SOLVE ADDRESS GENERAL WORKPLACE

Information Technology (Datamex College of Saint Adeline)

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 HOW TO USE THIS COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING MATERIAL?

Welcome to the module “Solve/Address General

Workplace”. This module contains training materials and activities
for you to complete.
You are required to go through a series of learning activities in
order to complete each learning outcome of the module. In each
learning outcome are Information Sheets, Self–Checks, Operation
sheets and job sheets. Follow these activities on your own. If you
have questions, don’t hesitate to ask your facilitator for assistance.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
You may already have some or most of the knowledge and skills
covered in this learner’s guide because you have:
• been working for some time
• already completed training in this area
If you can demonstrate to your trainer that you are competent in a
particular skill or skills, talk to him/her about having them formally
recognized so you do not have to do the same training again. If
you have a qualification or Certificate of Competency from
previous trainings, show it to your trainer. If the skills, you acquired
are still current and relevant to the unit/s of competency they may
become part of the evidence you can present for RPL. If you are
not sure about the currency of your skills, discuss this with your
trainer.
The goal of this module is the development of practical skills. To gain
these skills, you must learn the concepts and theory. For the most
part, you’ll get this information from the Information Sheets, Operation
Sheets and Job Sheets.
This module was prepared to help you achieve the required
competency, in “Develop Career and Life Decisions.”

This will be the source of information for you to acquire knowledge

and skills in this particular competency independently and at your
own pace, with minimum supervision or help from your instructor.
A Record of Achievement is also provided for your trainer to
complete once you complete the module.

This module was prepared to help you achieve the required

competency in Preparing poultry and game dishes. This will be the
source of information for you to acquire knowledge and skills in this
particular trade independently and at your own pace, with minimum
supervision or help from your instructor.
• Talk to your trainer and agree on how you will both organize
the Training of this unit. Read through the module carefully. It
is divided into sections, which cover all the skills, and
knowledge you need to successfully complete this module.

• Work through all the information and complete the activities in

each
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 section. Read information sheets and complete the self-check.
Suggested references are included to supplement the
materials provided in this module.
• Most probably your trainer will also be your supervisor or
manager. He/she is there to support you and show you the
correct way to do things.
• Your trainer will tell you about the important things you need to
consider when you are completing activities and it is important that
you listen and take notes.
• You will be given plenty of opportunities to ask questions and
practice on the job. Make sure you practice your new skills during
regular work shifts. This way you will improve both your speed and
memory and also your confidence.
• Talk to more experienced workmates and ask for their guidance.
• Use the self-check at the end of each information sheet and
performance criteria checklist every after task/operation sheet
to test your own progress.
• When you are ready, ask your trainer to observe you as
you perform the activities required in this module.
• As you work through the activities, ask for written feedback
on your progress. Your trainer keeps feedback/ pre-
assessment reports for this reason. When you have
successfully completed each element, ask your trainer to
mark on the reports that you are ready for assessment.
• When you have completed this module (or several modules),
and feel confident that you have had sufficient practice, ask
you’re for the arrangement of the schedule for an institutional
assessment. Once you have confidently demonstrated the
competency you gain to your assessor he/she will give you a
Certificate of Achievement on Develop Career and Life
Decisions. The results of your assessment will be recorded in
your competency Achievement Chart, Progress Chart and
Learner’s Record Book.
NOTE:

Training is the sole purpose of this learning materials. Some

pictures are taken from google as references.

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No. Unit of Competency Module Title Code

Basic Competency

Participate in workplace Participating in workplace

1 400311210
communication communication

2 Work in a team Working in a team environment 400311211

environment

Solve/Address General Solving/Addressing 40031121

3
Workplace Problems General Workplace 2
Problems
Develop Career and Life Developing Career and Life
4 400311213
Decisions Decisions

