The Adam Vernon Trotter Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Process

Reposted here on June 8th, 2020



January 25th, 2011



I was recently asked:

Are you familiar with/well practiced at the Kepner Tregoe problem solving and decision making process (KT)? Please briefly elaborate.

[I responded with the following:]


Yes.

At the risk of sounding arrogant, which is something I prefer not to do, I consider myself a consummate creative problem solver and a systematic, fair-minded decision maker. The real trick of it all is not to create any new problems while solving others. Ultimately, when faced with any problem, a truthful, viable, and feasible solution that reflects the utmost of technical integrity is what I seek to resolve the difficulty.

Whenever possible, I always strive to achieve ‘win-win’ solutions for all parties involved – even when faced with others who have no knowledge of ‘win-win’ possibilities or prefer/tend to deny any possible ‘win-win’ outcome of any given situation. Regardless, I am a steadfast believer in the importance of proper communication. I enjoy debating topics with others. I try to enlighten and productively persuade others. I prefer open-minded individuals over closed-minded ones. When working as a member of a team, I make a concerted effort to let all team members contribute to the task at hand – in their own fashion, if need be. I rarely, if ever, hold a grudge against anyone. Conversely, I often play ‘devil’s advocate’ concerning nearly any issue in an effort to better any necessary solution.

Consequently, I consider myself an expert at problem definition/analysis efforts – be they actual problems or potential problems and regardless of whether they are of a technical or interpersonal nature. In the end, I always strive to effect meaningful and feasible solutions that survive into the distant future. Along the way, I enjoy breaking-down problems and analyzing all potential variables that might be present. I tend to dislike and distrust any assumptions and I greatly enjoy nonstop brainstorming. As such, I am competent at correcting problems and installing/implementing solutions. Throughout the effort I continually assess and reassess the process and the outcome as necessary. I always consider Return On Investment (ROI) of decisions and life cycle costing of capital investments and improvements (and IRR and NPV, too). Every effort also must pass a simplistic real-world sanity check while being scrutinized for value-added. Furthermore, ethical actions and safety concerns are always paramount throughout any undertakings or efforts. As such, I am never perturbed by supervisory involvement or lack thereof. I am confident that I perform these problem-solving and decision-making initiatives equally well when working as a team member and also when working solo.

While this problem-solving and decision-making process may seem drawn-out or vague and even haphazard or random, such is not the case. Not at all. Problem solving is [almost always] a simplistic and systematic process, albeit possibly an iterative, consuming and involved process at times – depending on the circumstances. Such a systematic and straight-forward process is regardless of the complexity of the problem or the intricacy of the preferred solution/decision – politics and resources potentially withstanding, of course, depending on the environment, situation, and personalities involved. However, when the process functions properly and a ‘win-win’ outcome reflecting fairness, integrity, and truth is attained: the environment, the difficulty, and the situation are all, in fact, nearly and typically irrelevant to the problem-solving and decision-making process.


/// end of response///


Had I have known that I could rival Princeton professors with such an answer, or possibly made myself rich or famous with such a process, I may have written this particular blog entry much sooner. :) As might be apparent to some, what I have done here is to take what is claimed to be the Kepner Tregoe (KT) problem solving and decision making process and expanded it. What you might find here in The Adam Vernon Trotter Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Process includes much of what might be included in the common-sense KT Process with additional facets which I do not believe are addressed by the KT process.


Adam Vernon Trotter, P.E. / AVT


See also:
The Adam Vernon Trotter Theory of Business Management, located at
http://adamvernontrotter.blogspot.com/2010/11/adam-vernon-trotter-theory-of-business.html





The original post of this blog entry is located at:   
https://adamvernontrotter.blogspot.com/2011/01/adam-vernon-trotter-problem-solving-and.html

Corona Virus Vaccine / COVID-19 Vaccine

If interested, check it out at: 

Corona Virus Vaccine / COVID-19 Vaccine

http://avt777.blogspot.com/2020/05/corona-virus-vaccine-covid-19-vaccine.html

AVT (May 2020)

A New Economic World Due to the Pandemic

Due to the human effects and economic hysteria stemming from the Corona COVID-19 pandemic, we are surely staring down the barrel of an entirely new economic world.  Assuming we survive, all would be well advised to position themselves accordingly for the new economic dawn. 

