CP

Intro to Problem-solving and Effective Questioning

Structured Thinking — the process of recognizing the current problem or situation, organizing available information, revealing gaps and opportunites, and identifying the options

Data in Action

  • key thing to think about when choosing advertising methods is your target audience.

    • specific people you’re trying to reach

  • think about budget and how much the different advertising methods will cost

From Issue to Action: The Six Data Analysis Phases

STEP 1: ASK    

  • define the problem you’re trying to solve

  • make sure you fully understand the stakeholder’s expectations

  • focus on the actual problem and avoid any distractions

  • collaborate with stakeholders and keep an open line of communication

  • take a step back and see the whole situation in context.

Questions to ask:

  • what are my stakeholders saying their problems are?

  • now that i’ve idenified the issues, how can i help the stakeholders resolve their questions?

STEP 2: PREPARE

  • what metrics to measure

  • locate data in your database

  • create security measures to protect that data

Questions to ask:

  • what do i need to figure out how to solve this problem?

  • what research do i need to do?

STEP 3: PROCESS

  • using spreadsheet functions to find incorrectly entered data

  • using sql functions to check for extra spaces

  • removing repeated entries

  • checking as much as possible for bias in the data

Questions to ask:

  • what data errors or inaccuracies might get in my way of getting the best possible answer to the problem i am trying to solve?

  • how can i clean my data so the information i have is more consistent?

STEP 4: ANALYZE

  • perform calculations

  • combine data from multiple sources

  • create tables with your results

Questions to ask:

  • what story is my data telling me?

  • how will my data help me solve this problem?

  • who needs my company’s product or service? what type of person is most likely to use it?

STEP 5: SHARE

  • make better choices

  • make more informed decisions

  • lead to stronger outcomes

  • successfully communicate your findings

Questions to ask:

  • how can i make what i present to the stakeholders engaging and easy to understand?

  • what would help me understand this if i were the listener?

STEP 6: ACT

  • ask: how can i use the feedback i recieved during the share phase to actually meet the stakeholder’s needs and expectations?