The Problem Solving Techniques Philosophy Essay

The Problem Solving Techniques Philosophy Essay From the dawn of the age of the Man, solutions to a number of problems were sought after for generations, everywhere under the blue sky and above great heavens. But have we really looked into that one place where we truly can find them; the Human Mind? From the moment you were born, you encountered a number of problems of which, survival was of utmost importance. You may not recall, but there came a moment when you could no longer stay within the safety of your mothers womb. So after being propelled through a birth canal, you encountered the need to fill your lungs with sufficient amounts of air keep the oxygen supply to the streaming blood. By instinct you made your first cry and took your very first breath; the mysterious problem of need to breath was solved. After a number of years, here you are, trying to understand why you need to learn how to solve problems. So whats there to learn about solving problems? What makes it important to learn about solving problems? Is this going to be a waste of time? All these questions will be answered by the end of this paper. But, just so that we know where exactly we are heading, I would like to bring your attention to the following statement. The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them. -Albert Einstein- (1879 -1955) Therefore we are going to take a journey towards understanding what a problem is, how to understand the details of a problem properly, how to approach in solving a problem and finally how do we proceed beyond that. By the end of this tutorial, you will have gained the following skills. Understanding what a problem is. Approaching a problem with an investigative narrative. Using various techniques to address a problem and come to an agreeable solution. Leading up on a solution to a given problem. What is a problem? In the simplest terms, a problem is a challenge that is posed on an individual or a group of people with the intention of overcoming it. Such a challenge creates a state in the environment that requires resolution. So when you come across a problem, always think in terms that this is a state that needs be resolved. Never ever think of it in terms of being a hazard that needs to be tackled and thrown off of your head as soon as possible. Problems and Confidence: Any problem can be addressed in a number of ways and some of them may fail while others would bring agreeable results. There could be situations where the only way to reach to an agreeable solution is to make some compromises. Never the less, taking a positive attitude towards problems covers the most important factor needed in solving a problem; confidence. But you must also understand that just like under confidence gets in the way of solving a problem successfully, so would over confidence. It is by striking a balance you will reach a state of mind best suited to addressing a problem. When you wish to solve a problem, having faith on yourself itself will not take you anywhere. Instead, you should strengthen yourself with a number of techniques and tools that will help you build that confidence. The purpose of teaching you this particular module is to give you a starting point on such techniques, tricks and tools. Then you may use these tools at your disposal and become a successful problem solver. Problem Investigation Techniques: Just like any complex endeavor, problem solving itself consists of a number of interrelated tasks that must be addressed in a gradual, step-by-step manner. This approach makes understanding, planning and understanding a problem better, allowing you to come to a solution that is agreeable enough. In the simplest terms, we are trying to understand a problem so that we can plan ahead and face it well. This is what we are trying to achieve by analyzing a problem. Given below are a set of steps you may take in getting a better grasp at the root of a problem. State the problem you are about to solve in a well detailed manner: Try to be precise as well as detailed. Even though you already know the problem well enough, by making sure that you actually note it down, you will have the advantage of your visuals sensory system coupled with part of your brain trying to come to a better interpretation of the problem. In preparing a problem statement, you may ask the following questions from yourself. Is it a question you must answer? Is it an obstacle you must overcome? Is it a person you must persuade? Is it a decision you must make? Is it an opponent you must defeat? Is it a goal you must achieve? Is it a goal you must set? Is it a problem you must define? Has the problem being defined for you? State the parts of the problem that can be addressed separately: The great emperor Julies Caesar is attributed to the saying Divide et Impera in Latin which translates to Divide and Conquer in English. We will be taking the same approach in dividing a relatively complex problem into a smaller and comparatively less complex set of problems that can each be addressed individually. During this step, you may ask following questions from yourself. Is the problem really a collection of many problems? Can you divide the problem by defining terms? Are there any implicit terms to define? Can abstract terms be restated in concrete terms? Can the problem be solved in steps? Are half-way solutions possible? Can the problem be substantially solved? Is a partial solution