Army Decision Making The Seven Problem Solving Steps The Leader’s Role
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A good leader must sometimes be stubborn. Armed with the courage of his convictions, he must often fight to defend them. When he has come to a decision after thorough analysis—and when he is sure he is right— he must stick to it even to the point of stubbornness.
General of the Army Omar Bradley Tactics and Techniques Track
Introduction to Problem Solving
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Introduction
As an Army leader, you will be involved in problem solving daily. Some problems are simple and only require you to use your intuition, experience, and best judgment. At other times, however, you will face problems that are more complex. These require you to follow a systematic approach to define and analyze the problem, develop and analyze possible solutions, choose the best solution, and implement a plan of action. The amount of time and resources you apply to any given problem depends on its complexity, the amount of time available, and your experience as a leader. In this section, you will learn about the Army problem solving process— a systematic, logical approach to problem solving and decision making designed to help leaders make better decisions. As a junior officer, you may not face a decision on the scale of that facing BG John Buford on 30 June 1863. But using this systematic approach to problem solving can help you make decisions as solid as the one he made that day.
Buford Decides to Stand and Fight Immediately south of Gettysburg the topography was considerably more striking [Figure 5.1]. As John Ropes put it, “Round Top Hill is quite an anomaly, and looks as if dropped down from New England.” This distinctive and soonto-be-famous topography actually contained what could be regarded as four anomalies for that region. Jutting
