The Problem Finding Process

Four situations have been described which alert managers to possible problems.

These include situations when:

      •     There is a deviation from past experience

      •     There is a deviation from a set plan

      •     When other people present problems to the manager

      •     When competitors outperform the managers organization

With situations of deviation from past experience, a previous pattern of performance is broken e.g. growth in employee turnover, or sudden fall in sales. With a deviation from the plan the manager's projections or expectations are not met e.g. lower profits than anticipated or a department exceeding its budget or a project off schedule. Such events tell the manager that something must be done to get the plan on the right course.

Other people may bring problems to the manager e.g. customer complaining on late delivery or strike by subordinates. Most decisions made daily are on problems by other people. The performance of competitors can also create problem solving situations for the manager e.g. a competitor may change prices or develop better production procedures.