Contribute to Workplace Contributing to Workplace

5 400311214
Innovation Innovation

6 Present Relevant Presenting Relevant 400311215

Information Information

Practice Occupational Practicing Occupational

7 Safety and Health Policies Safety and Health Policies and 400311216
and Procedures Procedures

Exercise Efficient and Exercising Efficient and

8 Effective Sustainable Effective Sustainable Practices 400311217
Practices in the Workplace in the Workplace

Practice Practicing Entrepreneurial Skills

9 400311218
Entrepreneurial Skills in the Workplace
in the Workplace

LIST OF COMPETENCIES

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UNIT OF COMPETENCY III: SOLVE/ADDRESS GENERAL
WORKPLACE PROBLEMS

MODULE TITLE: SOLVE/ADDRESS GENERAL WORKPLACE PROBLEMS

UNIT DESCRIPTION: This unit covers the skills, knowledge and attitudes
required to apply problem-solving techniques to
determine the origin of problems and plan for their
resolution. It also includes addressing procedural
problems through documentation, and referral.

NOMINAL DURATION: 3 Hours

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the completion of the module the trainees/students should be able to:

LO1. Identify routine problems

LO2. Look for solutions to routine
problems LO3. Recommend solutions to
routine problems

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
• Identified routine problems or procedural problem areas
• Problems are defined and determined
• Identified and documented current problem and conditions
• Identified solutions to problems
• Possible solutions are developed and documented presented to
appropriate person for decision
• Implementation planned solution
• Evaluation of implementation planned solution
• Submitted documentation and planned solutions to confirmation

CONTENTS

• Current industry hardware and software products and services

• Processes and procedures in industry maintenance, service and
helpdesk practices
• Standard industry and diagnostic tools
• Malfunctions and resolutions
• Common malfunctions and resolution
• Root cause of routine malfunction
• Operating systems
• Root cause analysis
• Standard procedures and documentation procedure
• Documentation that recommends solutions to problems

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CONDITIONS:
• Assessment will be requiring access to a workplace over an extended
period, or a suitable method of gathering evidence of operating
ability over arrange of situations

METHODOLOGY:

• Group discussion
• Lecture
• Demonstration
• Roleplay

ASSESSMENT METHOD
• Case Formulation
• Life narrative inquiry
• Standardized test

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 INFORMATION SHEET
SOLVE/ADDRESS GENERAL WORKPLACE
PROBLEMS

LEARNING OBJECTIVE/S:
After reading this information, you should be able to:
• Determine the cause of a routine problem
• Can identify solutions to procedural problems
• Established procedures
• Can do referrals to unsolved problems

What is problem solving?

Problem solving is the process of finding a resolution for a specific issue or

conflict. There are many possible solutions for solving a problem, which is
why it's important to go through a problem-solving process to find the best
solution. You could use a flathead screwdriver to unscrew a Phillips head
screw, but there is a better tool for the situation. Utilizing common problem-
solving techniques helps you find the best solution to fit the needs of the
specific situation, much like using the right tools.

4 steps to effective problem solving

While it might be tempting to dive into a problem head first, take the time to
move step by step. Here’s how you can effectively break down the
problem-solving process with your team:

1. Identify the problem that needs to be solved

One of the easiest ways to identify a problem is to ask questions. A good place
to start is to ask journalistic questions, like:

• Who: Who is involved with this problem? Who caused the problem? Who
is most affected by this issue?

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 • What: What is happening? What is the extent of the issue? What
does this problem prevent from moving forward?
• Where: Where did this problem take place? Does this problem affect
anything else in the immediate area?
• When: When did this problem happen? When does this problem
take effect? Is this an urgent issue that needs to be solved within a
certain timeframe?
• Why: Why is it happening? Why does it impact workflows?
• How: How did this problem occur? How is it affecting workflows and
team members from being productive?
Asking journalistic questions can help you define a strong problem statement
so you can highlight the current situation objectively, and create a plan
around that situation.

Here’s an example of how a design team uses journalistic questions to identify

their problem:

Overarching problem: Design requests are being missed

• Who: Design team, digital marketing team, web development team
• What: Design requests are forgotten, lost, or being created ad hoc.
• Where: Email requests, design request spreadsheet
• When: Missed requests on January 20th, January 31st, February 4th,
February 6th
• How: Email request was lost in inbox and the intake spreadsheet was
not updated correctly. The digital marketing team had to delay
launching ads for a few days while design requests were
bottlenecked. Designers had to work extra hours to ensure all
requests were completed.
In this example, there are many different aspects of this problem that can
be solved. Using journalistic questions can help you identify different issues
and who you should involve in the process.

