Problem Solving and Communication

Prof. Torsten Wulf and Prof. Paul Knight
Fall -  Not credit-bearing
 
The main goal of this course is to help participants develop basic problem solving and consulting skills which can be used to solve novel, complex problems that are typical for everyday management situations. These skills are not only relevant for participants who intend to take on a consulting career after their MBA program or who plan to work on a consulting project as their final project - they can also be used productively when working on case assignments during the MBA´s study program.

Topics to be discussed are as follows:
  - Nature and challenges of problem solving processes
  - Methods for identifying problems
  - Principles for structuring problems
  - From problem structure to problem analysis
  - Developing communication strategies
  - Designing presentation charts
  - Case study

The correct identification and description of a problem represents the first step towards a successful solution. For this reason instruments that facilitate problem identification will be discussed in this course. The solution of a complex problem is often easier if it is divided into smaller, manageable parts. Therefore, in a second step, the participants of this course will get to know methods for structuring problems, i.e. for breaking them down into sub-problems. Based on this "manageable" problem structure, the actual problem analysis starts. Finally, the participants will learn how to structure, prepare, and deliver meaningful communications in a business environment. This course is not designed as a lecture. In fact, it contains a lot of interactive elements - exercises and discussions - in which the participants are asked to work in small teams on real management problems.