better than none? State the problem in the broadest terms: There is an inherent deficiency in most forms of human communication in delivering sub-textual messages via common communication methods. Same could have happened with the problem you are trying to solve when it was introduced to you. Therefore, instead of looking at the problems face value, you may take an effort to take a look at the big picture. In doing so you may ask following questions from yourself. Is the problem part of a larger one? Is it geographically broader? Is it an effect of a larger problem? Is it only a sign or symptom? Can concrete terms be restated in abstract terms? Is a general solution possible? Is a political solution possible? Is a group solution possible? State your role in solving the problem: Identifying what your role in solving a given problem is very important. Some problems are posed on an individual, and some are on a group. Just like one must know how to play his role in a group so that an agreeable solution can be reached, the same is true with an individual trying to solve a problem. One must understand what type of a role he will be playing (i.e. evasive, neutral, hasty, etc.) to better position himself in the contextual environment of a problem that needs to be solved. You may ask following question from yourself in undertaking this step. Was the problem presented to you? Do you accept the challenge? Should you volunteer yourself to solve the problem? Are your emotions dependency factors in reaching a particular solution? Will you be assuming a certain role in solving a problem? State the names and interests of others who are involved: Knowing what role you will be playing in solving is never complete without knowing what other parties are taking an interest in the same problem, problem solving process, or the outcomes of the final solution. Close attention must be paid to observing their interests and roles they play in any given problem, let it be friendly or hostile. Ask yourself the following questions in completing this task. Has this problem being presented to others? Can you delegate the problem? Can you delegate selected parts of the problem or the problem solving process? Who else is interested in the problem itself or the solution to the problem? Who else is directly affected by the solution? Who else is indirectly affected by the solution? State solutions to a similar problem found in the past: There is a very popular term not only in the academia, but also in various other fields, that one should never reinvent the wheel. It is in fact figurative speech used in order to say that one should never waste resources in perfecting an entity that is already perfect for a given purpose. In the same manner, it would be a waste to solve a problem that has already been solved before in an agreeable manner. You may simply use such solutions as references and either apply them directly or adapt them to the specifics of a given problem. Take some time and ask yourself the following questions. Were you able to identify any problems from the past that are already of the same nature? What similarities were you able to identify? What dissimilarities were you able to identify? Can solutions to such problems be applied to the problem at hand? Has your research provided with any agreeable enough solutions to your problem? State the affects of time factor over the problem and the solution: Even though a number of factors are needed to be managed precisely, none of them precede the importance of managing time in most of the situations. In time-critical problems late solutions are the same as no solutions at all. Therefore in solving a problem, ask yourself the following questions and try to understand how exactly the time factor affects the end solution. How will the problem evolve over time? Is there a deadline for the problem to be solved? What are the possibilities of postponing the solving process for a given problem? State your proposed solution to a given problem: It is not enough that you understand the problem itself and previous solutions; you must also come to the point of proposing a solution that is agreeable enough as well. First step to clarifying the problem is listing down the solution clearly enough that no part of it is misunderstood, leading to further unexpected problems. During this stage, ask yourself the following questions. What actions must be taken? Who must take each and every action? When must each action be taken exactly? What steps must be taken in the case of a failure or setback? State if the proposed solution is feasible enough to be used in the context: Once a problem is properly analyzed, understood and solution provided, the flow is not completed until you take initiation in doing a figurative postmortem of your own solution. Here you will try to understand how feasible a solution actually is compared to the stakes of the problem itself. What are the dependencies the provided solution has? Is the solution resource conserving? Does the solution meet various budgetary constraints? Is the solution legally acceptable? Is the solution morally acceptable? Now that you have completed a tiresome set of tasks that will actually help you understand a problem properly, address various steps in solving a problem, now you are ready to actually solve the problem. Pat yourself in the back and repeat the following words after meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ GET SET READY GO!

