Introduction to Problem Solving Skills | CCMIT

Problem solving is the process of identifying a problem, developing possible solution paths, and taking the appropriate course of action. Why is problem solving ... 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  WhatisProblemSolvingandWhyisitImportant? Theabilitytosolveproblemsisabasiclifeskillandisessentialtoourday-to-daylives,athome,atschool,andatwork.Wesolveproblemseverydaywithoutreallythinkingabouthowwesolvethem.Forexample:it’srainingandyouneedtogotothestore.Whatdoyoudo?Therearelotsofpossiblesolutions.Takeyourumbrellaandwalk.Ifyoudon'twanttogetwet,youcandrive,ortakethebus.Youmightdecidetocallafriendforaride,oryoumightdecidetogotothestoreanotherday.Thereisnorightwaytosolvethisproblemanddifferentpeoplewillsolveitdifferently. Problemsolvingistheprocessofidentifyingaproblem,developingpossiblesolutionpaths,andtakingtheappropriatecourseofaction. Whyisproblemsolvingimportant?Goodproblemsolvingskillsempoweryounotonlyinyourpersonallifebutarecriticalinyourprofessionallife.Inthecurrentfast-changingglobaleconomy,employersoftenidentifyeverydayproblemsolvingascrucialtothesuccessoftheirorganizations.Foremployees,problemsolvingcanbeusedtodeveloppracticalandcreativesolutions,andtoshowindependenceandinitiativetoemployers. IdeaLog Throughoutthiscasestudyyouwillbeaskedtojotdownyourthoughtsinidealogs.Theseidealogsareusedforreflectiononconceptsandforansweringshortquestions.Whenyouclickonthe"Next"button,yourresponseswillbesavedforthatpage.Ifyouhappentoclosethewebpage,youwillloseyourworkonthepageyouwereon,butpreviouspageswillbesaved.Attheendofthecasestudy,clickonthe"FinishandExporttoPDF"buttontoacknowledgecompletionofthecasestudyandreceiveaPDFdocumentofyouridealogs. WhatDoesProblemSolvingLookLike? Theabilitytosolveproblemsisaskill,andjustlikeanyotherskill,themoreyoupractice,thebetteryouget.Sohowexactlydoyoupracticeproblemsolving?Learningaboutdifferentproblemsolvingstrategiesandwhentousethemwillgiveyouagoodstart.Problemsolvingisaprocess.Moststrategiesprovidestepsthathelpyouidentifytheproblemandchoosethebestsolution.Therearetwobasictypesofstrategies:algorithmicandheuristic. Algorithmicstrategiesaretraditionalstep-by-stepguidestosolvingproblems.Theyaregreatforsolvingmathproblems(inalgebra:multiplyanddivide,thenaddorsubtract)orforhelpingusrememberthecorrectorderofthings(amnemonicsuchas“SpringForward,FallBack”torememberwhichwaytheclockchangesfordaylightsavingtime,or“RightyTighty,LeftyLoosey”torememberwhatdirectiontoturnboltsandscrews).Algorithmsarebestwhenthereisasinglepathtothecorrectsolution. Butwhatdoyoudowhenthereisnosinglesolutionforyourproblem?Heuristicmethodsaregeneralguidesusedtoidentifypossiblesolutions.ApopularonethatiseasytorememberisIDEAL[Bransford&Stein,1993]: Identifytheproblem Definethecontextoftheproblem Explorepossiblestrategies Actonbestsolution Lookbackandlearn IDEALisjustoneproblemsolvingstrategy.Buildingatoolboxofproblemsolvingstrategieswillimproveyourproblemsolvingskills.Withpractice,youwillbeabletorecognizeandusemultiplestrategiestosolvecomplexproblems. Watchthevideo Whatisthebestwaytogetapeanutoutofatubethatcannotbemoved?Watchachimpanzeesolvethisprobleminthevideobelow[GeertStienissen,2010]. [PDFtranscript] IdeaLog Describetheseriesofstepsyouthinkthechimpanzeeusedtosolvethisproblem. [Page2:WhatdoesProblemSolvingLookLike?]Describetheseriesofstepsyouthinkthechimpanzeeusedtosolvethisproblem. Thinkofaneverydayproblemyou'veencounteredrecentlyanddescribeyourstepsforsolvingit.[Page2:WhatdoesProblemSolvingLookLike?]Thinkofaneverydayproblemyou'veencounteredrecentlyanddescribeyourstepsforsolvingit. DevelopingProblemSolvingProcesses Problemsolvingisaprocessthatusesstepstosolveproblems.Butwhatdoesthatreallymean?Let'sbreakitdownandstartbuildingourtoolboxofproblemsolvingstrategies. Whatisthefirststepofsolvinganyproblem?Thefirststepistorecognizethatthereisaproblemandidentifytherightcauseoftheproblem.Thismaysoundobvious,butsimilarproblemscanarisefromdifferentevents,andtherealissuemaynotalwaysbeapparent.Toreallysolvetheproblem,it'simportanttofindoutwhatstarteditall.Thisiscalledidentifyingtherootcause. Example:Youandyourclassmateshavebeenworkinglonghoursonaprojectintheschool'sworkshop.Thenextafternoon,youtrytouseyourstudentIDcardtoaccesstheworkshop,butdiscoverthatyourmagneticstriphasbeendemagnetized.Sincethecardwasacoupleofyearsold,youchalkituptowearandtearandgetanewIDcard.Laterthatsameweekyoulearnthatseveralofyourclassmateshadthesameproblem!Afteralittleinvestigation,youdiscoverthatastrongmagnetwasstoredunderneathaworkbenchintheworkshop.ThemagnetwastherootcauseofthedemagnetizedstudentIDcards. Thebestwaytoidentifytherootcauseoftheproblemistoaskquestionsandgatherinformation.Ifyouhaveavagueproblem,investigatingfactsismoreproductivethanguessingasolution.Askyourselfquestionsabouttheproblem.Whatdoyouknowabouttheproblem?Whatdoyounotknow?Whenwasthelasttimeitworkedcorrectly?Whathaschangedsincethen?Canyoudiagramtheprocessintoseparatesteps?Whereintheprocessistheproblemoccurring?Becurious,askquestions,gatherfacts,andmakelogicaldeductionsratherthanassumptions. Watchthevideo WatchAdamSavagefromMythbusters,describehisproblemsolvingprocess[ForaTv,2010].Asyouwatchthissectionofthevideo,trytoidentifythequestionsheasksandthedifferentstrategiesheuses. [PDFtranscript] IdeaLog AdamSavagesharedmanyofhisproblemsolvingprocesses.Listtheonesyouthinkarethefivemostimportant.Yourlistmaybedifferentfromotherpeopleinyourclass—that'sok! [Page3:DevelopingProblemSolvingProcesses]AdamSavagesharedmanyofhisproblemsolvingprocesses.Listtheonesyouthinkarethefivemostimportant. “Theabilitytoasktherightquestionismorethanhalfthebattleoffindingtheanswer.”