In-House Training Courses
Business Acumen Course
Problem Solving and Decision Making
By Asst.Prof.Dr. Rathavoot Ruthankoon

Background
Problem solving and decision making competencies are very important for executives in modern business organizations. Their benefits include solving complex problems, finding innovative solutions, making decision rationally, and finally, increasing of competitive advantages in business. There are many problem solving and decision making concepts and tools have been developed for year. This course is 1-day compacted designed for experienced directors and executives to see overall pictures of them, understand their principles and concepts, and select appropriate strategies to make good solutions.This course also provide practical workshops.
Objectives
- Participants understand concept of problems solving and devision making.
- Participants understand processes of decision making via workshop training.
- Participants understand how to define, understand, and analyze problem.
- Participants understand how to list alternatives for problem solving creatively.
- Participants understand how to make decision rationally.
Many contemporary & modern problem solving decision concepts, approaches, and tools will be presented to the participants. This training method provides benefits because participants will see many ideas, know their similarities and can select and combine the ways to solve problem and make decision instead of using a single model. This course is suitable for middle to high postions in organizations that already have working experiences and work in decision-making environment.
Course Outline
Session | Timing | Detail |
1 | 9:00-10:30 น. | Back ground concepts, models, for problem solving and decision making. · This session provide some principles, theories, concepts of problem solving and decision making processes those have been developed. · The Polya’s four-step approach to problem solving is adopted to be the main process but also combine with Osborn’s seven steps creative problem solving process and rational approach for problem solving concepts. · The instructor will give in-depth of the concepts and give some practical examples to make participant to understand all concept well and ready to practice workshops. |
2 | 10:15-12:00 น. | Define and understand the problem workshop · This session starts with first step of many models which is define and understand the problem’ · The instructor will give a practical problem case study to participants and ask them to analyse the problem and examine all potential causes various ways using some questions, tools, and templates are given for thinking guidances e.g. root causes diagram. · This session continues a part of Polya’s second step call devise a plan by asking participant to analyze strategies to tackle the given problem. |
3 | 13:00-14:30 น. | List and Look at alternatives workshop · This session continues the morning case by asking participants to list up possible alternatives. The instructors will emphasize on the ‘creative thinking’. Some technical aproaches like popular design thinking and 6 hats concept will be introduced. · This step is a good combination among third step of Polya’s models, fourth step of rational approach and fourth step of Osborn’s model. Some tools and templates are also provided in this step as thinking guidance. |
4 | 14:45-16:00 น. | Decision making workshop · After some alternatives come up from the previous session, this final session provide solution selection tools to select the solution. This is the time to make decision. · Some contemporary deccision making approaches will be presented to the participant, e.g. MVP concept, risk analysis concept and analytical hierarchy concepts. · The participant will be asked to set up criteria and make decision, comeup to present their ideas for discussion amd cross commentation. · The instrutor will conclude with concept of monitoring, reviewing and evaluate the result combining various concepts and wrapup the course. |
Polya’s four-step approach to problem solving:
Rational Approach for problem solving
CPS Process
Training Method
Lecture, case study, discussion and work shop
Participants Directors, managers, and related positions: 30 participants.
Training Duration 1 Day
Trainindg Approach Theory 30: Practice 70
Lecture Instructor’s presentation
Workshop and case studies Group workshop, all partipants work on practical case studies.
Discussion Group discussion, widen thinking.
- This training adopts adult learning approach, participants-centered, using combination lecture and practice. It emphasizes on prarticipant’s thinking and experience, discussion, presentation to create knowledge, deep understanding, self-improvement, and practical use.
- The contents include lecture, VDO clips presenation, brainstorming, work shop, case study and simulation, presentation, discussion.

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