Раздел 3. Введение в профессиональную коммуникацию
Тема 17. Troubleshooting
Целью изучения данной темы является овладение учащимися фактической, терминологической, лексико-грамматической информацией, позволяющей работать с проблемной ситуацией в бизнесе, а именно: предвидеть деловую проблему, установить ее суть и причины и определить возможные способы и пути ее решения. В результате изучения темы студенты должны знать: • терминологию, связанную с решением проблем, в частности – деловых; • типы проблем; • причины возникновения деловых проблем; • правила работы с проблемой; • возможные методы и пути решения проблемы; • этапы решения проблемы. Учащиеся должны уметь: • сформулировать проблему; • определить и обосновать ее причины; • дать рекомендации по ее решению и обосновать их; • предложить меры по предотвращению возникновения похожей проблемы в будущем. Студенты должны быть ознакомлены с: • практическими случаями возникновения деловых проблем; • примерами работы с проблемой в разных компаниях. |
Оглавление
Questions to be considered. 1
What is troubleshooting. 2
Types of problems. Reasons and cases when business problems occur 2
Rules to deal with problems. 3
Methods and steps in problem solving. 4
SWOT analysis. 4
Making recommendations in problematic cases. 4
Stating purposes for recommendations. 4
Test yourself 5
Библиография. 5
Questions to be considered
• what is troubleshooting;
• types of problems;
• reasons and cases when business problems occur;
• rules to deal with a problem;
• steps in problem solving;
• methods of solving problems, SWOT analysis;
• making recommendations in problematic cases;
• stating purposes for recommendations.
What is troubleshooting
Troubleshooting is solving problems.
Our life is full of different problems. Although we always strive for avoiding problems, it is almost impossible to exclude them totally from our life.
Types of problems. Reasons and cases when business problems occur
All problems can be divided into two big groups:
• every-day problems that are connected with ourselves, interpersonal relations and household sphere (for example, divorce, betrayal, visiting a doctor or just buying a new car);
• business problems that occur when a company we are working for doesn’t achieve its goals and objectives (for example, falling profits, staff turnover, increased taxes, changing climate etc).
Let’s look at business problems in more details. Depending on the chosen criterion we can classify business problems differently. From the point of view of a problem source we can name:
• inside problems (caused by some reasons inside a company, such as technology, state of equipment, staff qualification, corporate climate);
• outside problems (caused by outside reasons, such as new legislation, regulations, political direction, economical policy, even climate changes; these problems are usually the most difficult to influence).
If we look at problems from the point of view of their effect, we can determine problems:
• with immediate effect (for example, sales decrease immediately leads to drop in profits that are the key goal for any commercial firm);
• with deferred effect (for example, bad reputation by itself doesn’t influence a company’s profit straight away but sooner or later it will lead to a poor company performance because qualified employees will want to work for such companies and customers won’t like to deal with it).
We can also classify problems considering their scale:
• small and simple problems that can be easily resolved (for example, when you need some paper and you can go a shop and buy it, or you have lost some not very important document and it is possible just to re-print it);
• large-scale, complex problems that need much time and resource, i. e. they are time - and money-consuming (such as staff turnover that can be caused by a number of reasons – corporate climate, work conditions, motivation, qualification - where you may need to undertake several steps for problem resolution).
Problems can be divided into groups according to the area they relate to:
• financial problems (starting from wrong invoices, balance sheets and reports finishing with falling sales and profits) ;
• technological problems (when a company uses old-fashioned technologies);
• problems with staff (unqualified, demotivated personnel, understaffed companies);
• strategic problems (choosing improper strategy that may not correspond to that of your clients, partners, market state, governmental policy);
• IT problems (outdated software, computer viruses, hardware breakage) etc.
We can look at problems from the viewpoint of how quickly we can see their solution. Problems can have:
• obvious solutions (for example, if a company experiences a fall in sales the evident goal here is to increase sales);
• implicit solutions (such problems very often involve some ethical issues, for example, whether to give a bribe, a kickback or not in order to make business run fluently).
Finally problems can be classified from the point of view of whether we can rely on some previous experience:
• “old” problems have some similar examples in the past (companies are constantly solving problems of security, being overworked, old-fashioned equipment, bribery etc);
• “new” problems appear because of some innovations, changing circumstances (for example, Ford company was the first to deal with a problem of poor servicing of women car buyers).
