problem solving and
  decision making
• Importance for organizational success

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Define

• Problem
• Problem Solving
• Decision Making

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Problem . . .

• . . . is a felt need or discrepancy between an
  existing condition and a desired condition.
  (Brody, 2000)

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Problem Solving . . .

• . . . is the process of identifying, specifying,
  analyzing problems, developing and evaluating
  alternative solutions, selecting the best
  alternative, making a decision, monitoring the
  result, and evaluating the outcome.

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Decision Making . . .

• . . . is the process of defining and choosing a
  course of action to solve a particular problem.
  (Sims, 2002)

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Relating Problem Solving to Decision Making
Problem Solving (probing phase)
Decision Making (action phase)

Dovetailed process
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How do you differentiate . . .

• . . . between a problem and an issue?

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Problem

• Departure from an ideal that can be improved
  through the implementation of a single best
  solution.

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Issues

• Dilemma that results in two or more perspectives
  that are incompatible for which there is no
  single best solution.

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• Problems lend themselves to a solution
• Issues cannot be solved per se, but may be
  resolved to some level of stakeholder satisfaction

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Discuss

• Types of decision making in an organization.
• Levels of decision making in an organization.

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Two Types of Organizational Decision Making

• Programmed -- routine, repetitive, or structured
  situations in which a specific procedure or
  program can be applied to a consistent decision.
• Non-Programmed -- unusual unique, rare or
  unstructured situations not likely to recur.
  Must depend on knowledge, intelligence,
  intuition, experience, and creativity to solve
  these problems.

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Decision Making

• Administrators should employ a decision making
  process that is consistent, logical, and
  adaptable.
• Employees become frustrated and disillusioned if
  decision making vacillates.
• Coaching and mentoring subordinates to make good
  decisions.

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Decisions Making at HigherLevels of
Administration

• Top Executives -- policy development decisions
• Middle Management -- policy implementation
  decisions
• Supervisors -- operating decisions

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Steps in the Decision Making Process

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Step 1 - Define the Problem

• Dont confuse symptom with problem
• Examine discrepancy between goals and results
• Specify the problem
• Determine boundaries
• Clarify differing perspectives
• Identify insidious problems (underlying)

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Questions to Guide Problem Specification

• What is the problem?
• How do you know there is a problem?
• Where has the problem occurred?
• When has it occurred?
• Who is involved in or affected by the problem?

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Step 2 - Consider Alternative Solutions

• Develop decision criteria
• Assemble relevant information
• Identify concrete alternatives
• Avoid either/or thinking
• Consider tradeoffs
• Optimizing vs. Satisficing

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Ideal is the enemy of Good

• Satisficing overcomes
• paralysis by analysis

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Step 3 - Make a Decision

• Choose best among alternative
• Assess degree and type of risk
• Does decision affect something valued?
• Does decision have serious consequences?
• Is the decision permanent?
• What is the likelihood of a potential negative
  consequence?

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Step 3 - Make a Decision (cont.)

• Implement the best alternative
• Experiment or Pilot Test
• Bite the Bullet
• Shared decision making
• Watch for pitfalls
• Clinging to familiar
• Defending past bad decision
• Seeking confirming evidence
• Framing problem too narrowly

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Step 3 - Make a Decision (cont.)

• Select alternative with most desirable
  consequences and fewest undesirable consequences

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Step 4 - Monitoring Results

• Determine standards for monitoring and
  controlling activities
• Identify information needed
• Specify sources of information
• Identify procedures for collecting information

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Step 5 Making Corrections

• If solution was successful
• Were objectives too low?
• Were benefits worth the cost?
• Was the problem eliminated?
• Did the solution create any problems?
• Did the solution affect any other parts of the
  organization?

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Step 5 Making Corrections cont..

• If the solution was not successful
• Were adequate resources available?
• Were the objectives set too high?
• Was the time table appropriate?
• Does the problem still exist?

