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The 3-D Nature of Real World Problems

by Drs. G.A. Brower and Dan Koger

104 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-2579; ISBN 1-4120-4761-7; US$24.95, C$31.00, EUR20.15, £13.96

Two-Dimensional problem solving can make you crazy. Our proven 3-D process gives problem-solving groups at your organization laser focus on clear objectives - for bigger profits and happier customers.

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about the book      about the author      excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book Old-fashioned problem solving in the workplace can make you crazy - more so today than ever before. That's because real-world problems are maddeningly 3-Dimensional, while too many organizations are attacking these challenges with traditional 2-Dimensional tools that look at the surface, without effectively probing what is going on beneath the obvious. We began work in this arena as employees of a large global organization, and continued our efforts as consultants to these same kinds of firms. One of our most important conclusions is that colour blindness and dimension impairment around problem solving aren't genetically programmed in people. Instead these traits most often result from immersion in organizational cultures, where they are handed down in statements such as the following: "It's common sense; anyone can see what's going on!" (We call this 'Sherlock Holmes miraculously solved the crime.') "We've always done it like that around here." (Here, a seasoned veteran bravely fights the last war.) "I'm a can-do person; fixing problems is my special gift. (We call this 'The Lone Ranger Rides Again.') "We're in the repair department; this is what we do." (Here we see a whole posse of Lone Rangers riding again as part of a formally established, and probably quite expensive, department of problem fixers.) "Because I'm your boss and I said so!" (This is where Attila the Hun rides again.)

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About the Authors Dan Koger Over the past 20 years, Dan has provided consulting services in organizational communications, group-performance development, process improvement, change management, conflict resolution, presentation skills, customer service and quality improvement. He has worked in a wide variety of industries, including banking and finance, telecommunications, the news media, energy services, government, automotive and other manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and high technology. Clients have included such diverse companies as AT&T, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, IBM, and Nortel, with many assignments requiring extended work in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, a masters degree in American economic history from Michigan State University, a doctorate in American Studies/Communications from Michigan State University, and certification in Strategic Business Planning from Wharton School of Business. Currently Dan is a faculty member at Phoenix University teaching communications. GAB Consultancy 124 Forrester Court Simi Valley, California 93065 (805) 522-0286 Email: gab4iso@aol.com Greg Brower Greg Brower has been President of GAB Consultancy for the past 8 years. Dr. Brower has worked as an International lecturer and consultant in the field of quality. He has worked closely with Dr. W. Edwards Deming and Philip Crosby and has been personally authorized to instruct and consult on their behalf. Dr. Brower has had the unique experience of applying the key quality philosophies to the test of daily application, both in his current role and as founder of the General Motors Quality Institute. His broad-based perspective enables Dr. Brower to clarify the relationships between different quality ideas and approaches. At the same time, his background and orientation focus on the practical value of these ideas; that is, making them work for an organization. He is also numbered among the few Americans who have consulted to Japanese industry. Massaki Imai's latest book, Gimba Kaizen, highlights some of these contributions. Dr. Brower holds a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University, a master's degree in Management from Central Michigan University, a doctorate in Education from Western Michigan University, and certification in Strategic Business Planning from Wharton School of Business. GAB Consultancy 124 Forrester Court Simi Valley, California 93065 (805) 522-0286 Email: gab4iso@aol.com

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Excerpts

INTRODUCTION

2-Dimensional problem solving can make you crazy.

In this book, we show you why this happens, and then give you a way out of the asylum-using a proven process that focuses the collective wisdom of problem-solving groups on a straight-forward objective--fixing what's wrong.

We'll have some fun along the way, while pursuing a serious goal‹helping you and your colleagues diagnose the root causes of work place problems, and eliminate them forever. Students of total quality will recognize this as "permanent corrective action," the Holy Grail of quality improvement and a worthy objective for anyone trying to do good work and beat the competition.

The Rubic's Cube is our symbol for the 3-D nature of real-world problems. The world is a 3-Dimensional place, after all, with height, width and depth, just like a Rubic's Cube. Real-world problems are 3-Dimensional too, with multiple layers of interconnected causes demanding multiple, interconnected solutions.

When we attribute colors to categories of problem causes, as we do later in the book, you'll see that any problem quickly becomes multi-dimensional and multi-colored‹again a Rubic's Cube, if you please.

Until you learn how to solve a Rubic's Cube, one of these little chunks of interconnected plastic can drive you nuts. A multi-dimensional problem, with interconnected layers of cause and effect, can make you just as loopy, until you learn how to manage these kinds of challenges with equal dispatch. Our goal is to give you just that capability.

We focus on problem solving in organizations, but our 3-D Problem Solving Process can be applied anywhere things go wrong-schools, families, communities, nations, you name it. All you need to get into the 3-Dimensional problem-solving business are two or more well-intended people, a few sheets of flip chart paper, some felt-tip markers, a couple of packages of sticky notes - and our process.

What we offer here is a problem-solving system that quickly allows you and your colleagues to see and manage the depth and complexity of multiple causes, with solid, effective, real-world solutions to those causes.