Read: How to use problem framing to solve team inefficiencies

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2. Brainstorm multiple solutions

When you and your team are brainstorming different possible solutions, it's
important to consider who the problem affects. Go back to the journalistic
questions you’re asking: Who is involved in this problem? Make sure these
individuals (often referred to as project stakeholders) are involved in the
decision making process.
If at all possible, bring in a facilitator who doesn't have a major stake in the
solution. Bringing an individual who has little-to-no stake in the matter can
help keep your team on track and encourage good problem-solving skills.

Here are a few brainstorming techniques to encourage creative thinking:

• Brainstorm alone before hand: Before you come together as a group,
provide some context to your team on what exactly the issue is that
you're brainstorming. This will give time for you and your teammates
to have some ideas ready by the time you meet.
• Say yes to everything (at first): When you first start brainstorming,
don't say no to any ideas just yet—try to get as many ideas down
as possible. Having as many ideas as possible ensures that you’ll get
a variety of solutions. Save the trimming for the next step of the
strategy.
• Talk to team members one-on-one: Some people may be less
comfortable sharing their ideas in a group setting. Discuss the issue
with team members individually and encourage them to share their
opinions without restrictions— you might find some more detailed
insights than originally anticipated.
• Break out of your routine: If you're used to brainstorming in a
conference room or over Zoom calls, do something a little different!
Take your brainstorming meeting to a coffee shop or have your Zoom
call while you're taking a walk. Getting out of your routine can force
your brain out of its usual rut and increase critical thinking.

Read: 29 brainstorming techniques: effective ways to spark creativity

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3. Define the solution

After you brainstorm with team members to get their unique perspectives
on a scenario, it's time to look at the different strategies and decide which
option is the best solution for the problem at hand. When defining the
solution, consider these main two questions: What is the desired outcome of
this solution and who stands to benefit from this solution?

Set a deadline for when this decision needs to be made and update
stakeholders accordingly. Sometimes there's too many people who need to
make a decision. Use your best judgement based on the limitations provided
to do great things fast.

Read: Your guide to RACI charts, with examples

4. Implement the solution

To implement your solution, start by working with the individuals who are as
closest to the problem. This can help those most affected by the problem
get unblocked. Then move farther out to those who are less affected, and so
on and so forth. Some solutions are simple enough that you don’t need to
work through multiple teams.

After you prioritize implementation with the right teams, assign out the
ongoing work that needs to be completed by the rest of the team. This can
prevent people from becoming overburdened during the implementation
plan. Once your solution is in place, schedule check-ins to see how the
solution is working and course-correct if
necessary.
Read: What is 8D? A template for efficient problem-solving

Common problem-solving strategies

There are a few ways to go about identifying problems (and solutions). Here
are some strategies you can try, as well as common ways to apply them:

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Trial and error

Trial and error problem solving doesn't usually require a whole team of
people to solve. To use trial and error problem solving, identify the cause of
the problem, and then rapidly test possible solutions to see if anything
changes.

This problem-solving method is often used in tech support teams through

troubleshooting.

Read: Understanding the iterative process, with examples

5 whys
The 5 whys problem-solving method helps get to the root cause of an
issue. You start by asking once, “Why did this issue happen?” After
answering the first why, ask again, “Why did that happen?” You'll do this
five times until you can attribute the problem to a root cause.

This technique can help you dig in and find the human error that caused
something to go wrong. More importantly, it also helps you and your team
develop an actionable plan so that you can prevent the issue from
happening again.

Here’s an example:

Problem: The email marketing campaign was accidentally sent to the

wrong audience.
1. “Why did this happen?” Because the audience name was not
updated in our email platform.
2. “Why were the audience names not changed?” Because the
audience segment was not renamed after editing.
3. “Why was the audience segment not renamed?” Because
everybody has an individual way of creating an audience segment.