—ThomasJ.Watson,founderofIBM VoicesFromtheField:SolvingProblems Inmanufacturingfacilitiesandmachineshops,everyoneonthefloorisexpectedtoknowhowtoidentifyproblemsandfindsolutions.Today'semployerslookforthefollowingskillsinnewemployees:toanalyzeaproblemlogically,formulateasolution,andeffectivelycommunicatewithothers. Watchthevideo Inthisvideo,industryprofessionalssharetheirownproblemsolvingprocesses,theproblemsolvingexpectationsoftheiremployees,andanexampleofhowaproblemwassolved. [PDFtranscript] MeetthePartners: TaconicHighSchoolinPittsfield,Massachusetts,isacomprehensive,fullyaccreditedhighschoolwithspecialprogramsinHealthTechnology,ManufacturingTechnology,andWork-BasedLearning. BerkshireCommunityCollegeinPittsfield,Massachusetts,preparesitsstudentswithappliedmanufacturingtechnicalskills,providinghands-onexperienceatindustriallaboratoriesandmanufacturingfacilities,andinstructingthemincurrenttechnologies. H.C.StarckinNewton,Massachusetts,specializesinprocessingandmanufacturingtechnologymetals,suchastungsten,niobium,andtantalum.Inalmost100yearsofexperience,theyholdover900patents,andcontinuetoinnovateanddevelopnewproducts. NyproHealthcareinDevens,Massachusetts,specializesinprecisioninjection-moldedhealthcareproducts.Theyarecommittedtogoodmanufacturingprocessesincludingleanmanufacturingandprocessvalidation. MakingDecisions Nowthatyouhaveacoupleproblemsolvingstrategiesinyourtoolbox,let'spractice.Inthisexercise,youaregivenascenarioandyouwillbeaskedtodecidewhatstepsyouwouldtaketoidentifyandsolvetheproblem. Scenario:Youareanewemployeeandhavejustfinishedyourtraining.Asyourfirstproject,youhavebeenassignedthemillingofseveraladditionalcomponentsforaregularcustomer.Together,youandyourtrainer,Bill,setupforthefirstrun.Checkingyourpaperwork,yougatherthetoolsandmaterialsonthelist.Asyouaremountingthematerialsonthetable,younoticethatyoudidn'tgrabeverythingandhurriedlygrabafewmoreitemsfromoneofthebins.OncethematerialissecuredontheCNCtable,youloadtoolsintothetoolcarouselintheorderlistedonthetoollistandsetthefixtureoffsets. Billtellsyouthatsincethisisarerunofajobseveralweeksago,theCAD/CAMmodelhasalreadybeenconvertedtoCNCG-code.BillhelpsyoudownloadthecodetotheCNCmachine.Hegivesyouthego-aheadandleavestocheckonanotheremployee.Youdecidetostartyourfirstrun. Watchthevideo Whatproblemsdidyouobserveinthevideo?[Page5:MakingDecisions]Whatproblemsdidyouobserveinthevideo? Whatdoyoudonext?[DecisionTreeStep1]Whatdoyoudonext?Trytofixityourself.Askyourtrainerforhelp. Asyouarecleaningup,youthinkaboutwhathappenedandwonderwhyithappened.Youtrytocreateamentalpictureofwhathappened.Youarenotexactlysurewhattheendmillhit,butitlookedlikeitmighthavehitthedowelpin.Youwonderifyougrabbedthecorrectdowelpinsfromthebinsearlier. Youcanthinkoftwopossiblenextsteps.Youcanrecheckthedowelpinlengthtomakesureitisthecorrectlength,ordoadryrunusingtheCNCsinglesteporsingleblockfunctionwiththespindleemptytodeterminewhatactuallyhappened. Whichonedoyoutry?[DecisionTreeStep2Option1]Youcanthinkoftwopossiblesolutions.Whichonedoyoutry?Checkthedowelpins.Usethesinglestep/singleblockfunctiontodeterminewhathappened. Younoticethatyourtrainer,Bill,isstillontheflooranddecidetoaskhimforhelp.Youdescribetheproblemtohim.Billasksifyouknowwhattheendmillraninto.Youexplainthatyouarenotsurebutyouthinkitwasthedowelpin.Billremindsyouthatitisimportanttounderstandwhathappenedsoyoucanfixthecorrectproblem.Hesuggeststhatyoustartalloveragainandbeginwithadryrunusingthesinglestep/singleblockfunction,withthespindleempty,todeterminewhatithit.Or,sinceithappenedattheend,hementionsthatyoucanalsochecktheG-codetomakesuretheZ-axisisraisedbeforereturningtothehomeposition. Whatdoyoudonext?[DecisionTreeStep2Option2]YourcoworkerBillexplainshowhefixedit.You:Runthesinglestep/singleblockfunction.EdittheG-codetoraisetheZ-axis. YoufinishcleaningupandchecktheCNCforanydamage.Luckily,everythinglooksgood.Youcheckyourpaperworkandgatherthecomponentsandmaterialsagain.Youlookatthedowelpinsyouusedearlier,anddiscoverthattheyarenottherightlength.Asyougotograbthecorrectdowelpins,youhavetosearchthoughseveralbins.Forthefirsttime,youareawareofthemess-itlookslikethedowelpinsandotheritemshavenotbeenputintothecorrectlylabeledbins.Youspend30minutesstraighteningupthebinsandlookingforthecorrectdowelpins. Finallyfindingthem,youfinishsettingup.Youloadtoolsintothetoolcarouselintheorderlistedonthetoollistandsetthefixtureoffsets.Justtomakesure,youusetheCNCsinglestep/singleblockfunction,todoadryrunofthepart.Everythinglooksgood!Youarereadytocreateyourfirstpart.Thefirstcomponentisdone,and,asyouadmireyoursuccess,younoticethatthepartfeelshotterthanitshould. Youwonderwhy?Yougooverthestepsoftheprocesstomentallyfigureoutwhatcouldbecausingtheresidualheat.YouwonderifthereisaproblemwiththeCNC'scoolantsystemoriftheproblemisintheG-code. Whatdoyoudonext?[DecisionTreeStep3Option1A]Itseemsthatyouhavefixedtheproblem.Whatdoyoudonext?LookattheG-code.Askyourtrainerforhelp. Afterthinkingabouttheproblem,youdecidethatmaybethere'ssomethingwrongwiththesetup.First,youcleanupthedamagedmaterialsandremovethebrokentool.YouchecktheCNCmachinecarefullyforanydamage.Luckily,everythinglooksgood.Itistimetostartoveragainfromthebeginning. Youagaincheckyourpaperworkandgatherthetoolsandmaterialsonthesetupsheet.Aftersecuringthenewmaterials,youusetheCNCsinglestep/singleblockfunctionwiththespindleempty,todoadryrunofthepart.Youwatchcarefullytoseeifyoucanfigureoutwhathappened.Itlookstoyoulikethespindlebarelymisseshittingthedowelpin.Youdeterminethattheendmillwasbrokenwhenithitthedowelpinwhilereturningtothestartposition. Whatdoyoudonext?