AVT  (March 27, 2020)

The Day a Virus Shut-Down Hollywood

It appears the Corona (COVID-19) virus has caused the Hollywood entertainment industry to temporarily close its production doors.  So, it appears I won’t be getting my big break in that untitled project-thingy next week after all.  Oh well, whatever’s meant to be will be, I suppose.  (See: “Coronavirus: How a virtual Hollywood shutdown will affect what you see on TV”, https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/03/13/coronavirus-all-ways-tv-affected-pandemic/5044803002/ ; Also see: “Hollywood shuts down, Broadway goes dark to curb coronavirus cases”, https://www.wifr.com/content/news/Hollywood-Broadway-brace-for-shutdown-due-to-coronavirus-568744641.html ;  Also see:  “Coronavirus: TV Shows That Have Halted Or Delayed Production Amid Outbreak”, https://deadline.com/2020/03/coronavirus-tv-shows-production-delayed-1202881997/ .)

So often it seems that life is full of irony laced with karma (or karma laced with irony).  And hopefully irony won’t come to bear upon me for blogging on this subject at this point in time. 

But not the least of this irony is that a virus, to which few Americans seem to be currently infected, has nearly taken-out several industries and business sectors (at least in SoCal), including the Hollywood film and television industry.  And the cause of the virus shutdown is seemingly a mere result of the fear of the virus and its unknown infection rate and not really due to its actual infection rate to date.  Because, as reported today, the virus has only infected 40 individuals in Los Angeles County – a county with a population of 10 million plus.  Moreover, the entire economy of the county as well as the nation appears about ready to grind to a halt in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus – regardless of whether the halted-economy is self-imposed or otherwise.  Also worth noting, I’m not judging the rationality of that fear with this blog entry, I’m merely stating the potential reality of it all at the time of this writing.    

However, while many other regions of the nation were fortunate to have an economic revival of sorts over the last few years in the majority of business sectors, such was not so much the case in SoCal – mostly due to the seeming desire by the State leadership in Sacramento apparently wanting to prevent any economic recovery in California.  That is, if due to the virus scare the economy was once again to become really bad as it was prior to the last few years of recovery in some other parts of the nation, the other parts of the nation at least had a bit of economic recovery to buffer any economic loss currently due to the virus fears.  However, for the most part in SoCal – due to the policies of the Sactown socialists, there is no current economic buffer zone for populace in SoCal. 

That’s why I say, regardless of politics, “win-win” outcomes are the best to which to aim.  Because, one never knows what the future holds.  And, for one to “win,” it’s not always necessary for an adversary to “lose.”  (See:  Adam Vernon Trotter Theory of Business Management, http://adamvernontrotter.blogspot.com/2010/11/adam-vernon-trotter-theory-of-business.html.) 

For example, the Sactown socialists could have allowed for some amount of recovery here in SoCal regardless if their apparent adversary in the White House may or may not have taken credit for it all.  Like…, for whose welfare is the main concern of the Sactown Socialists anyhow – the welfare of the populace or the welfare of the political rice-bowls of the individual Sactown politicians?  If the average SoCal resident had experienced some economic opportunity over these last few years, the citizenry here would be better prepared to weather any forced economic downturn due to the current virus fears.  

Even more ironic than the poor government and economic policies of socialists in Sacramento (“Sactown”), is that given all the deadly viruses to have come and gone over the last several decades, the one that appears to have infected so few appears to be the one to have the greatest economic effect of them all to date.  More irony abounds in that the government would look to blame the citizenry or any recently elected politician for the current economic dilemma which has been decades in the making.  Our politicians appeared to have nurtured the off-shoring of our economy for several decades – which has added to any commodity shortages in stores which in turn is adding to further fears of the virus.  (Check out: http://adamvernontrotter.blogspot.com/search?q=irv )  And now that that off-shoring has prevented getting products to market, it seems to this blogger that the blame should be especially placed for it all on the politicians who were in office for those last several decades and remain in/continually reelected into office to this day.  (Karma laced with a bit of irony, possibly.) 

Hence, vote those career politicians out of office!  http://adamvernontrotter.blogspot.com/2010/11/vote-them-out.html    

And hope or pray we all stay well.  

AVT (Mid-March, 2020)

See:

The Day a Virus Killed the California Democrats http://adamvernontrotter.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-day-virus-killed-california.html