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 4. “Why does everybody have an individual way of creating an audience
segment?” Because there is no standardized process for creating
audience segments.
5. “Why is there no standardized process for creating audience
segments?” Because the team hasn't decided on a way to standardize
the process as the team introduced new members.
In this example, we can see a few areas that could be optimized to prevent this
mistake from happening again. When working through these questions,
make sure that everyone who was involved in the situation is present so
that you can co-create next steps to avoid the same problem.

Read: Ask “5 Whys” to get to the root of any problem

SWOT analysis
A SWOT analysis can help you highlight the strengths and weaknesses of a
specific solution. SWOT stands for:
• Strength: Why is this specific solution a good fit for this problem?
• Weaknesses: What are the weak points of this solution? Is there
anything that you can do to strengthen those weaknesses?
• Opportunities: What other benefits could arise from
implementing this solution?
• Threats: Is there anything about this decision that can detrimentally
impact your team?
As you identify specific solutions, you can highlight the different strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of each solution.

This particular problem-solving strategy is good to use when you're narrowing

down the answers and need to compare and contrast the differences
between different solutions.

Celebrate successful problem solving

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After you’ve worked through a tough problem, don't forget to celebrate
how far you've come. Not only is this important for your team of
problem solvers to see their work in action, but this can also help you
become a more efficient, effective, and flexible team. The more problems
you tackle together, the more you’ll achieve. Looking for a tool
to help solve problems on your team? Track project
implementation with a work management tool like Asana.

Here are seven-steps for an effective problem-solving process.

1. Identify the issues.

• Be clear about what the problem is.

• Remember that different people might have different views of
what the issues are.
• Separate the listing of issues from the identification of interests (that's
the next step!).

2. Understand everyone's interests.

• This is a critical step that is usually missing.

• Interests are the needs that you want satisfied by any given
solution. We often ignore our true interests as we become
attached to one particular solution.
• The best solution is the one that satisfies everyone's interests.
• This is the time for active listening. Put down your differences for
awhile and listen to each other with the intention to understand.
• Separate the naming of interests from the listing of solutions.

3. List the possible solutions (options)

• This is the time to do some brainstorming. There may be lots of

room for creativity.
• Separate the listing of options from the evaluation of the options.

4. Evaluate the options.

• What are the pluses and minuses? Honestly!

• Separate the evaluation of options from the selection of options.

5. Select an option or options.

• What's the best option, in the balance?

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 • Is there a way to "bundle" a number of options together for a
more satisfactory solution?

6. Document the agreement(s).

• Don't rely on memory.

• Writing it down will help you think through all the details and implications.

7. Agree on contingencies, monitoring, and evaluation.

• Conditions may change. Make contingency agreements about

foreseeable future circumstances (If-then!).
• How will you monitor compliance and follow-through?
• Create opportunities to evaluate the agreements and their
implementation. ("Let's try it this way for three months and then look
at it.")

Effective problem solving does take some time and attention more of the latter
than the former. But less time and attention than is required by a problem
not well solved. What it really takes is a willingness to slow down. A
problem is like a curve in the road. Take it right and you'll find yourself in
good shape for the straightaway that follows. Take it too fast and you may
not be in as good shape.

Working through this process is not always a strictly linear exercise. You may
have to cycle back to an earlier step. For example, if you're having trouble
selecting an option, you may have to go back to thinking about the
interests.

This process can be used in a large group, between two people, or by one
person who is faced with a difficult decision. The more difficult and
important the problem, the more helpful and necessary it is to use a
disciplined process. If you're just trying to decide where to go out for lunch,
you probably don't need to go through these seven steps!

https://www.mediate.com/articles/thicks.cfm

4 problem solving techniques for the workplace

Say you’re a designer working on a task with various departments, for

example. You need approvals and collaboration from the sales team, but no
one’s answering your emails or calls because they’re stuck in meetings all
day. The marketing team can’t agree on a final version. Leadership wants a
design that will solve all of the brand’s UX problems. For this designer, there
are a lot of layers to this problem.

