In past courses when discussing problems within a project the individual that was seen as the top for handling situations was the project manager. Even in there being a person that handles problems that happen on projects, there is a process in which a person must understand what the truth the problem is before jumping into action. To ensure that all angles are looked at before solving a problem the steps that can be taken are:

• Define the Problem
• Clarify the Problem
• Define the Goals
• Identify Root Cause of the Problem
• Develop Action Plan
• Execute Action Plan
• Evaluate the Results (8-Step Problem Solving, 2024).

Each of these steps ensures that the problem is addressed in the proper manner instead of making decisions too quick. For example, we work in the world of dirt and living in Colorado the amounts of snow or rain can affect work for the company that we contract with. Right now, the company is running into the problem of cleaning the mud to allow for production to continue. The mud is defined as the problem but when it is clarified the issue is that the company is putting money out in fuel, wearing on the equipment, and man hours are getting charged with no money from production coming in. Clean up hours are not billable hours which means the company is taking a hit. The goal is to finish the project on time but all the above must be taken in account as well. Therefore, an action plan had to be created and then executed. This means that the job site is shut down until the ground has more time to dry, after a couple of days they will re-evaluate to make sure the plan is working and make changes as needed. The project team plays a part in providing information, the project manager or owner of the construction company makes the final call and lets the employees and contractors know accordingly what the plan moving forward will be. It is interesting seeing it all play out and getting to ask some questions about how a bigger company is able to handle issues such as weather while staying the course of finishing a project.

Kandace

Resource:

8-step problem solving process. University Human Resources - The University of Iowa. (2024). https://hr.uiowa.edu/development/organizational-development/process-change/8-step-problem-solving-process

km

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