[DecisionTreeStep3Option1B]Yougetitpartiallyright.Whatdoyoudonext?Askyourtrainerforhelp.EdittheG-codetoraisetheZ-axis. Afterconductingadryrunusingthesinglestep/singleblockfunction,youdeterminethattheendmillwasdamagedwhenithitthedowelpinonitsreturntothehomeposition.YoudiscussyouroptionswithBill.Together,youdecidethebestthingtodowouldbetoedittheG-codeandraisetheZ-axisbeforereturningtohome.YouopentheCNCcontrolprogramandedittheG-code.Justtomakesure,youusetheCNCsinglestep/singleblockfunction,todoanotherdryrunofthepart.Youarereadytocreateyourfirstpart.Itworks.Youfirstpartiscompleted.Onlyfourmoretogo. Asyouarecleaningup,younoticethatthecomponentsarehotterthanyouexpectandtheendmilllooksmorewornthanitshouldbe.Itdawnsonyouthatwhileyouweremillingthecomponent,thecoolantdidn'tturnon.YouwonderifitisasoftwareproblemintheG-codeorhardwareproblemwiththeCNCmachine. It'stheendofthedayandyoudecidetofinishtherestofthecomponentsinthemorning. Whatdoyoudonext?[DecisionTreeStep3Option2A]Yourepeatthesolution,butyouwonderwhyasimilarproblemishappeningonmultipleprojects.YoudecidetolookattheG-codeinthemorning.Youleaveanoteonthemachine,justincase. YoudecidethatthebestthingtodowouldbetoedittheG-codeandraisetheZ-axisofthespindlebeforeitreturnstohome.YouopentheCNCcontrolprogramandedittheG-code. WhileeditingtheG-codetoraisetheZ-axis,younoticethatthecoolantisturnedoffatthebeginningofthecodeandattheendofthecode.Thecoolantcommanderrorcaughtyourattentionbecauseyourcoworker,Mark,mentionedhavingasimilarissueduringlunch.Youchangethecoolantcommandtoturnthemiston. Whatdoyoudonext?[DecisionTreeStep3Option2B]Youwonderwhyasimilarproblemishappeningonmultipleprojects.Youdecidetotalkwithyoursupervisor.Youdiscusswhathappenedwithacoworkeroverlunch. Asyoureflectontheresidualheatproblem,youthinkaboutthemachiningprocessandthefactorsthatcouldhavecausedtheissue.Youtrytothinkofanythingandeverythingthatcouldbecausingtheissue.Areyouusingthecorrecttoolforthespecifiedmaterial?Areyouusingthespecifiedmaterial?Isitrunningatthecorrectspeed?Isthereenoughcoolant?Aretherechipsgettingintheway? Wait,wasthecoolantturnedon?Asyoureplaywhathappenedinyourmind,youwonderwhythecoolantwasn'tturnedon.YoudecidetolookattheG-codetofindoutwhatisgoingon. Fromthemillingmachinecomputer,youopentheCNCG-code.Younoticethattherearenocoolantcommands.Youaddtheminandonthenextrun,thecoolantmistturnsonandtheresidualheatissuesisgone.Now,itsontocreatingtherestoftheparts. Haveyoueverusedbrainstormingtosolveaproblem?Chancesare,you'veprobablyhave,evenifyoudidn'trealizeit. Younoticethatyourtrainer,Bill,isontheflooranddecidetoaskhimforhelp.Youdescribetheproblemwiththeendmillbreaking,andhowyoudiscoveredthatitemsarenotbeingreturnedtothecorrectlylabeledbins.Youthinkthiscausedyoutograbtheincorrectlengthdowelpinsonyourfirstrun.Youhavesortedthebinsandhopethatthemessproblemisfixed.YouthengoontotellBillabouttheresidualheatissuewiththecompletedpart. Together,yougotothemillingmachine.Billshowsyouhowtochecktheoilandcoolantlevels.Everythinglooksgoodatthemachinelevel.Next,ontheCNCcomputer,youopentheCNCG-code.Whilelookingatthecode,Billpointsoutthattherearenocoolantcommands.Billaddstheminandwhenyoureruntheprogram,itworks. Billisgladyoumentionedtheproblemtohim.YouarethethirdworkertomentionG-codeissuesoverthelastweek.YounoticedthecoolantproblemsinyourG-code,JohnnoticedaZ-axisissueinhisG-code,andSamhadissueswithboththeZ-axisandthecoolant.Chancesare,thereisabiggerproblemandBillwillneedtoinvestigatetherootcause. TalkingwithBill,youdiscussthebestwaytofixtheproblem.BillsuggestseditingtheG-codetoraisetheZ-axisofthespindlebeforeitreturnstoitshomeposition.YouopentheCNCcontrolprogramandedittheG-code.Followingthesetupsheet,youre-setupthejobandusetheCNCsinglestep/singleblockfunction,todoanotherdryrunofthepart.Everythinglooksgood,soyourunthejobagainandcreatethefirstpart. Itworks.Sinceyouneedfourofeachcomponent,youmoveontocreatingtherestofthembeforecleaningupandleavingfortheday. It'sanewdayandyouhavenewcomponentstocreate.Asyouaresettingup,yougoinsearchofsomeshortdowelpins.Youdiscoverthatthebinsareamessandcomponentshavenotbeenputawayinthecorrectlylabeledbins.Youwonderifthiswasthecauseofyesterday'sproblem.Asyoureorganizethebinsandstraightenupthemess,youdecidetomentionthemessissuetoBillinyourafternoonmeeting. YoudescribethebinmessandusingtheincorrectlengthdowelstoBill.Heisgladyoumentionedtheproblemtohim.Youarenotthefirstpersontomentionsimilarissueswithtoolsandpartsnotbeingputawaycorrectly.Chancesarethereisabiggersafetyissueherethatneedstobeaddressedinthenextstaffmeeting. Inanyworkplace,followingpropersafetyandcleanupproceduresisalwaysimportant.Thisisespeciallycrucialinmanufacturingwherepeopleareconstantlyworkingwithheavy,costlyandsometimesdangerousequipment.Whenissuesandproblemsarise,itisimportantthattheyareaddressedinanefficientandtimelymanner.Effectivecommunicationisanimportanttoolbecauseitcanpreventproblemsfromrecurring,avoidinjurytopersonnel,reducereworkandscrap,andultimately,reducecost,andsavemoney. Younowknowthattheendmillwasdamagedwhenithitthedowelpin.ItseemstoyouthattheeasiestthingtodowouldbetoedittheG-codeandraisetheZ-axispositionofthespindlebeforeitreturnstothehomeposition.YouopentheCNCcontrolprogramandedittheG-code,raisingtheZ-axis.Startingover,youfollowthesetupsheetandre-setupthejob.Thistime,youusetheCNCsinglestep/singleblockfunction,todoanotherdryrunofthepart.Everythinglooksgood,soyourunthejobagainandcreatethefirstpart. Attheendoftheday,youarereviewingyourprogresswithyourtrainer,Bill.Afteryoudescribetheday'sevents,heremindsyoutoalwaysthinkaboutsafetyandtheimportanceoffollowingworkprocedures.Hedecidestobringtheissueupinthenextmorningmeetingasaremindertoeveryone. Inanyworkplace,followingproperprocedures(especiallythosethatinvolvesafety)isalwaysimportant.Thisisespeciallycrucialinmanufacturingwherepeopleareconstantlyworkingwithheavy,costly,andsometimesdangerousequipment.Whenissuesandproblemsarise,itisimportantthattheyareaddressedinanefficientandtimelymanner.Effectivecommunicationisanimportanttoolbecauseitcanpreventproblemsfromrecurring,avoidinjurytopersonnel,reducereworkandscrap,andultimately,reducecost,andsavemoney.Onetooltoimprovecommunicationisthemorningmeetingorhuddle. Thenextmorning,youchecktheG-codetodeterminewhatiswrongwiththecoolant.Younoticethatthecoolantisturnedoffatthebeginningofthecodeandalsoattheendofthecode.Thisisstrange.YouchangetheG-codetoturnthecoolantonatthebeginningoftherunandoffattheend.Thisworksandyoucreatetherestoftheparts. Throughouttheday,youkeepwonderingwhatcausedtheG-codeerror.Atlunch,youmentiontheG-codeerrortoyourcoworker,John.Johnisnotsurprised.Hesaidthatheencounteredasimilarproblemearlierthisweek.Youdecidetotalkwithyoursupervisorthenexttimeyouseehim. Youareinluck.Youseeyoursupervisorbythedoorgettingreadytoleave.Youhurryovertotalkwithhim.YoustartoffbytellinghimabouthowyouaskedBillforhelp.Thenyoutellhimtherewasaproblemandtheendmillwasdamaged.YoudescribethecoolantproblemintheG-code.Oh,andbytheway,Johnhasseenasimilarproblembefore. Yoursupervisordoesn'tseemoverlyconcerned,errorshappen.Hetellsyou"Goodjob,Iamgladyouwereabletofixtheissue."Youarenotsurewhetheryoursupervisorunderstoodyourexplanationofwhathappenedorthatithadhappenedbefore. Thechallengeofcommunicatingintheworkplaceislearninghowtoshareyourideasandconcerns.Ifyouneedtotellyoursupervisorthatsomethingisnotgoingwell,itisimportanttorememberthattiming,preparation,andattitudeareextremelyimportant. Itistheendofyourshift,butyouwanttoletthenextshiftknowthatthecoolantdidn'tturnon.Youdonotseeyourtrainerorsupervisoraround.Youdecidetoleaveanoteforthenextshiftsotheyareawareofthepossiblecoolantproblem.YouwriteastickynoteandleaveitonthemonitoroftheCNCcontrolsystem. ATTENTION:CNCmayhaveacoolantissues.Coolantdidnotturnon. Howeffectivedoyouthinkthissolutionwas?Diditaddresstheproblem? Inthisscenario,youdiscoveredseveralproblemswiththeG-codethatneedtobeaddressed.Whenissuesandproblemsarise,itisimportantthattheyareaddressedinanefficientandtimelymanner.Effectivecommunicationisanimportanttoolbecauseitcanpreventproblemsfromrecurringandavoidinjurytopersonnel.Thechallengeofcommunicatingintheworkplaceislearninghowandwhentoshareyourideasandconcerns.Ifyouneedtotellyourco-workersorsupervisorthatthereisaproblem,itisimportanttorememberthattimingandthemethodofcommunicationareextremelyimportant. YouareabletofixthecoolantproblemintheG-code.Whileyouaregladthattheproblemisfixed,youareworriedaboutwhyithappenedinthefirstplace.Itisimportanttorememberthatifaproblemkeepsreappearing,youmaynotbefixingtherightproblem.Youmayonlybeaddressingthesymptoms. Youdecidetotalktoyourtrainer.Billisgladyoumentionedtheproblemtohim.YouarethethirdworkertomentionG-codeissuesoverthelastweek.YounoticedthecoolantproblemsinyourG-code,JohnnoticedaZ-axisissueinhisG-code,andSamhadissueswithboththeZ-axisandthecoolant.Chancesare,thereisabiggerproblemandBillwillneedtoinvestigatetherootcause. Overlunch,youaskyourcoworkersabouttheG-codeproblemandwhatmaybecausingtheerror.Severalpeoplementionhavingsimilarproblemsbutdonotknowthecause. YouhavenowtalkedtothreecoworkerswhohaveallexperiencedsimilarcoolantG-codeproblems.Youmakealistofwhohadtheproblem,whentheyhadtheproblem,andwhateachpersontoldyou. Person When ProblemDescription Sam lastweek NocoolantcommandsinG-code John Yesterday CoolantwasturnedoffandtherewereZ-axisproblems Me today Coolantwasturnedoffatbothbeginningandendofprogram Whenyouseeyoursupervisorlaterthatafternoon,youarereadytotalkwithhim.Youdescribetheproblemyouhadwithyourcomponentandthedamagedbit.YouthengoontotellhimabouttalkingwithBillanddiscoveringtheG-codeissue.Youshowhimyournotesonyourcoworkers'coolantissues,andexplainthatyouthinktheremightbeabiggerproblem. Yousupervisorthanksyouforyourinitiativeinidentifyingthisproblem.Itsoundslikethereisabiggerproblemandhewillneedtoinvestigatetherootcause.Hedecidestocallateamhuddletodiscusstheissue,gathermoreinformation,andtalkwiththeteamabouttheimportanceofcommunication. RootCauseAnalysis Rootcauseanalysis(RCA)isamethodofproblemsolvingthatidentifiestheunderlyingcausesofanissue.Rootcauseanalysishelpspeopleanswerthequestionofwhytheproblemoccurredinthefirstplace.RCAusesclearcutstepsinitsassociatedtools,likethe"5WhysAnalysis"andthe"CauseandEffectDiagram,"toidentifytheoriginoftheproblem,sothatyoucan: Determinewhathappened. Determinewhyithappened. Fixtheproblemsoitwon’thappenagain. RCAworksundertheideathatsystemsandeventsareconnected.Anactioninoneareatriggersanactioninanother,andanother,andsoon.Bytracingbacktheseactions,youcandiscoverwheretheproblemstartedandhowitdevelopedintotheproblemyou'renowfacing.Rootcauseanalysiscanpreventproblemsfromrecurring,reduceinjurytopersonnel,reducereworkandscrap,andultimately,reducecostandsavemoney. TherearemanydifferentRCAtechniquesavailabletodeterminetherootcauseofaproblem.Thesearejustafew: RootCauseAnalysisTools 5WhysAnalysis FishboneorCauseandEffectDiagram ParetoAnalysis