Instant Messenger Changed My Life (For the Better!) :: Internet Essays

Instant Messenger Changed My Life (For the Better!) Since I was in Seventh or Eighth grade I have used AOL Instant Messenger as a way to communicate with my friends and family. I would sit â€Å"online† for hours upon hours talking to my friends. You weren’t cool unless you had AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) at your home. Every since the day I started using it I have become â€Å"addicted† to it. For a couple of months when it first came out it was kind of taking over my life. It would be the first thing I did when I got home from school, take a break for dinner then go straight back to chatting online until my mom forced me to go to bed. I never thought of it as a learning experience until I got a little older. When thinking back on how I learned to do things on the computer and/or some things in everyday life they all connect to AIM in a strange way. AIM had forced me to write and talk like I would type. I would use abbreviations and even spell words shorter on paper so they would be faster to write down just like on AIM when you use shorter spellings to type faster. For example the word because, first became shortened to cause then it became â€Å"cuz† since it was only three letters instead of the original seven. I think it was just around the age of sixteen when I could finally drive, that I stopped being so obsessed with AIM. Although when I left home for college, I quickly became once again obsessed. I found that instead of doing my homework I’d try to talk to my friends that didn’t have away messages up. If they did have a message up I’d check it like five times just in case it changed. Even when I have class or go to work I don’t sign off, I just put an away message up explaining to my friends and family where I am and how to get a hold of me. Now my sister who is thirteen is â€Å"a ddicted† to AIM and following in the same footsteps as myself. She would rather spend her entire summer vacation inside on the computer rather than swimming, rollerblading or riding her bike with friends.

Men’s Wearhouse: Success in a Declining Industry Essay

Diagnosis: After reading the whole case, I believe that the hiring policy was not followed was the biggest problem. The reason that was because the regional and district managers did not really follow the way it should be. Since the company expanded rapidly, the managers had the pressure to fill positions quickly in order to run the company well. At the meanwhile, managers had to check a large numbers of applications from sales people from other retailers and it was really hard for managers to recognize who were potentially consultants, not clerks. Therefore, there was tendency to hire those who had more experiences. The company spent a lot of resources on training people who grew up in retail they lack of potential to be consultants and mentally being a sort of â€Å"clerk† kind and it would be less effective. Also when they face to customers they probably lack of passion and sluggishly during work. The long-term impact of the problem would be there were not enough employees qualified as consultants and clerks would not get promoted. And customers who were treated sluggishly would not come back, eventually would affect company’s reputation and sales volume in long-term Analysis: Since employees who grew up in retail they lack of potential to be consultants and mentally being a sort of â€Å"clerk† kind, therefore it would be hard for company to change their minds. By using SWOT analysis, I found out strengths of this company was the core idea that they are not just selling cloths but also understanding people, both your teammates and your customers. The weakness was not every employee understand this idea and treat customers the company wishes. Opportunities were their minds would be change after intensive training. Threat would be company spent extra resources on training. Recommendation: My suggestion on this problem is managers should be more responsible for hiring employees, and also they can get commissions if people who get promoted as qualified consultants. In the meanwhile, their wages would reduce if potential consultants perform badly in the future. By performance appraisal and sales data, superior mangers can make decisions on whether inferior managers get commissions or not. Outcomes: I expect mangers would follow the fundamental way to hire employees and they directly take responsibilities for their performance of those they hired. Mangers would be careful when they check the applications and since the employees have more consultant potentials than being a â€Å"clerk†, the company would save a lot of resources and spend these resources on more effective uses