We’ve all been in a similar situation.

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So what do you do?

You’re going to need better problem solving strategies to cut through

the ambiguity–that’s what. Let’s look at some better ways to solve
the kinds of problems that show up in the working world.

Why you need to make problem solving a skill

When you develop problem solving and decision making skills, you realize
some immediate benefits. What are they?

Problem solving equips you for work

In the 1990s, research at Bells Labs found that IQ was not a predictor for
work performance. Problem solving and interpersonal skills were. Having
problem solving skills helps you deal with the dynamic problems that you
won’t find in the classroom.

Problem solving equips you for more complex problems

Many of us solve minor problems by guessing, estimating, or making

assumptions. Most of the time, this works if the problem is fairly simple. We
can usually find a workaround using these tactics and some trial and error
experimentation.

The trouble comes, however, when this strategy doesn’t work with more
complex problems.

Nat Greene, author of Stop Guessing: The 9 Behaviors of Great

Problem Solvers, says this: “Here’s where most folks go wrong,” said
Greene. “Often, people

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use the same guessing methods they apply to easy problems to try to
tackle hard ones–and they get steamrolled.”

In short: Tackling complex problems requires a working knowledge of

problem solving as a skill set.

How to solve problems with a strategic

approach? Problem Solving Method #1: Linear

Thinking

Best suited for: Work and strategy problems

How it works: Ever notice that children always seem to ask “why?”
They’re absorbing knowledge like sponges–and they’re doing it
strategically.

In problem solving, this strategy is known as the “Five Whys.” This is a

linear technique for breaking down a problem until you find its root causes.
The idea is simple: State the problem, and then ask: “Why?” Write down
your best answer. Keep on asking until you arrive at an answer that feels
like the causal issue.

Once you’ve identified the root cause of the problem, the solution should

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present itself.

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Example: As detailed in Bulletproof Problem Solving, job candidates for
the consulting firm McKinsey were once asked to demonstrate their
problem solving skills. The question: Did Sidney, Australia need a second
airport?

Most candidates wanted to talk about air travel demand,

but the most effective candidates broke the question down into its
component parts. That included a series of “Why” questions that broke the
problem down to specifics:

• Why is a single airport not enough to meet demand?

• Why are the current operating hours, number of runways,
and flight schedule not working well enough?
• Why would a second airport solve those problems–and would
it make financial sense?

Key takeaways:

Think logically and show your work. Candidates who performed the
best arrived at specific questions and followed a linear path of thinking. For
McKinsey, the goal wasn’t just to see who found the correct answer. It was
to see how candidates arrived there.

Problem Solving Method #2: Design Thinking

Best suited for: Product problems, creative problems

How it works: Design thinking is an approach to problem solving

methodology with the end user in mind. The first step is to empathize with
the end user. After that, you’ll create testable prototypes for solutions that
meet their needs.

Example: The Kingswood Trust is a charity for children with Asberger’s

syndrome and autism. Katie Gaudion, a member of the product design
team, decided to take an end user approach to their solutions. Rather than
come up with her own set of questions, she spent time with Pete, a man
with non-verbal autism.

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Katie studied Pete’s actions, like picking at sofa leather. Immersing herself
like this led to a change in thinking. Rather than seeing these habits as
damaging, she was surprised to find them comforting. What if Pete wasn’t
doing these things to destroy, but to enjoy?

It worked. According to the Harvard Business Review, this new insight “led
to the creation of living spaces, gardens, and new activities aimed at
enabling people with autism to live fuller and more pleasurable lives.”

Key Takeaways:

Immerse yourself in the problem. UberEats says they immerse

themselves in the places where our customers live, work, and eat.
They’ve introduced processes like having new team members shadow
deliveries. The result: they’ve learned more about their customers and
how they think.

Observe customer behavior and respond. In one case study, Bank of

America observed how some savers would fudge their own budgets by
rounding up. This led to the “Keep your change” program that appealed
to frugal savers and attracted new accounts.