The5WhysAnalysistechniqueinvolvesrepeatedlyaskingthequestion"Why?"andpeelingawaythelayersofsymptoms,leadingtotherootcause.Often,theanswertoonequestionwillleadyoutoanotherquestion.Althoughthistechniqueiscalled"5Whys,"youmayfindthatyouwillneedtoaskonly3"Whys"oreven7"Whys"beforeyoufindthecoreissuebehindaproblem. HowHuddlesWork Communicationisavitalpartofanysettingwherepeopleworktogether.Effectivecommunicationhelpsemployeesandmanagersformefficientteams.Itbuildstrustsbetweenemployeesandmanagement,andreducesunnecessarycompetitionbecauseeachemployeeknowshowtheirpartfitsinthelargergoal. Onetoolthatmanagementcanusetopromotecommunicationintheworkplaceisthehuddle.Justlikefootballplayersonthefield,ahuddleisashortmeetingwhereeveryoneisstandinginacircle. Adailyteamhuddleensuresthatteammembersareawareofchangestotheschedule,reiteratedproblemsandsafetyissues,andhowtheirworkimpactsoneanother.Whendoneright,huddlescreatecollaboration,communication,andaccountabilitytoresults.Impromptuhuddlescanbeusedtogatherinformationonaspecificissueandgeteachteammember'sinput. Themostimportantthingtorememberabouthuddlesisthattheyareshort,lastingnomorethan10minutes,andtheirpurposeistocommunicateandidentify.Inessence,ahuddle’spurposeistoidentifypriorities,communicateessentialinformation,anddiscoverroadblockstoproductivity. Whouseshuddles?Manyindustriesandcompaniesusedailyhuddles.Atfirstthought,mostpeopleprobablythinkofhospitalsandtheirdailypatientupdatemeetings,butlotsofmanagersusedailymeetingstoengagetheiremployees.Hereareafewexamples: BrianScudamore,CEOof1-800-Got-Junk?,usesthedailyhuddleasanoperationaltooltotakethepulseofhisemployeesandasamotivationaltool.Watchamorninghuddlemeeting. FusionOEM,anoutsourcedmanufacturingandproductioncompany.Whatdoemployeestakeawayfromthedailyhuddlemeeting. Biz-Group,aperformanceconsultinggroup.Tipsforasuccessfulhuddle. Brainstorming Onetoolthatcanbeusefulinproblemsolvingisbrainstorming.Brainstormingisacreativitytechniquedesignedtogeneratealargenumberofideasforthesolutiontoaproblem.Themethodwasfirstpopularizedin1953byAlexFaickneyOsborninthebookAppliedImagination.Thegoalistocomeupwithasmanyideasasyoucaninafixedamountoftime.Althoughbrainstormingisbestdoneinagroup,itcanbedoneindividually.Likemostproblemsolvingtechniques,brainstormingisaprocess. Defineaclearobjective. Haveanagreedatimelimit. Duringthebrainstormingsession,writedowneverythingthatcomestomind,eveniftheideasoundscrazy. Ifoneidealeadstoanother,writedownthatideatoo. Combineandrefineideasintocategoriesofsolutions. Assessandanalyzeeachideaasapotentialsolution. Whenusedduringproblemsolving,brainstormingcanoffercompaniesnewwaysofencouragingstafftothinkcreativelyandimproveproduction.Brainstormingreliesonteammembers'diverseexperiences,addingtotherichnessofideasexplored.Thismeansthatyouoftenfindbettersolutionstotheproblems.Teammembersoftenwelcometheopportunitytocontributeideasandcanprovidebuy-inforthesolutionchosen—afterall,theyaremorelikelytobecommittedtoanapproachiftheywereinvolvedinitsdevelopment.What'smore,becausebrainstormingisfun,ithelpsteammembersbond. LearnMore WatchPeggyMorganCollins,amarketingexecutiveatPowerCurveCommunicationsdiscussHowtoStimulateEffectiveBrainstorming.WatchKimObbink,CEOofFilterDigital,adigitalcontentcompany,andherteamsharetheirtopfiverulesforHowtoEffectivelyGenerateIdeas. ImportanceofGoodCommunicationandProblemDescription Communicationisoneofthemostfrequentactivitiesweengageinonaday-to-daybasis.Atsomepoint,wehaveallfeltthatwedidnoteffectivelycommunicateanideaaswewouldhaveliked.Thekeytoeffectivecommunicationispreparation.Ratherthanattemptingtohaphazardlyimprovisesomething,takeafewminutesandthinkaboutwhatyouwantsayandhowyouwillsayit.Ifnecessary,writeyourselfanotewiththekeypointsorideasintheorderyouwanttodiscussthem.Thenotescanactasareminderorguidewhenyoutalktoyoursupervisor. Tipsforclearcommunicationofanissue: Provideaclearsummaryofyourproblem.Startatthebeginning,giverelevantfacts,timelines,andexamples. Avoidincludingyouropinionorpersonalattacksinyourexplanation. Avoidusingwordslike"always"or"never,"whichcangivetheimpressionthatyouareexaggeratingtheproblem. Ifthisisanongoingproblemandyouhavecollecteddocumentation,giveittoyoursupervisoronceyouhavefinisheddescribingtheproblem. Remembertolistentowhat'ssaidinreturn;communicationisatwo-wayprocess. Notallcommunicationisspoken.Bodylanguageisnonverbalcommunicationthatincludesyourposture,yourhandsandwhetheryoumakeeyecontact.Thesegesturescanbesubtleorovert,butmostimportantlytheycommunicatemeaningbeyondwhatissaid.Whenhavingaconversation,payattentiontohowyoustand.Astiffpositionwitharmscrossedoveryourchestmayimplythatyouarebeingdefensiveevenifyourwordsstateotherwise.Shovingyourhandsinyourpocketswhenspeakingcouldimplythatyouhavesomethingtohide.Bewaryofusingtoomanyhandgesturesbecausethiscoulddistractlistenersfromyourmessage. Thechallengeofcommunicatingintheworkplaceislearninghowandwhentoshareyourideasorconcerns.Ifyouneedtotellyoursupervisororco-workeraboutsomethingthatisnotgoingwell,keepinmindthatgoodtimingandgoodattitudewillgoalongwaytowardhelpingyourcase. Likeallskills,effectivecommunicationneedstobepracticed.ToastmastersInternationalisperhapsthebestknownpublicspeakingorganizationintheworld.Toastmastersisopentoanyonewhowishtoimprovetheirspeakingskillsandiswillingtoputinthetimeandefforttodoso.Tolearnmore,visitToastmastersInternational. MethodsofCommunication