Freezing Rain Definition

Freezing Rain Definition While beautiful to look at, freezing rain is one of the most hazardous types of winter precipitation. Accumulations of just several tenths of an inch of freezing rain may not sound significant, but are more than enough to break tree limbs, down power lines (and cause power outages), and coat and cause slick roadways. The Midwest often gets devastating storms of this nature. Rain that Freezes On Contact Freezing rain is a bit of a contradiction. The freezing part of its name implies frozen (solid) precipitation, but the rain implies its a liquid. So, which is it? Well, its kind of both. Freezing rain happens when precipitation falls as liquid raindrops, then freezes as it hits individual objects on the ground whose temperatures are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The ice that results is called glaze ice because it covers the objects in a smooth coating. This happens in winter whenever temperatures at ground-level are below freezing but the layer of air overhead is warm at mid- and high levels of the atmosphere. So it is the temperature of objects at the earths surface, not the rain itself, that determines if the precipitation will freeze. Its important to note that freezing rain is in liquid form until it strikes a cold surface. Oftentimes, the water droplets are supercooled (their temperature is below freezing, yet they remain liquid) and freeze on contact. How Fast Freezing Rain Freezes While we say that freezing rain freezes on impact when it strikes a surface, in reality, it takes a little time for the water to turn to ice. (How long depends on the temperature of the water drop, the temperature of the object the drop strikes, and the size of the drop. The quickest drops to freeze will be small, supercooled drops that hit objects whose temperatures are well below 32 degrees.) Because freezing rain doesnt necessarily freeze right away, icicles and dripping icicles will sometimes develop.   Freezing Rain vs. Sleet Freezing rain and sleet are similar in a lot of ways. They both start out high in the atmosphere as snow, then melt as they fall into a warm (above freezing) layer of air. But while the partially melted snowflakes that eventually turn into sleet will fall through a brief warm layer, then re-enter a deep enough cold layer to turn back into ice (sleet), in a freezing rain setup, the melted snowflakes dont have enough time to freeze (into sleet) before reaching the ground since the layer of cold air is too thin.  Ã‚   Sleet not only differs from freezing rain in how it forms, but what it looks like. Whereas sleet appears as tiny clear ice pellets that bounce when they hit the ground, freezing rain coats the surfaces it strikes with a layer of smooth ice.   Why doesnt it just snow? In order to get snow, temperatures throughout the atmosphere would need to remain below-freezing with no warm layer to be found. Remember, if you want to know the type of precipitation youll get at the surface in wintertime, youll want to look at what the temperatures are (and how theyre changing) from high up in the atmosphere all the way down to the surface. Heres the bottom line: Snow forms if the entire layer of air aloft and near the ground is sub-freezing.Sleet forms if the layer of sub-freezing air is fairly deep (approx. 3,000 to 4,000 feet thick).Freezing rain forms if the sub-freezing layer is very shallow, with cold temperatures at the surface only.Rain forms if the cold layer is too shallow.