Problem Solving Method #3: Solutions-Based Thinking

Best suited for: Big picture problems, stuck problems

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How it works: Most people like to think of themselves as logical.
Factual. Only interested in results. But as Nathan Greene wrote, we really
just tend to guess our way through problems and hope for the best.

Solutions-based thinking turns that on its head. Rather than focusing on

what we think should work, it shifts our focus. What actually does work?

In Stephen Covey’s book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, this principle

was number two: Effective people tend to think with the end in mind–and
then work backwards.

Example: Think about America’s animal shelters and the dog

adoption problem they face.

The challenge? It’s not that America doesn’t love dogs. In fact, America
loves dogs to the point of 40% of all households having at least one. The
problem is that perhaps too many people have dogs. This leads to dogs
being put up for adoption with high rates of dogs in shelters.

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Starting from problem-based thinking might yield all sorts of solutions. A
marketing campaign for higher adoption rates, logically, should work.
Unfortunately, the “Save a Life – Adopt a Dog” campaign hasn’t been able
to solve the whole problem.

Yet some shelters have taken a solutions-based approach. According to

Harvard Business Review, Lori Weise, the founder of Downtown Dog Rescue
in Los Angeles, has demonstrated that adoption is not the only way to frame
the problem. Instead, one challenge is that so many former dog owners are
giving up on their dogs too quickly.

Weise came up with a plan: whenever a family came in to hand over a pet, a
staff member in the South Los Angeles shelter would ask if they preferred
to keep the pet.

“Within the first year it was clear that the program was a remarkable
success,” notes HBR. “Costs went down from $85 per pet to $60, and more
families held on to their dogs.”

Key takeaways:

Ask yourself the “miracle question.” This is a concept from Solution-

focused brief therapy: What will it take for you to imagine the problem as
being gone? Get a clear picture of what a solution would look like. Start
asking your “why” questions from this end.

Look for preventative solutions that reach the same

conclusions. It’s great to get people to adopt dogs, for example. But is it
even more effective to get fewer people to give up their dogs for
adoption? Solutions-based thinking means focusing on what really
works, not what you hope should work.

Stop guessing: Come up with problem-solving strategies to move

forward

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Consult any book on problem-solving activities and you’ll find elements of
the above strategies present in some form. That’s because good problem
solving tends to rely on reliable principles.

• Give yourself clarity on the true problem by asking yourself “why”

questions.
• Embrace new levels of thinking. Rather than guessing, find the
bottom- line answer to your problem that you need to uncover,
and work backwards from there.
• Immerse yourself. Just as Katie Gaudion came up with new
solutions for autism and Asberger’s charity by spending time with
Pete, switch your focus to the end-user. Don’t fixate on what
should Focus on what other people need.

There’s an old maxim: You can’t solve a problem with the same thinking
that caused it in the first place. Rather than guess your way forward, adopt
the problem- solving techniques to arrive at an answer that makes the
difference.

Effective problem solving is one of the key attributes that

separate great leaders from average ones.
• Step 1: Identify the Problem. ...
• Step 2: Analyze the Problem. ...
• Step 3: Describe the Problem. ...
• Step 4: Look for Root Causes. ...
• Step 5: Develop Alternate Solutions. ...
• Step 6: Implement the Solution. ...
• Step 7: Measure the Results.

https://crestcom.com/blog/2016/09/01/7-steps-to-effective-problem- solving/

15 Principles & Help Desk Best Practices

Every business in this world, whether it’s a Silicon Valley startup or a

Global business giant like Microsoft, has customers who demand top-notch
assistance.

The truth is that your business will have to deal with innumerable issues,
requests, or complaints as long as your business has customers.

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In such a situation, a help desk software can prove to be a business
savior and help your business manage customer requests in a breeze.

Businesses worldwide leverage help desk management software to

automate processes and organize workflows. However, the help desk needs
to be optimized to maximize its benefits for the business. This blog lists
15 help desk best practices and principles that will help you offer best-in-
class assistance to customers round the clock.

What are the Important Help Desk Best Practices?

For exceptional customer service, it’s important to have a high-performing

help desk that goes above and beyond expectations and makes
everyone’s life easier.