Communicationofproblemsandissuesinanyworkplaceisimportant,particularlywhensafetyisinvolved.Itisthereforecrucialinmanufacturingwherepeopleareconstantlyworkingwithheavy,costly,andsometimesdangerousequipment.Asissuesandproblemsarise,theyneedtobeaddressedinanefficientandtimelymanner.Effectivecommunicationisanimportantskillbecauseitcanpreventproblemsfromrecurring,avoidinjurytopersonnel,reducereworkandscrap,andultimately,reducecostandsavemoney. Therearemanydifferentwaystocommunicate:inperson,byphone,viaemail,orwritten.Thereisnosinglemethodthatfitsallcommunicationneeds,eachonehasitstimeandplace. Inperson:Intheworkplace,face-to-facemeetingsshouldbeutilizedwheneverpossible.Beingabletoseethepersonyouneedtospeaktoface-to-facegivesyouinstantfeedbackandhelpsyougaugetheirresponsethroughtheirbodylanguage.Becarefulofgettingsidetrackedinconversationwhenyouneedtocommunicateaproblem. Email:Emailhasbecomethecommunicationstandardformostbusinesses.Itcanbeaccessedfromalmostanywhereandisgreatforthingsthatdon’trequireanimmediateresponse.Emailisagreatwaytocommunicatenon-urgentitemstolargeamountsofpeopleorjustyourteammembers.Onethingtorememberisthatmostpeople'sinboxesarefloodedwithemailseverydayandunlesstheyarehypervigilantaboutcheckingeverything,importantitemscouldbemissed.Forissuesthatareurgent,especiallythosearoundsafety,emailisnotalwaysbethebestsolution. Phone:Phonecallsaremorepersonalanddirectthanemail.Theyallowustocommunicateinrealtimewithanotherperson,nomatterwheretheyare.Notonlycantalkingpreventmiscommunication,itpromotesatwo-waydialogue.Youdon’thavetoworryaboutyourwordsbeingalteredorthemessagearrivingontime.However,mobilephoneuseandtheworkplacedon'talwaysmix.Inparticular,usingmobilephonesinamanufacturingsettingcanleadtoavarietyofproblems,causedistractions,andleadtoseriousinjury. Written:Writtencommunicationisappropriatewhendetailedinstructionsarerequired,whensomethingneedstobedocumented,orwhenthepersonistoofarawaytoeasilyspeakwithoverthephoneorinperson. Thereisno"right"waytocommunicate,butyoushouldbeawareofhowandwhentousetheappropriateformofcommunicationforyoursituation.Whendecidingthebestwaytocommunicatewithaco-workerormanager,putyourselfintheirshoes,andthinkabouthowyouwouldwanttolearnabouttheissue.Also,considerwhatinformationyouwouldneedtoknowtobetterunderstandtheissue.Useyourgoodjudgmentofthesituationandbeconsiderateofyourlistener'sviewpoint. Didyounoticeanyotherpotentialproblemsinthepreviousexercise?[Page6:]Didyounoticeanyotherpotentialproblemsinthepreviousexercise? SummaryofStrategies Inthisexercise,youweregivenascenarioinwhichtherewasaproblemwithacomponentyouwerecreatingonaCNCmachine.Youwerethenaskedhowyouwantedtoproceed.Dependingonyourpaththroughthisexercise,youmighthavefoundaneasysolutionandfixedityourself,askedforhelpandworkedwithyourtrainer,ordiscoveredanongoingG-codeproblemthatwasbiggerthanyouinitiallythought. Whenissuesandproblemsarise,itisimportantthattheyareaddressedinanefficientandtimelymanner.Communicationisanimportanttoolbecauseitcanpreventproblemsfromrecurring,avoidinjurytopersonnel,reducereworkandscrap,andultimately,reducecost,andsavemoney. Although,eachpathinthisexerciseendedwithadescriptionofaproblemsolvingtoolforyourtoolbox,thefirststepisalwaystoidentifytheproblemanddefinethecontextinwhichithappened. Thereareseveralstrategiesthatcanbeusedtoidentifytherootcauseofaproblem.Rootcauseanalysis(RCA)isamethodofproblemsolvingthathelpspeopleanswerthequestionofwhytheproblemoccurred.RCAusesaspecificsetofsteps,withassociatedtoolslikethe“5WhyAnalysis"orthe“CauseandEffectDiagram,”toidentifytheoriginoftheproblem,sothatyoucan: Determinewhathappened. Determinewhyithappened. Fixtheproblemsoitwon’thappenagain. Oncetheunderlyingcauseisidentifiedandthescopeoftheissuedefined,thenextstepistoexplorepossiblestrategiestofixtheproblem. Ifyouarenotsurehowtofixtheproblem,itisokaytoaskforhelp.Problemsolvingisaprocessandaskillthatislearnedwithpractice.Itisimportanttorememberthateveryonemakesmistakesandthatnooneknowseverything.Lifeisaboutlearning.Itisokaytoaskforhelpwhenyoudon’thavetheanswer.Whenyoucollaboratetosolveproblemsyouimproveworkplacecommunicationandacceleratesfindingsolutionsassimilarproblemsarise. Onetoolthatcanbeusefulforgeneratingpossiblesolutionsisbrainstorming.Brainstormingisatechniquedesignedtogeneratealargenumberofideasforthesolutiontoaproblem.Themethodwasfirstpopularizedin1953byAlexFaickneyOsborninthebookAppliedImagination.Thegoalistocomeupwithasmanyideasasyoucan,inafixedamountoftime.Althoughbrainstormingisbestdoneinagroup,itcanbedoneindividually. Dependingonyourpaththroughtheexercise,youmayhavediscoveredthatacoupleofyourcoworkershadexperiencedsimilarproblems.Thisshouldhavebeenanindicatorthattherewasalargerproblemthatneededtobeaddressed. Inanyworkplace,communicationofproblemsandissues(especiallythosethatinvolvesafety)isalwaysimportant.Thisisespeciallycrucialinmanufacturingwherepeopleareconstantlyworkingwithheavy,costly,andsometimesdangerousequipment.Whenissuesandproblemsarise,itisimportantthattheybeaddressedinanefficientandtimelymanner.Effectivecommunicationisanimportanttoolbecauseitcanpreventproblemsfromrecurring,avoidinjurytopersonnel,reducereworkandscrap,andultimately,reducecostandsavemoney. Onestrategyforimprovingcommunicationisthehuddle.Justlikefootballplayersonthefield,ahuddleisashortmeetingwitheveryonestandinginacircle.Adailyteamhuddleisagreatwaytoensurethatteammembersareawareofchangestotheschedule,anyproblemsorsafetyissuesareidentifiedandthatteammembersareawareofhowtheirworkimpactsoneanother.Whendoneright,huddlescreatecollaboration,communication,andaccountabilitytoresults.Impromptuhuddlescanbeusedtogatherinformationonaspecificissueandgeteachteammember'sinput. Tolearnmoreaboutdifferentproblemsolvingstrategies,chooseanoptionbelow.Thesestrategiesaccompanytheoutcomesofdifferentdecisionpathsintheproblemsolvingexercise.ViewProblemSolvingStrategiesSelectastrategybelow...RootCauseAnalysisHowHuddlesWorkBrainstormingImportanceofGoodProblemDescriptionMethodsofCommunication