Assessment Description
Consider a problem or issue you may be currently encountering in your volunteer experience, in your academic or work experience, or in your personal life and apply the IDEAL problem-solving model. Discuss how you can work to resolve the problem using the IDEAL model. Additionally, reflect on a problem or issue that you encountered in the past. What did you learn from that experience in trying to resolve the problem or issue and how could you have applied the IDEAL problem-solving model to reach an effective resolution?
Sample Solution
Class, I had a problem during a construction project on my own house. Rats were getting into my attic, and I did not know who they were getting in, because after opening the wall, everything was sealed back up. I applied the IDEAL problem-solving model without even knowing it. The first thing I did was identify that rats were getting into my attic from an open entry point. Then defining the problem, I needed to find the access point and seal it up. Strategies I explored were calling an exterminator, placing traps, craw around the attic to find the entry point and sealing off anything I could find. I first tried doing it myself, and when the traps were not catching anything and I sealed all I could, I called an exterminator. They caught the rats, but they kept coming back, and they did not know how they were getting into the house. This went on for a couple of months, then one day I was reviewing a video of a sewer ling repair we did and there were rats in the sewer. Then it dawned on me that the project I did had a sewer pipe vent that had to be cut and moved. I acted on the idea of the problem started during construction and that vent was moved during construction. I went into my attic and seen there was a hole in the flex tubing that was used to move the vent that led out to the roof. So, the rats were either coming into the attic from the sewer lateral or my roof across the power wires in my back yard. I placed solid piping and got rid of all the rubber flex tubing and that solved the problem. I learned not to take the cheap route during construction and to do things right. It would have saved me a lot of time and money if I did the best work possible the first time. I think more people use the IDEAL problem-solving model and do not even know it. Class has any of you used the IDEAL problem-solving model without knowing it?
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Research one or two additional problem-solving strategies and describe how those strategies could benefit you as you encounter problems or issues in your volunteer experience or everyday life.
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Sample Solution
There is a multitude of fantastic problem-solving strategies one can employ in several different situations and contexts. I have chosen a few that I believe work especially well with my current situation and will be one of the better ways to tackle said problem. These strategies that I want to employ are adopting different perspectives and focusing on growth. Both of these I believe will be able to have me look at my situation in retrospect and then look to solve that issue in a clear and concise way that will in the end benefit me. This will therefore allow me to understand my issues better and grow from it once it is all said and done.
When looking to solve an issue it is always best to understand how everyone in the situation feels and acts according to the said situation. Gaining another person’s perspective on the matter is often vital as human beings from all over the world may have different ways of viewing situations from each other “An Indian-trained engineer may not view a problem the way one raised in Iowa will. “ (Hester, 2021) these differences are crucial for critical thinkers. It helps us put into perspective how everyone views a situation and therefore allows us to understand the situation and those involved better in order to solve the issues. Focusing on growth is another circular factor in order to solve issues. We cannot process further or reach a conclusion without growing and making a change to ourselves or our mindset in order to adjust according to the situation. This simultaneously helps us build relationships and resolve issues within them. Having an understanding of these two aspects is something to always keep in mind and will surely help significantly when trying to solve my issues at work.
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References
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Hester, J. P. (2021). Building Relationships and Resolving Conflicts: Infusing Critical Thinking into Workplace Practices. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 14(1), 70.
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Assessment Description
The purpose of this assignment is to apply the IDEAL problem-solving method to relevant business scenarios.
Professionals recognize the need to integrate problem-solving skills in the work environment. The IDEAL problem-solving method, developed by Bradford and Stein, is implemented by Identifying the problem, Defining the problem, Exploring strategies, Acting on ideas, and Learning from experience.
Review the “Professional Applications in Service Learning: Problem-Solving Scenarios,” select one relevant business scenario, and create a 300-500-word outline that addresses the following questions:
- Examine the behaviors presented in the selected scenario. Apply the IDEAL problem-solving process to the scenario. Be sure you discuss each aspect (Identify, Define, Explore, Act, and Learn) of the method as it relates to the scenario.
- Determine whether the behavior in the scenario could be described as unethical or illegal and how this should be addressed professionally.
- Describe how you would resolve this issue using the IDEAL method.
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.