section ii basic management/ personal skills

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

Section IIBasic Management/

Personal Skills

Chapter 5

Decision Making and Problem Solving


A Decision-Making, Problem-Solving Environment• A problem-solving environment is made up of

– Diversity– Disagreement– Risk-taking


Kinds of Decisions

• Strategic—executive level• Administrative—middle management level• Operational—first-line level


Types of Decisions

• Command• Consultative• Consensual


Whole-Brain Research

• Left-brain thinking– Processes language– Primarily logical

• Right-brain thinking– Processes images– Primarily emotional

• Whole-brain thinking– Using both logic and creativity


Emotional Intelligence

• The ability to recognize and manage one’s emotions, as well as those of others

• The ABC’s of emotions:– Activating events– Belief and self-talk– Consequences


Basic Methods for Making Decisions or Problem Solving• Intuition• Snap decisions• Delegating• Not deciding• Using technology for decision making• Participatory decision making• Brainstorming• Focus groups• Groupthink


Four Rules of Brainstorming

1. No one is permitted to criticize an idea.

2. The wilder the idea, the better.

3. The group should concentrate on the quantity of ideas and not concern itself with the quality.

4. Participants should combine suggested ideas or build on others whenever possible.


Keys to Effective Brainstorming

1. Ensure that participants are prepared.

2. Write down all ideas.

3. Allow no criticizing of ideas.

4. Have a definite ending time.


More Complex Decision-Making/Problem-Solving Processes• The seven-step decision-making/problem-solving

approach• Force-field analysis• The nominal group technique• The Delphi technique• A modified form of the Delphi technique


The Seven-Step Decision-Making/Problem-Solving Process1. Define the specific problem.

2. Gather all facts concerning the problem.

3. Generate alternatives.

4. Analyze the alternatives.

5. Select the best alternative.

6. Implement the alternative.

7. Evaluate the decision.


Force-Field Analysis

• Identifies factors that impede and enhance goal attainment

• A problem exists when the equilibrium is upset because more factors are impeding goal attainment than enhancing it.


The Nominal Group Technique

• An objective way to achieve consensus on the most effective alternatives by ranking them.

• Some people work better by themselves than in a group.

• Should be reserved for important problems that really require consensus decision.


The Delphi Technique

• A way to have individual input result in a group effort

• Uses questionnaires completed by individuals• Answers are shared and the questionnaires are

completed again until consensus is reached.


A Modified Delphi Technique

• Presents a questionnaire that contains policy statements representing key issues to be decided and a response column with three choices:– Agree with– Not certain but willing to try– Disagree with


Problem-Solving Policing: The SARA Model1. Scanning: identifying the problem

2. Analysis: looking at alternatives

3. Response: implementing an alternative

4. Assessment: evaluating the results


Federal Assistance in Problem-Solving Efforts• Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS)• The National Institute of Justice (NIJ)• The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)• The National Criminal Justice Reference Service

(NCJRS)


Creativity and Innovation

• Creativity is a process of breaking old connections and making useful new ones.

• We are all potentially creative people.


Thinking Traps

1. Being stuck in black/white, either/or thinking.

2. Being too quick in deciding.

3. Making decisions based on personal feelings about the proposer of an idea.

4. Being a victim of personal habits and prejudices.

5. Not using imagination.


Mental Locks

1. The right answer.

2. Play is frivolous.

3. That’s not my area.

4. Don’t be foolish.

5. I’m not creative.

6. To err is wrong

7. That’s not logical.

8. Follow the rules.

9. Be practical.

10. Avoid ambiguity.


Killer Phrases

• Judgmental

• Critical

• Put-downs

• Stifle others’ creativity

• To handle killer phrases:– Recognize them.– Describe what is happening.– Challenge the group to discuss whether they are true.


Common Mistakes

• Spending too much energy on unimportant details• Failing to resolve important issues• Being secretive about true feelings• Having a closed mind• Making decisions while angry or excited• Not expressing ideas


Legal Decisions

• Law enforcement officers and management must consider if discretionary acts are within the law.

• Vicarious liability• Reducing the occurrence of civil lawsuits


Ethical Decisions

• Ethical considerations are important in decision making.

• Is the decision ethical—morally right?


Evaluating Decisions

1. Consistent with the agency’s mission? Goals? Objectives?

2. A long-term solution?

3. Cost effective?

4. Legal?

5. Ethical?

6. Practical?

7. Acceptable to those responsible for implementing it?

section ii basic management/ personal skills

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