RootCauseAnalysis Rootcauseanalysis(RCA)isamethodofproblemsolvingthatidentifiestheunderlyingcausesofanissue.Rootcauseanalysishelpspeopleanswerthequestionofwhytheproblemoccurredinthefirstplace.RCAusesclearcutstepsinitsassociatedtools,likethe"5WhysAnalysis"andthe"CauseandEffectDiagram,"toidentifytheoriginoftheproblem,sothatyoucan: Determinewhathappened. Determinewhyithappened. Fixtheproblemsoitwon’thappenagain. RCAworksundertheideathatsystemsandeventsareconnected.Anactioninoneareatriggersanactioninanother,andanother,andsoon.Bytracingbacktheseactions,youcandiscoverwheretheproblemstartedandhowitdevelopedintotheproblemyou'renowfacing.Rootcauseanalysiscanpreventproblemsfromrecurring,reduceinjurytopersonnel,reducereworkandscrap,andultimately,reducecostandsavemoney. TherearemanydifferentRCAtechniquesavailabletodeterminetherootcauseofaproblem.Thesearejustafew: RootCauseAnalysisTools 5WhysAnalysis FishboneorCauseandEffectDiagram ParetoAnalysis The5WhysAnalysistechniqueinvolvesrepeatedlyaskingthequestion"Why?"andpeelingawaythelayersofsymptoms,leadingtotherootcause.Often,theanswertoonequestionwillleadyoutoanotherquestion.Althoughthistechniqueiscalled"5Whys,"youmayfindthatyouwillneedtoaskonly3"Whys"oreven7"Whys"beforeyoufindthecoreissuebehindaproblem. HowHuddlesWork Communicationisavitalpartofanysettingwherepeopleworktogether.Effectivecommunicationhelpsemployeesandmanagersformefficientteams.Itbuildstrustsbetweenemployeesandmanagement,andreducesunnecessarycompetitionbecauseeachemployeeknowshowtheirpartfitsinthelargergoal. Onetoolthatmanagementcanusetopromotecommunicationintheworkplaceisthehuddle.Justlikefootballplayersonthefield,ahuddleisashortmeetingwhereeveryoneisstandinginacircle. Adailyteamhuddleensuresthatteammembersareawareofchangestotheschedule,reiteratedproblemsandsafetyissues,andhowtheirworkimpactsoneanother.Whendoneright,huddlescreatecollaboration,communication,andaccountabilitytoresults.Impromptuhuddlescanbeusedtogatherinformationonaspecificissueandgeteachteammember'sinput. Themostimportantthingtorememberabouthuddlesisthattheyareshort,lastingnomorethan10minutes,andtheirpurposeistocommunicateandidentify.Inessence,ahuddle’spurposeistoidentifypriorities,communicateessentialinformation,anddiscoverroadblockstoproductivity. Whouseshuddles?Manyindustriesandcompaniesusedailyhuddles.Atfirstthought,mostpeopleprobablythinkofhospitalsandtheirdailypatientupdatemeetings,butlotsofmanagersusedailymeetingstoengagetheiremployees.Hereareafewexamples: BrianScudamore,CEOof1-800-Got-Junk?,usesthedailyhuddleasanoperationaltooltotakethepulseofhisemployeesandasamotivationaltool.Watchamorninghuddlemeeting. FusionOEM,anoutsourcedmanufacturingandproductioncompany.Whatdoemployeestakeawayfromthedailyhuddlemeeting. Biz-Group,aperformanceconsultinggroup.Tipsforasuccessfulhuddle. Brainstorming Onetoolthatcanbeusefulinproblemsolvingisbrainstorming.Brainstormingisacreativitytechniquedesignedtogeneratealargenumberofideasforthesolutiontoaproblem.Themethodwasfirstpopularizedin1953byAlexFaickneyOsborninthebookAppliedImagination.Thegoalistocomeupwithasmanyideasasyoucaninafixedamountoftime.Althoughbrainstormingisbestdoneinagroup,itcanbedoneindividually.Likemostproblemsolvingtechniques,brainstormingisaprocess. Defineaclearobjective. Haveanagreedatimelimit. Duringthebrainstormingsession,writedowneverythingthatcomestomind,eveniftheideasoundscrazy. Ifoneidealeadstoanother,writedownthatideatoo. Combineandrefineideasintocategoriesofsolutions. Assessandanalyzeeachideaasapotentialsolution. Whenusedduringproblemsolving,brainstormingcanoffercompaniesnewwaysofencouragingstafftothinkcreativelyandimproveproduction.Brainstormingreliesonteammembers'diverseexperiences,addingtotherichnessofideasexplored.Thismeansthatyouoftenfindbettersolutionstotheproblems.Teammembersoftenwelcometheopportunitytocontributeideasandcanprovidebuy-inforthesolutionchosen—afterall,theyaremorelikelytobecommittedtoanapproachiftheywereinvolvedinitsdevelopment.What'smore,becausebrainstormingisfun,ithelpsteammembersbond. LearnMore WatchPeggyMorganCollins,amarketingexecutiveatPowerCurveCommunicationsdiscussHowtoStimulateEffectiveBrainstorming. WatchKimObbink,CEOofFilterDigital,adigitalcontentcompany,andherteamsharetheirtopfiverulesforHowtoEffectivelyGenerateIdeas. ImportanceofGoodCommunicationandProblemDescription Communicationisoneofthemostfrequentactivitiesweengageinonaday-to-daybasis.Atsomepoint,wehaveallfeltthatwedidnoteffectivelycommunicateanideaaswewouldhaveliked.Thekeytoeffectivecommunicationispreparation.Ratherthanattemptingtohaphazardlyimprovisesomething,takeafewminutesandthinkaboutwhatyouwantsayandhowyouwillsayit.Ifnecessary,writeyourselfanotewiththekeypointsorideasintheorderyouwanttodiscussthem.Thenotescanactasareminderorguideduringyourmeeting. Tipsforclearcommunicationofanissue: Provideaclearsummaryoftheproblem.Startatthebeginning,giverelevantfacts,timelines,andexamples. Avoidincludingyouropinionorpersonalattacksinyourexplanation. Avoidusingwordslike"always"or"never,"whichcangivetheimpressionthatyouareexaggeratingtheproblem. Ifthisisanongoingproblemandyouhavecollecteddocumentation,giveittoyoursupervisoronceyouhavefinisheddescribingtheproblem. Remembertolistentowhat'ssaidinreturn;communicationisatwo-wayprocess. Notallcommunicationisspoken.Bodylanguageisnonverbalcommunicationthatincludesyourposture,yourhandsandwhetheryoumakeeyecontact.Thesegesturescanbesubtleorovert,butmostimportantlytheycommunicatemeaningbeyondwhatissaid.Whenhavingaconversation,payattentiontohowyoustand.Astiffpositionwitharmscrossedoveryourchestmayimplythatyouarebeingdefensiveevenifyourwordsstateotherwise.Shovingyourhandsinyourpocketswhenspeakingcouldimplythatyouhavesomethingtohide.Bewaryofusingtoomanyhandgesturesbecausethiscoulddistractlistenersfromyourmessage. Thechallengeofcommunicatingintheworkplaceislearninghowandwhentoshareyourideasorconcerns.Ifyouneedtotellyoursupervisororco-workeraboutsomethingthatisnotgoingwell,keepinmindthatgoodtimingandgoodattitudewillgoalongwaytowardhelpingyourcase. Likeallskills,effectivecommunicationneedstobepracticed.ToastmastersInternationalisperhapsthebestknownpublicspeakingorganizationintheworld.Toastmastersisopentoanyonewhowishtoimprovetheirspeakingskillsandiswillingtoputinthetimeandefforttodoso.Tolearnmore,visitToastmastersInternational. MethodsofCommunication Communicationofproblemsandissuesinanyworkplaceisimportant,particularlywhensafetyisinvolved.Itisthereforecrucialinmanufacturingwherepeopleareconstantlyworkingwithheavy,costly,andsometimesdangerousequipment.Asissuesandproblemsarise,theyneedtobeaddressedinanefficientandtimelymanner.Effectivecommunicationisanimportantskillbecauseitcanpreventproblemsfromrecurring,avoidinjurytopersonnel,reducereworkandscrap,andultimately,reducecostandsavemoney. Therearemanydifferentwaystocommunicate:inperson,byphone,viaemail,orwritten.Thereisnosinglemethodthatfitsallcommunicationneeds,eachonehasitstimeandplace. Inperson:Intheworkplace,face-to-facemeetingsshouldbeutilizedwheneverpossible.Beingabletoseethepersonyouneedtospeaktoface-to-facegivesyouinstantfeedbackandhelpsyougaugetheirresponseintheirbodylanguage.Becarefulofgettingsidetrackedinconversationwhenyouneedtocommunicateaproblem. Email:Emailhasbecomethecommunicationstandardformostbusinesses.Itcanbeaccessedfromalmostanywhereandisgreatforthingsthatdon’trequireanimmediateresponse.Emailisagreatwaytocommunicatenon-urgentitemstolargeamountsofpeopleorjustyourteammembers.Onethingtorememberisthatmostpeople'sinboxesarefloodedwithemailseverydayandunlesstheyarehypervigilantaboutcheckingeverything,importantitemscouldbemissed.Forissuesthatareurgent,especiallythosearoundsafety,emailisnotalwaysbethebestsolution. Phone:Phonecallsaremorepersonalanddirectthanemail.Theyallowustocommunicateinrealtimewithanotherperson,nomatterwheretheyare.Notonlycantalkingpreventmiscommunication,itpromotesatwo-waydialogue.Youdon’thavetoworryaboutyourwordsbeingalteredorthemessagearrivingontime.However,mobilephoneuseandtheworkplacedon'talwaysmix.Inparticular,usingmobilephonesinamanufacturingsettingcanleadtoavarietyofproblems,causedistractions,andleadtoseriousinjury. Written:Writtencommunicationisappropriatewhendetailedinstructionsarerequired,whensomethingneedstobedocumented,orwhenthepersonistoofarawaytoeasilyspeakwithoverthephoneorinperson. Thereisno"right"waytocommunicate,butyoushouldbeawareofhowandwhentousetheappropriateformofcommunicationforthesituation.Whendecidingthebestwaytocommunicatewithaco-workerormanager,putyourselfintheirshoes,andthinkabouthowyouwouldwanttolearnabouttheissue.Also,considerwhatinformationyouwouldneedtoknowtobetterunderstandtheissue.Useyourgoodjudgmentofthesituationandbeconsiderateofyourlistener'sviewpoint."Nevertrytosolvealltheproblemsatonce—makethemlineupforyouone-by-one.”—RichardSloma ProblemSolving:AnImportantJobSkill Problemsolvingimprovesefficiencyandcommunicationontheshopfloor.Itincreasesacompany'sefficiencyandprofitability,soit'soneofthetopskillsemployerslookforwhenhiringnewemployees.Recentindustrysurveysshowthatemployersconsidersoftskills,suchasproblemsolving,ascriticaltotheirbusiness’ssuccess. The2011survey,"BoilingPoint?TheskillsgapinU.S.manufacturing,"polledoverathousandmanufacturingexecutiveswhoreportedthatthenumberoneskilldeficiencyamongtheircurrentemployeesisproblemsolving,whichmakesitdifficultfortheircompaniestoadapttothechangingneedsoftheindustry. Watchthevideo Inthisvideo,industryprofessionalsdiscusstheirexpectationsandpresenttipsfornewemployeesjoiningthemanufacturingworkforce. [PDFtranscript] MeetthePartners: TaconicHighSchoolinPittsfield,Massachusetts,isacomprehensive,fullyaccreditedhighschoolwithspecialprogramsinHealthTechnology,ManufacturingTechnology,andWork-BasedLearning. BerkshireCommunityCollegeinPittsfield,Massachusetts,preparesitsstudentswithappliedmanufacturingtechnicalskills,providinghands-onexperienceatindustriallaboratoriesandmanufacturingfacilities,andinstructingthemincurrenttechnologies. H.C.StarckinNewton,Massachusetts,specializesinprocessingandmanufacturingtechnologymetals,suchastungsten,niobium,andtantalum.Inalmost100yearsofexperience,theyholdover900patents,andcontinuetoinnovateanddevelopnewproducts. NyproHealthcareinDevens,Massachusetts,specializesinprecisioninjection-moldedhealthcareproducts.Theyarecommittedtogoodmanufacturingprocessesincludingleanmanufacturingandprocessvalidation. QuickSummary Whataretwothingsyoulearnedinthiscasestudy?[QuickSummary:Question1]Whataretwothingsyoulearnedinthiscasestudy? Whatquestion(s)doyoustillhaveaboutthecasestudy?[QuickSummary:Question2]Whatquestion(s)doyoustillhaveaboutthecasestudy? Isthereanythingyouwouldliketolearnmoreaboutwithrespecttothiscasestudy?[QuickSummary:Question3]Isthereanythingyouwouldliketolearnmoreaboutwithrespecttothiscasestudy? Email EnteryouremailbelowtoreceiveyourIdeaLogautomatically.Email Searchfor: Meta Register Login EntriesRSS CommentsRSS WordPress.org