There can exist some other problem classifications.
Rules to deal with problems
To deal with a problem effectively you should bear in mind the following advice:
1. Don’t avoid a problem, deal with it.
2. Don’t see all problems as other people’s problems. Focus on yourself.
3. Don’t blame people, look for solutions.
4. Look at a problem as an opportunity – to learn something or to achieve something.
5. When something is important, deal with it. Don’t wait until it becomes urgent.
6. Don’t always look for ‘quick fixes’, or temporary solutions. Identify the real cause of the problems and work to find a solution to this.
7. Don’t try to change the things you can’t change. Learn to accept them.
8. Think ahead to prevent problems.
9. To prevent problems plan effectively and make sure that everyone engaged understands his or her role.
10. Two heads are better than one. Ask for recommendations.
11. Be realistic in terms of time, money, human resources etc.
When dealing with problems preventive strategy is considered to be the more effective than reactive. Nowadays business has become very competitive in terms of time and money. Problems and solving them mean losing time and wasting money. If you anticipate and prevent problems you save time and money. Anticipating and preventing problems is built upon former experience sound research and full information basis.
Methods and steps in problem solving
If the reasons of a problem lay within a company’s influence this firm can try to solve a problem by itself or attract an outsider, for example, a management consultant. In any case there is usually formed a team of experts with a leader that conduct research, meetings, negotiations. They usually go through a number of steps in problem solving:
1. Identify a problem. | 4. Select strategy. |
2. Research and analyze information. | 5. Control strategy implementation. |
3. Set goals and objectives. | 6. Evaluate results. |
SWOT analysis
To work out possible solutions SWOT analysis can be especially helpful, that is, an analysis of a company’s strengths (S), weaknesses (W), as well as opportunities (O) and threats (T) that face the company.
When choosing a decision we need to evaluate which of the options brings us most pleasure and less pain. Here we can use the method of listing pros and cons, i. e. advantages and disadvantages of each option and compare them.
Making recommendations in problematic cases
Problem solutions are usually formulated in a form of recommendations. To make recommendations or give advice we use modal verbs should and ought. Should is followed by infinitive without to, ought is followed by infinitive with to, for example:
You should hire a management consultant.
You ought to listen to women’s views.
You shouldn’t ignore the problem.
You ought not to postpone the meeting.
Should we change our code of practice?
We do not usually use ought for question. We use should. Mind that modal verbs never change their form. We do not add s in the 3rd person singular form, or tense markers with modal verbs.
Stating purposes for recommendations
To sound convincing all recommendations should be supported with proofs and reasons. This can be done using clauses of purpose. They are subordinate clauses and answer the questions Why..? or What for..? They are connected with the main clause in three different ways:
to + infinitive (example: We are doing it now to avoid problems in the future);
in order to + infinitive (example: I need to reduce costs in order to keep within the budget.);
so that/ in order that + subject + verb (example: We need to make changes to our advertising so that we appeal to a younger audience).
Troubleshooting, or solving problems, is an inseparable part of running a company. It is almost impossible to avoid problems totally but being aware of and applying suitable rules and methods allows reducing the amount of problems and their impact on your business.
Test yourself
1. What is troubleshooting?
2. How can we classify problems?
3. Give examples of inside and outside problems.
4. Give examples of problems with immediate and deferred effect.
5. Give examples of small-scale and large-scale problems.
6. Give examples of financial, technological, staff, strategic, IT problems.
7. Give examples of problems with obvious and implicit solutions.
8. Give examples of “old” and “new” problems.
9. Give reasons why business problems occur.
10. List tips for dealing with problems.
11. Why preventive strategy is considered to be more effective than reactive?
12. How does preventive strategy work?
13. Who can be engaged in troubleshooting?
14. What is SWOT analysis?
15. How do we choose the best possible solution from a list of options?
16. How do we make recommendations?
17. How do we prove recommendations?
18. What is a clause of purpose?
19. How are clauses of purpose connected with the main clause?
Библиография
1. Sue Robbins. First Insights into Business. Student’s Book. Pearson Education Limited, 2005.
2. Kevin Manton. First Insights into Business. Workbook. Pearson Education Limited, 2005.
3. How business revamped the UK’s postal service. The Financial Times, August 9, 2005.