Exploring Cultural Identity through Language Essays

Exploring Cultural Identity through Language Essays Exploring Cultural Identity through Language Paper Exploring Cultural Identity through Language Paper Essay Topic: Poetry Read the excerpt from Speaking Arabic. At a neighborhood fair in Texas, somewhere between the German Oom-pah Sausage Stand and the Mexican Gorditas booth, I overheard a young man say to his friend, I wish I had a heritage. Sometimes I feel- so lonely for one. And the tall American trees were dangling their thick branches right down over his head. In this excerpt, the author reveals the narrators view on heritage by presenting dialogue that includes a contrasting perspective. Read the excerpt from Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry. I do not believe we should have to leave out the crucial elements of our language and culture to contribute to American literature, but, unfortunately, this is a conclusion I am forced to reach. I have been writing for a quarter century, and have been a published author for eighteen years. As a writer, I was part of the Chicano Movement which created a new literature in this country. Which type of rhetoric is used most in the excerpt to convince readers that Anayas conclusion is accurate? an appeal based on the authors character Read the excerpt from Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry. In other cases, the censoring has been direct and brutal. On February 28, 1981 the morning newspaper carried a story about the burning of my novel, Bless Me, Ultima. The book was banned from high school classes in Bloomfield, New Mexico, and a school board member was quoted as saying: We took the books out and personally saw that they were burned. Which best describes how Anaya effectively uses rhetorical appeal to convince readers that censorship is a tool of the powerful? Anaya presents facts from a newspaper story about school board members burning his books. Read the excerpts from Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry and Speaking Arabic. My friend had concluded that if he took his language and culture out of his poetry, he stood a better chance of receiving a fellowship. He took out his native language, the poetic patois of our reality, the rich mixture of Spanish, English, pachuco and street talk which we know so well. In other words, he took the tortillas out of his poetry, which is to say he took the soul out of his poetry. At a neighborhood fair in Texas, somewhere between the German Oom-pah Sausage Stand and the Mexican Gorditas booth, I overheard a young man say to his friend, I wish I had a heritage. Sometimes I feel- so lonely for one. And the tall American trees were dangling their thick branches right down over his head. Which best states how the structures of the excerpts differ? Anaya structures his excerpt as an analysis, while Nye structures her excerpt as an observation. Read the excerpt from Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry. I do not believe we should have to leave out the crucial elements of our language and culture to contribute to American literature, but, unfortunately, this is a conclusion I am forced to reach. I have been writing for a quarter century, and have been a published author for eighteen years. As a writer, I was part of the Chicano Movement which created a new literature in this country. Which best describes how Anaya effectively uses rhetoric in the excerpt to convince readers that his conclusion is justified? Anaya establishes his credibility as a published Chicano author by discussing his career experience. Read the excerpt from Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry. My friend had concluded that if he took his language and culture out of his poetry, he stood a better chance of receiving a fellowship. He took out his native language, the poetic patois of our reality, the rich mixture of Spanish, English, pachuco and street talk which we know so well. In other words, he took the tortillas out of his poetry, which is to say he took the soul out of his poetry. Which best explains how Anayas tone establishes his voice in the excerpt? Anayas tone is passionate, which reflects his strong feelings about the topic. Read the excerpts from Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry and Speaking Arabic. My friend had concluded that if he took his language and culture out of his poetry, he stood a better chance of receiving a fellowship. He took out his native language, the poetic patois of our reality, the rich mixture of Spanish, English, pachuco and street talk which we know so well. In other words, he took the tortillas out of his poetry, which is to say he took the soul out of his poetry. At a neighborhood fair in Texas, somewhere between the German Oom-pah Sausage Stand and the Mexican Gorditas booth, I overheard a young man say to his friend, I wish I had a heritage. Sometimes I feel- so lonely for one. And the tall American trees were dangling their thick branches right down over his head. Which best states how the structures of the excerpts are similar? Each relates an anecdote to appeal to the readers emotions. Read the excerpts from Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry and Speaking Arabic. My friend had concluded that if he took his language and culture out of his poetry, he stood a better chance of receiving a fellowship. He took out his native language, the poetic patois of our reality, the rich mixture of Spanish, English, pachuco and street talk which we know so well. In other words, he took the tortillas out of his poetry, which is to say he took the soul out of his poetry. At a neighborhood fair in Texas, somewhere between the German Oom-pah Sausage Stand and the Mexican Gorditas booth, I overheard a young man say to his friend, I wish I had a heritage. Sometimes I feel- so lonely for one. And the tall American trees were dangling their thick branches right down over his head. Which best states how the structure of each excerpt supports a different tone? Anaya structures his text as an explanation, which gives it an authoritative tone, while Nye structures her text as an impression, which gives it a soothing tone. Read the sentence from Speaking Arabic. The cousins and neighbors file in to say, Keef ha-lik?- How are you?- the door opening into a thousand rooms. Which best explains how Nyes word choice helps establish her voice in the excerpt? Nye uses figurative language to support her opinion that staying connected to ones heritage makes life richer. Read the excerpt from Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry. My friend had concluded that if he took his language and culture out of his poetry, he stood a better chance of receiving a fellowship. He took out his native language, the poetic patois of our reality, the rich mixture of Spanish, English, pachuco and street talk which we know so well. In other words, he took the tortillas out of his poetry, which is to say he took the soul out of his poetry. Which best explains how Anayas word choice establishes his voice in the excerpt? Anaya compares tortillas to the soul of a Mexican-American writer, emphasizing his belief that writers must be allowed to express their culture and heritage.

