Review structured problem solving annually against what actually happened, not what was intended.
Mastering Structured Problem-Solving Tools at Work
An applied course in structured problem solving built around the decisions practitioners actually face.
Course Overview
The organisation's reputation as an employer is built or lost through structured problem solving. Most disputes about this strand of people management and development begin as a conversation that was handled badly. It suits anyone whose decisions touch the wider people management and development agenda, in large organisations and small ones alike. Teams frequently over-invest in documenting structured problem solving and under-invest in testing it. Content is organised around the decisions practitioners actually face in the practice within people management and development, not around theory headings. Participants gain a clear basis for measuring what this area of people management and development has actually achieved. The most reliable predictor of sound structured problem solving is whether anyone reviews it when nothing has gone wrong. Cases are chosen to expose the trade-offs in the people management and development discipline rather than to illustrate ideal conditions. The closing exercise tests whether the participant's plan for this part of people management and development survives a hostile question.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Build the evidence base on structured problem solving from data the organisation already collects.
Plan succession and continuity for the roles most exposed to structured problem solving.
Align structured problem solving with the wider objectives of the workforce rather than optimising it in isolation.
Compare the organisation's handling of structured problem solving with recognised practice, and close the material gaps.
Assess the cost of structured problem solving and the cost of leaving it as it is.
Set a realistic target state for structured problem solving and a defensible route to it.
Who Should Attend
Legal and compliance advisers reviewing structured problem solving.
Human resources managers and business partners responsible for structured problem solving.
Individuals developing their own capability in structured problem solving.
Public sector officials applying structured problem solving within a regulated framework.
Learning and development officers building capability in structured problem solving.
Members of committees that take decisions affecting structured problem solving.
Course Modules
Structured problem solving: the manager conversation that decides the outcome
2 sessions · 8 pointsSession 1Building manager capability in structured problem solving rather than owning it centrally
- Confirm that contractual obligations around structured problem solving are understood.
- Script the difficult conversation structured problem solving requires and rehearse it.
- Establish the boundary of structured problem solving and record what sits outside it.
- Set the consistency check that catches uneven application of structured problem solving.
Session 2Reviewing structured problem solving when nothing has gone wrong
- Check that structured problem solving complies with current labour regulation in every location.
- Build the appeals route for structured problem solving and publish it.
- Measure the effect of structured problem solving on retention and performance, not activity.
- Agree the indicators that will show whether structured problem solving is improving.
Structured problem solving: review, learning and adjustment
2 sessions · 8 pointsSession 1Explaining structured problem solving so people believe it
- Pilot changes to structured problem solving in one area before wider rollout.
- Name a single owner for each element of structured problem solving.
- Design the communication for structured problem solving around the questions people will actually ask.
- Plan succession for roles most exposed to structured problem solving.
Session 2Reviewing structured problem solving against what actually happened
- Ask employees what structured problem solving feels like from their side.
- Set out the decisions in structured problem solving that require sign-off and by whom.
- Distinguish symptoms from causes when structured problem solving underperforms.
- Confirm that reporting on structured problem solving reaches the people who can act.
Structured problem solving: exceptions, appeals and difficult cases
2 sessions · 8 pointsSession 1Escalation and decision rights in structured problem solving
- Review structured problem solving for unintended equity effects across groups.
- Compare intended and actual outcomes of structured problem solving honestly.
- Set the review interval for structured problem solving and who attends.
- Reduce the variation in how structured problem solving is carried out between teams.
Session 2What to measure in structured problem solving and what to ignore
- Remove steps in structured problem solving that add effort without adding assurance.
- Confirm records relating to structured problem solving meet retention and privacy rules.
- Set out how exceptions to structured problem solving are requested and approved.
- Write down the assumptions underpinning the approach to structured problem solving.
Structured problem solving: communication and employee understanding
2 sessions · 8 pointsSession 1Writing a policy on structured problem solving a line manager can actually use
- Rehearse the briefing on structured problem solving that would follow an incident.
- Estimate the resource structured problem solving requires to run as designed.
- Set the annual review point for structured problem solving and who attends.
- Test the policy on structured problem solving against three real cases from the past year.
Session 2Costing structured problem solving honestly, including the cost of inaction
- Assign responsibility for keeping documentation of structured problem solving current.
- Record the rationale for each significant choice made about structured problem solving.
- Define who decides on structured problem solving and who may only recommend.
- Identify the data the organisation already holds that bears on structured problem solving.
Choose the package that suits you
Silver Package
At least 3 people
- Workshop or Program Participation
- Airport Transfers
- Customized Badge
- Expert Mentorship (Private Sessions)
- Supervision & Secretarial Services
- Accredited Certificate of Participation
- Complete Training Kit
- Coffee Break
- Closing Ceremony
Gold Package
At least 3 people
- 5-night stay in a 5-star hotel
- Workshop or Program Participation
- Airport Transfers
- Customized Badge
- Expert Mentorship (Private Sessions)
- Supervision & Secretarial Services
- Accredited Certificate of Participation
- Complete Training Kit
- Coffee Break
- Closing Ceremony
Complete your registration
We will contact you within one business day to confirm.