Put another way, we're committed to helping you take the blinders off so you can see and manage the complex world of problem solving in all its polychromatic and multi-dimensional fullness.

As these pages unfold, we have two basic objectives for you.

First, we want you to understand the fundamental pitfalls of traditional, 2-Dimensional problem solving, why it falls short in today's complex organizations and how it can make you nuts. Then we want you to see the benefits and applicability of our 3-Dimensional approach to fixing what's wrong.

We're practical guys, from the trenches of organizational America, so we know that understanding something isn't enough. You have to put that understanding to work or the value is lost. Our 3-Dimensional problem-solving approach has to withstand the relentless pressures of daily business operations. If you can't put it to work on the job, solving problems and saving money, than it's worthless.

That's why we devote most of this book to our second objective, which is to give you our practical, hands-on, field-tested system for 3-Dimensional problem solving in the work place.

We'll take you, step by step, through this approach. By the time you finish this book, we want you fully equipped to fix real, 3-Dimensional problems in your organization, as a matter of routine.

We'll show you how to work quickly with others, breaking problems down to their multiple root causes. Then we'll show you how to harness the collective brainpower of your work group or team in finding and applying solutions to each of these causes. Finally, we'll show you how to put your solutions into an implementation plan with a high probability of:

A. Being executed by the right people in the right places and,
B. Bringing measurable gains to your organization

Successful implementation is huge in the practical world where we do our consulting, and we want it to be just as huge in yours. That's why we'll also show you how to "bullet-proof" your implementation plans in ways that lower the prospect of derailment down the road.

While we're on the subject of "bullet-proofing," here's a word of caution. We know it's a demanding environment out there, and you, like most, are probably in constant pursuit of shortcuts-ways to get from Point A to Point B faster than the next guy. Such motivation is commendable. But in the context of this book, it could also have undesired consequences.

Our caution is this. You may already suspect that something is wrong with the way things currently get fixed in organizations and that a 3-D approach like ours is just the ticket. As a result, you may be tempted to skip the first part of this book and go straight to the problem-solving system.

We urge you not to.

We guarantee that many others in your organization aren't as insightful as you are. You'll need colleagues in your camp if you're going to get the most from of our system, as we point out in the section on teams and work groups.

Sections I through VI are designed to give you the concepts and words you'll need to convert a few "Lone Rangers," "Attila the Huns," or "veterans of the last war" to your 3-D view of problem solving.

To encourage this, we've done our best to make the learning in this book fun and easily digestible, for you and your colleagues. We've invited some of our best friends to the party. You'll meet such celebrities as Frankenstein's Monster, and Dorothy and her dog, Toto from the Wizard of Oz. You've already met the Lone Ranger and that old humanist Attila the Hun, the 5th-century world conqueror. Tune in and learn more on what they have to contribute.

"So, how do I know that this 3-D system works?" you might legitimately ask.

To address this, we offer a brief look at our track record over the years in developing what has now become 3-D Problem Solving. Here are a few examples of the many ways this approach has given organizations documented competitive advantage.

A cross-functional team at a major multi-national pharmaceutical company was responsible for managing regulatory issues for a drug product worth more than $2 billion in annual sales. After a year together, the team was losing its focus. At the end of an eight-hour problem solving and strategic planning session, our 3-D approach allowed the team to identify its few vital issues and clarify its primary objectives.

The core elements of what would become a detailed action plan were identified at that same meeting. This was the start of an 18-month engagement that saw the product through numerous marketing and regulatory challenges around the world. The team ultimately saved the firm hundreds of million of dollars annually in potential lost sales, and won the company's highest team-performance award.

A major high-technology firm wasn't meeting the complex needs of banks, phone companies, retail giants and other customers. Sales and repeat business were at risk or already lost. Cross-functional teams were developed to apply intense focus on the unique needs and concerns of individual customers. Each team was trained to use an early version of what later evolved into 3-D Problem Solving. They could now quickly identify the root causes of customer problems, and establish in-depth solutions for them.

Ultimately, more than 400 such teams were established at the company's many locations around the world, with accompanying gains in sales totals and service satisfaction.

A nation-wide corporate relocation company with headquarters in Orange County, California, had established itself over many years as a quality leader in its industry. A glass case in the headquarters lobby was filled with trophies and certificates recognizing ISO quality certification, customer satisfaction achievements and continuous improvement leadership.

What the company didn't have was 3-D Problem Solving to get a grip on persistent organizational and customer challenges. During a one-day session in the spring of 2003, leaders of the company identified $500,000 in potential operational and service gains, using 3-D Problem Solving techniques. At the end of the day, group members had identified root causes of some of the company's most persistent problems, prioritized which solutions to apply in which order, and developed a detailed implementation plan to assure that the solutions were realized on schedule.

Continuous improvement of 3-D Problem Solving is by definition a never-ending process. We need your feedback to do this. As you implement 3-D problem solving in your organization, share your successes or questions with us. Tell us what else you would like us to cover. What was missing? What could we have described better?

Send us your list. We'll read it carefully.

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Catalogue Information

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