In order to improve, you need to be aware of your current practices and also
about the practices being followed by your competitors. The following are
some of the top help desk best practices that growing businesses need to
follow-

15 Important Help Desk Best Practices

1. Start With the Existing Process

2. Grow Iteratively

3. Catering Help Desk to User Experience

4. Create a New Ticket for Every Customer Interaction

5. Offer Value to Customers

6. Organize Training Sessions for Your Agents

7. Encourage Team Collaboration

8. Work Holistically

9. Focus on Transparency

10. Document Service Level Agreements

11. Document Processes

12. Capture Customer Feedback

13. Examine Operational Costs

14. Measure Performance

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 15. Choose the Service Provider Wisely

Help Desk Practice 1: Start With the Existing Process

While employing help desk management software, most businesses think of

building the infrastructure from scratch. So, they leave their existing
processes and create a new process. Such organizations are required to re-
train their service team and familiarize them with new procedures. Hence, it
wastes a lot of time in training.

Furthermore, it may even confuse customers who are accustomed to the

existing system. It is, therefore, better to integrate help desk software with
an existing system. The software can be used to streamline and simplify
current processes.

When you exploit help desk management software while keeping your existing
processes intact, you don’t need to train your agents. Instead, your
representatives can devote more time to having quality conversations with
end-users.

Help Desk Practice 2: Grow Iteratively

Slow and steady wins the race, which is a tried and tested strategy that applies
very effectively to every business and organization. So, instead of making
gigantic changes, it is better to make small improvements in the help desk
system. The businesses that grow promptly are most likely to crash as many
organizations fail in handling massive increases in the workload with their
limited resources. An organization should start with new and smaller
projects. The agents can then work on these small improvements and lead
to iterative growth.

Help Desk Practice 3: Design Help Desk Catering to User

Experience

Focusing on the user experience is a service desk best practice that often gets
overlooked. The primary aim of the help desk management system is
customer satisfaction. So, user experience should be considered while
designing the help desk management system. User experience entails
emotions, attitude, and experience that end users have while using the
products/services.

The help desk should be designed to provide a meaningful experience to the

users. You can think of creating an engaging interface, simple navigation,
and efficient processes.

To create the best help desk software based on user experience, agents
must collect feedback from the customers regularly. The feedback should be
related to the needs and desires of customers. Then, changes should be
made in the help desk system to make it customer-centric.

Help Desk Practice 4: Create a New Ticket for Every Customer

Interaction

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Since customers are at the core of every business, so every interaction with
them is important. One of the best help desk best practices is to create a
new ticket for every interaction with patrons.

This facilitates the business in keeping a track of open cases and in keeping
information of the users updated. A record of all complaints about a single
user is kept, which allows businesses to provide proactive and personalized
customer support. So, you should create a new ticket for every in-person
conversation, email, social media message, online request, phone call, alert,
message even if it is from the same user.

Help Desk Practice 5: Offer Value to Customers

Customer is a key component of every business model, and delivering value

to customers should be included in the list of help desk management best
practices. Every business should strive to offer optimal value to the
customers.

The purpose of a support interaction should not be to just resolve a

particular issue. Ask your support agents to have deep conversations with
customers and understand the other challenges they might be facing.
They can share links to self- help articles or guide the customer by
showing how your product can solve their problem. A meaningful
conversation can go a big way in ensuring your customers have a
delightful support experience.

Help Desk Practice 6: Organize Training Sessions for Your Agents

In the customer service industry, there is always room for improvement. To

instill the core business values in your agents and ensure they are updated
with the latest tools and trends, you must organize regular training sessions.

You should train your support team to go the extra mile to delight
customers. They can hone their skills and expand their knowledge in areas
where they need improvement. Train them to learn key customer service
skills as a small empathetic or personalized gesture can gratify customers
and build customer loyalty. So, your support team should be ready to do
something out of their normal procedure to solve the issue of customers.

Help Desk Practice 7: Encourage Team Collaboration

Collaboration in team members is important not just for the organization

but also for the customers. Collaborative efforts of the cross-functional team
allow quick resolution of issues related to end-users.

