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Enhance analytical skills, prevent crisis
Problem solving and management are often regarded as one and the same. Employers look for excellent problem solving and analytical abilities while they screen candidates for managerial positions. While problem solving is indeed an integral part of a manager’s job his analytical abilities are often underutilised by the organisations.
The focus is mostly on solving current problems with little future orientation. In this high-speed era, mistakes and rework prove costly.
To gain competitive advantage companies should focus more on preventing problems from occurring than finding solutions to problems as they occur. Training managers on preventive management skills is a much better option than concentrating solely on resolving problems when they rise.
Organisations often practise a responsive style of management wherein managers expend a lot of time and energy finding solutions to problems in day-to-day operations. As part of the firefighting exercise managers diagnose the symptoms and take the necessary remedial measures to bring the resources back to production.
They identify the root cause of a problem, come up with as many solutions as possible and make the best choice. Their creative and innovative skills are put to test when new problems crop up for which there are no proven solutions on record. We can see that in order to bring things back to normal during a crisis, managers use a number of skills from their repertoire.
The most important among them being good decision-making skills, ability to act swiftly, creativity and crisis management skills.
The advocates of preventive management argue that if these skill sets are employed to anticipate problems before hand, organisations gain immensely. Many problems are prevented from occurring in the first place.
A good deal of resources employed in firefighting can be saved. The essential difference between responsive and preventive styles of management is that in preventive management problems are anticipated and problem-solving techniques applied before the problem actually manifests itself.
Many organisations are now recognising the importance of preventive management.
They are training their managers to focus on predicting future problems so as to develop an early indicator system.
This way they can be ready with action plans to counter exigencies.
The organisations that recognise the importance of preventive management encourage their managers to go beyond finding what went wrong and fixing it. They have to find out why things went wrong. The managers are trained to identify patterns in data that lead to failure. They learn to shift focus from current needs to what is important in the long run. A manager can get better at preventive management by honing his analytical skills and predictive instincts. One needs practice to master these skills.
The training programmes include brainstorming sessions wherein managers are supposed to view an issue from different angles. They put forward their thoughts on likely future trends and predict probable obstacles that hamper success in future.
The ideas are discussed inside out from cause to effect to solution using process flow charts and diagrams.
They are encouraged to regroup, combine and substitute existing processes to have a better grip on the future. Existing resources are put to better or alternate uses to prevent future problems from occurring.
Identifying early indicators and closely monitoring the warning signs is an important aspect of preventive management.
As the age old saying goes “Prevention is better than cure,” action is initiated well before an issue becomes a problem.
A manager develops the ability to predict future problems when he is able to link the present conditions to existing data and future trends Preventive management does not entirely eliminate the need to fix problems but reduces its necessity to a large extent. He can direct his energies at more productive activities.
Advantages of preventive management:
• Greater productivity
• Better utilisation of time, resources
• Reduction of stress and burnout
•Better planning that leads to greater success.
With so many advantages in store it is high time preventive management assumes greater significance in organisations.
N. PURNIMA SRIKRISHNA
faqs@cnkonline.com
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