An Effectiveness Training Module

Overview

“Doing Completed Staff Work” is a two day training program that provides hands-on practice in problem solving and preparation of effective proposals for management action. Participants spend most of their time learning and practicing skills using numerous exercises and real case study analyses along with proposal writing assignments.

The program describes problem solving as a process that begins with understanding a situation that differs from what is desired. Participants are shown how to define a problem in a way that specifies the desired state. The process includes generation of alternatives, risk assessment and evaluation and monitoring of actions.

The most powerful feature of the program is the use of a disciplined format for the preparation of proposals for management consideration. The format helps one prepare a proposal that is concise, and yet so complete, that all a reviewer need do is approve or disapprove the recommendation.

No matter what their position in the organization, the program leaves participants with an appreciation of the fact that:

“The formulation of a problem is often more important that its solution.” – Albert Einstein

and the skills to:

“Be selective. Be concise. Don’t tell me what you know; tell me what I need to know, what it means and why it matters.” – General David C. Jones, Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

Program Objectives

At the conclusion of their participation in this program, participants will have improved their ability to:

• Understand their responsibilities to identify problems and opportunities.
• Describe and use a complete process to aid problem solving.
• Avoid the obstacles to effective problem solving.
• Use a consistent approach to communicate and gain approvals for their recommendations that emphasizes:
• Why it is critical to get one’s thinking on paper.
  • A proposal in strategic, as well as tactical, terms.
  • Clarity with completeness.
  • The advantages of a consistent approach to both the writer and reviewer.
• Write a persuasive formal proposal

Program Agenda

Day 1
Problem Solving As A Process

• Introduction to completed staff work
• Problem solving as a process
• Preparation
• Generation of Solutions
• Decision making
• Implementation

Day 2
Proposal Writing

• Elements of a proposal
• Understanding your audience – their needs and style
• The proposal format
• Overview as strategy
• Outlining an argument
• Making it happen – winning your argument on paper