With a robust help desk system, different departments can check open
tickets and work closely to solve issues without delays. For instance, your
finance team can update your customer service team on whether a
customer is eligible to get a refund for a product that he bought last
month. Or, the delivery team can update

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your customer service reps about the expected delays in deliveries that
customers might encounter.

Help Desk Practice 8: Work Holistically

According to this principle, the help desk team should consider the whole
value chain instead of focusing on a single process or activity. When a user
contacts the help desk, the service team should consider a broader picture
in mind. The concerned agent should think of how the issue can impact
business and give an all- inclusive solution.

The solution provided by a customer representative should be such that it

helps customers to achieve their intended outcome. For instance, a
technical expert should not just offer technical help, but he should offer
other solutions to fully resolve the issue.

Help Desk Practice 9: Focus on Transparency

An organization should offer transparency to customers at all times. When

the customers are aware of the processes, systems, and status of their
complaint requests, they tend to trust the organization even more. A
transparent process can help you in establishing rapport with customers and
in growing your customer base.

All businesses that are known for their awesome customer service facilitate
sound communication between customers and support representatives and
enhance transparency. To prioritize transparency, you can automate the
updates to keep customers in the loop. With this, customers exactly know
what is happening from time to time. This not just saves the time of your
agents, but also reduces emails from customers seeking an update.

Help Desk Practice 10: Document Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

Service Level Agreements (SLA) define the quality of both internal as well as
external services that are delivered by a business to its customers.

The SLA must be used to track performance against business objectives.

It facilitates measuring the success of services based on expectations set.
However, tracking SLAs is difficult as businesses are stuck in raw data.
Using robust help desk management software is the best solution in such
cases. The software uses tools to find metrics like how long it will take to fix
an issue.

Help Desk Practice 11: Document Processes

Whenever a new help desk representative or a technical specialist enters

the team, he may face problems in understanding the process. So,
organizations must ensure quick on-boarding. This will allow every team
member in helping customers in a time-efficient manner. For this,
processes can be documented along with

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highlighting the different ways to solve different issues. So, new
representatives can use predefined processes in solving customers’ issues
quickly.

Help Desk Practice 12: Capture Customer Feedback

There is no point in building a great customer service process if customers

are left discontent after a support interaction. You must capture customer
feedback right after a ticket has been resolved. Most help desks such as
ProProfs Help Desk allow you to share automated survey emails.

Why should you capture customer feedback?

Customer feedback can help you measure the success of your customer
service efforts through the eyes of your customers. You can ask your
customers questions like- ‘How was the experience of interacting with our
support agent today?’ or ‘Was our support representative able to resolve
your query today? The answers to these questions can help you measure
customer satisfaction and reveal how your agents are performing.

Help Desk Practice 13: Examine Operational Costs

The best way to ensure effective IT helpdesk management is to examine

operational outputs. The most important parameter is the cost. So, you need
to find the operational cost of providing effective IT helpdesk services
related to each ticket raised. After getting an indication of the cost, you’ll
be able to decide which issue can be resolved quickly and economically.

Remember that there is a subsequent to running any tool or any

business process. Once, you have the costs under control, you can keep
your business running while keeping your customer happy at the same
time.

Help Desk Practice 14: Measure Performance

Capturing the right customer service metrics is considered one of the best
practices for help desk support. You need to target the right Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs) for well-streamlined operations.

Keep a firm track of your ticket volume which indicates the total
number of tickets received by your team over a given period of time.
Keep the number of open or unresolved tickets to a bare minimum.
Moreover, to measure individual as well as team performance, track
metrics such as average response time, first contact resolution,
and customer satisfaction.

Help Desk Practice 15: Choose the Service Provider Wisely

While choosing a service provider for your help desk software, you should
act wisely. You should check all the features and offerings along with the
costs to crack

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the best deal. You must ensure that the chosen help desk software offers
enough scalability to offer end-to-end support.

The purpose of using a help desk management tool is to improve your

workflow, streamline operations, improve business, and gratify customers.
So, you should select software that aligns with your business goals. It
should also include all the integrations and features that you need.

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