Collision Regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Collision Regulations - Essay Example It Important to take into consideration that it is not the high speed that solely becomes the use of a collision or accident. Rather it is the inaccuracy vessel operators have when estimating the speed difference between the vessels that creates much problems. Significant factor to take into regard when contemplating risks and collisions attributed to the advent of an 80 know ferry in the English Channel should encompass: The operator of the vessel has many more responsibilities than speed when preventing a collision. As the term itself implies, speed is a factor associated with timings. Controlling the speed involves evaluation of right timings of actions. When a vessel has to speed up to avoid collision, it must do so immediately. Designing of the vessel's structure and capabilities to meet such situations is a prerequisite. Speed is not the only factor responsible for a maritime collision and in cases of poor visibility and lighting speed is not even a factor. Collisions normally occur during overtaking and when the vessels meet head on. Rule 13(b) of International Collision Regulations states: "A vessel shall be deemed to be overtaking when coming up with another vessel from a direction more than 22.5 degrees abaft her beam, that is, in such a position with reference to the vessel she is overtaking, that at night she would be able to see only the

The Curse by Andre Dubus - Story Analysis Research Paper

The Curse by Andre Dubus - Story Analysis - Research Paper Example The curse entails about a rape case, which was witnessed by the character, Mitchell. It concentrates more about his opinions and views concerning the rape case and portrays how it generally affects him both socially and psychologically. Mitchell his hunted with guilt for what occurred has he did not do anything to help. He struggles with conflicts that hunt him internally, as he tries to manage the empathetic emotions. In this aspect fear, for being hurt or injured in the situation prevents him from intervening and the culture code make him question his essence of protection to a woman as a man. The story questions on aspect of manhood, action and inaction. After analysis of our fist character Mitchell, we consider the other essential characters in the story, which are the motorcyclists. The author describes them as egocentric, in human and inconsiderate people who acted in self-interest. He shows how passionate they were as they first entered into the bar, â€Å"their eyes were qui ck, alert as wary animals, and they spoke loudly, with passion, but their passion was strange and disturbing, because they were only chatting, bantering (the curse, p.274) We also have a clear outline of the people present in the bar, the author describes Bob, he described him as a black-haired man who is too big compared to Mitchell Hayes, the author states that Mitchell " looked from the door, past Bob to the empty space of floor at the rear; sometimes people danced there, to the jukebox" (pg.273). The story also analysis on the women and their views and their reactions towards the rape case, in the society, in â€Å"the curse† we have three women involved, we have the rape victim, Mitchell wife, and Mitchell stepdaughter. He states on how he met his wife "One night she came into the bar with two of her girl friends from work. She made sixdollars an hour going to homes of invalids, mostly what she called her little old ladies, and bathing them" (pg.276). The author expounds that after Mitchell gives a clear outline of the rape case to his wife Susan, she says that he did the right thing, Mitchell his portrayed as Susan’s â€Å"little old ladies†. Mitchell does not want to become just â€Å"a good witness† he fills that he ought to have done something. Mitchell feels he himself will be at trial for what he did not do to assist the young woman. In this page, we are able to known about women attitudes and the categories in which Mitchell wife and stepdaughter view the rape case. In the next part of the story, we are able to analyze on struggle that Mitchell went through during the rape period. Mitchell had to submit, like the girl and just watch what was going on. Victimization of Mitchell by the motorcyclists, psychologically affected him. Both the girl and he were considered as victims in the story. Mitchell could not fight the five strong men and to the author explanation, it becomes a rape case to Mitchell. The author states that Mitchell "looked once at her sounds, then looked down at the duckboard he stood on, or at the belly or chest of a young man in front of him," (pg.273). In the next part of the story, the author states on the continuous condition of Mitchell. Mitchell becomes a storyteller, instead of being the hero, in his story telling, Mitchell leaves out the aspect of being the coward person who was not able to assist the victim this haunts Mitchell. The story also analysis the caring aspect of Mitchell to his customers, in the