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Identify Decision Making Styles
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Three Basic Decision Making Styles

• Reflexive -- quick decision, shoots from the
  hip, decisive, does not procrastinate, viewed as
  a poor administrator if consistently makes bad
  decisions.
• Reflective -- slow to decide, analyzes too much
  information, paralysis by analysis,
  procrastinator, wishy-washy, indecisive.
• Consistent -- logical, defined process, flexible,
  decision making strategies, adaptable to the
  environment, perceptive of need for group
  involvement.

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• There is no, one universal process that is
  appropriate for all decision making scenarios.

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Analyze

• Benefits of group decision making
• Limitations of group decision making

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Group Decision Makingtwo heads are better than
one

• Advantages
• More complete information
• Range of experience and perspectives
• More alternative solutions
• Acceptance of solution
• Legitimacy

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Group Decision Making (cont.)

• Benefits realized
• Promotes teamwork
• Improves creativity
• Increase interaction
• Expands communication
• Enhances organizational efficiency

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Group Decision Making (cont.)

• When employees participate in decision making,
  they support decision and try harder to make them
  work.
• Sims, 2002, p. 211

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Group Decision Making (cont.)

• Disadvantages
• Time consuming
• Minority domination
• Pressure to conform GROUPTHINK
• Ambiguous responsibility

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Four Criteria of Good Decisions

• Accuracy / Quality / Effectiveness
• Timeliness
• Creative
• Acceptance

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Tests for Ethical Decision Making

• Legal Compliance Test
• Public Knowledge Test
• Long Term Consequences Test
• Motive Test
• Inner Voice Test

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Discuss Strategies for Group Decision Making
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Strategies for Group Decision Making

• Brainstorming -- generate free-flow of ideas,
  judgment suspended, develop as many alternatives
  as possible
• Rules for Brainstorming
• Defer all judgment of ideas
• Seek quantity of ideas
• Encourage free wheeling
• Hitchhike on existing ideas

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Strategies for Group Decision Making

• Delphi Technique -- collecting and organizing
  opinions of several experts into consensus
• Pose problem statement to group of experts
• Solicit list of alternative solutions from group
• Compile list of solutions
• Send summarized list to expert group for review
• Summarize expert group comments and return
  revised list for further review
• Repeat process until consensus is reached

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Strategies for Group Decision Making

• Nominal Group Technique (NGT) --group of 5-7 meet
  to systematically offer individual solutions and
  share reactions.

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Strategies for Group Decision Making

• Stepladder Technique -- add new members to
  present individual ideas, group discussion, then
  preliminary decision.
• Another joins the group, presents their ideas,
  joins group discussion, tentative decision.
• Repeat process until each individual has
  presented their ideas and discussed.

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Training Discussion Leaders

• State problem in objective manner
• Provide all facts, information and clarify
  constraints
• Solicit input from every group member
• Wait out pauses
• Ask stimulating questions
• Summarize and clarify key points

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Administrative Decision Making Pitfalls

• Making all decisions into big or crisis decisions
• Failing to consult with others before decision
• Never admitting to a mistake
• Constantly re-examining prior decision
• Failing to utilize precedents and policies
• Failing to examine information
• Promise something that cannot be delivered
• Delaying decision or announcement too long

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Conclusions

• Problem solving involves probing
• Decision making is the process of selecting the
  best alternative
• Decisions range from programmed to non-programmed

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Conclusions (cont.)

• Decision making process includes
• Define problem
• Consider alterative
• Making decision
• Monitoring results
• Making corrections
• Decision making styles are Reflexive, Reflective,
  and Consistent
• Benefits of group decision making
• Quality, quantity, acceptability, legitimacy

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Conclusions (cont.)

• Limitations
• Time consuming
• Minority domination
• GroupThink
• Lack of follow-through responsibility

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Conclusions (cont.)

• Groups decision making strategies include
• Brainstorming
• Delphi Technique
• Nominal Group Technique
• Stepladder Technique

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Assignment

• Brody, Chapters 6 17

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Next Week . . .

• Time Management

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Have a good weekend!