Individual Strengths and Problem-Solving Techniques Paper

PSY 430
Phillip Novick
August 30, 2010

Individual Strengths and Problem-Solving Techniques Paper
The greatest asset of any group is the individuals who comprise it. The diversity in which the individuals bring provides a multitude of experience supporting strengths such as critical thinking to the decision making process, and problem solving. However, there are two personality traits found within each diverse cultural background: introversion and extroversion; both of which support the group’s strengths to problem solving. The introvert thrives from being alone, and can accomplish much more than the extrovert who requires the group activity to set the work tempo (Huitt, 1992). I am one who likes to discuss the problem within the group identifying all possible solving techniques, but then prefers to go at it alone, much like an introvert, until I have at least an 80% solution prior to presenting it before the group for comment. In this two part paper, I will present a scenario in which I have worked as the example to present the following: Part I – Individual Strengths and Group Settings, and Part II – Problem Solving Techniques and Group Decision Making.
Part I – Individual Strengths and Group Settings
Not too long ago I was selected as the subject matter expert (SME) to represent the Marine Corps in a Department of Defense policy writing forum over a several month period in which the Chair was a senior official from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. Each SME was not only required to brief the Chair and the other members on the level of participation the represented organization had on the needed policy, but was also required to be a proactive participant within the group discussions ensuring their organization’s equity was not lost.
The forum lasted