Sample Paper: MANS 571 - Individual moods and emotions in the workplace

Individual moods and emotions in the workplace

Name

MAN571 Organizational behavior

Date

Introduction

Emotions and moods play a big role on how employees communicate with other in the workplace. Emotions in the workplace are essential indications of a positive or negative job environment. Positive emotions can increase the worker motivation and performance, while negative emotions can cause stress and high turnover. This in turn will affect the whole organization either directly or indirectly. Positive moods enable employees to enhance their productivity at the workplace. However, negative emotions such as anger, hostility and stress can impact negatively on the productivity of the employees. Both types of emotions are contagious in the work place, which makes it even more important for managers to have an ability to read employee emotions. 

Emotional contagion is a way that the emotions of one employee are transferred to another employee via nonverbal channels. Managers need to harness positive emotions or eliminate negative emotions at work in order to maintain a healthy work environment.  How positive and negative emotions can influence employees and their productivity at work.

According to Brief &Weiss (2002), emotions are usually intense and occur due to specific events and can affect the way we think. Moods on the other hand are less intense and are not enhanced by any specific stimulus.

The purpose of this reflective thinking assignment is to examine the following:

·         Individual moods and emotions in the workplace and how they affect the employees

·         Describe different personality tests

·         Emotional intelligence

Individual moods and emotions in the workplace

It is normal for employees to express emotions. However, it should be noted that negative emotions can be infectious and in turn spread from one employee to another. This can significantly affect interpersonal communication in the organization.

Emotions can sometimes cause a person to be irrational. For instance, an employee who suffers severe head injuries which may affect his/her brain causing him/her to be emotionless would result in such an employee not being able to experience any reason, hence becoming irrational. In order to determine how an individual expresses emotions at work, it will be important to put into consideration how such an individual experiences work from a personal point of view so as to understand meaning to those emotions (Weiss & Rupp, 2011)

The following are the sources of mood and emotions in the workplace;

·         Stress

Stress is body's way of responding to any kind of demand or tension .It can be caused by both good and bad experiences in life .Stress is the major cause of negative feelings at work, for instance, too much work overloads , difficult colleagues or customers and demanding bosses/supervisors can lead to negative feelings (Kanner, Schaefer & Lazarus, 1984)

·         Personality

A person’s temperament determines their moods and emotions. For instance, extroverts typically express their emotions for all to see and express, very outgoing and frequently show positive feelings of excitement, happiness towards people around them .

·         Social activities

Interpersonal interactions on social occasions and events contribute to emotions and moods. Those interactions which are positive translate to positive feelings and vice-versa

·         Weather

Research has shown that weather thought to have effects on mood. Individuals have been known to express negative feelings on dark, stormy/rainy days and positive feelings and emotions on bright, hot and sunny days, people would love to engage in outdoor games and activities in summer vacations.

·         Gender

Women have been culturally known to frequently and easily express their moods and emotions. This is why managers are very careful when dealing with female employees since they are very sensitive and emotional on such issues such as family, children’s rights and they are very self-conscious . Males are opposite to the females in the expression of their emotions even under very stressful situations men can hold their emotions well because of their self-control attitude.

·         Exercise

Research has shown that physical exercise can be used to improve mood for individual’s suffering from depression. Some organizations offer free gym memberships to their employees and encourages them to regularly exercise to improve their mood and enhance positive feelings towards their employers and coworkers.

I personally experience the urge for workout, when I start my day by going to the Gym, I have a fantastic day with full involvement in all that tasks and vice versa. (Slaski, 2002)

·         Sleep

Quality of sleep affects mood. Individuals who sleep for less than 8 hours per night are likely to experience negative feelings ,as in my case during previous couple of months I could not have quality sleep because of taking care of my 81 years old mom who had stroke last year . I had to make big changes in my daily routines and got extra help to get me back to my sleep patterns min of 8 hrs uninterrupted sleep which makes my day very productive otherwise I become irritable.

·         Age

Evidence shows that older individuals experience more positive feelings than young people. This is why young people suffer from depression, eating disorders and show suicidal tendencies as a result of negative and stressful feelings. As we grow older our personalities start getting settled  in terms with the environment we are living in which makes us less stressful and out of mood swings.

·         Physical environment

Physical settings can cause mood and emotions at work. A beautiful view of outdoor scenery from the office window can enhance the employee’s mood and sometimes when lighting at work is extreme either too bright or too dark can cause negative moods among employees (Kuller, Ballal et al, 2006)

Effects of mood and emotions in the workplace

The following are the effects/impacts of moods and emotions in the workplace;

        i.            Job satisfaction

Job satisfaction is a major motivating factor for employees to be more productive at work. It is also the major cause of high employee turnover rate. When employees are more satisfied at their jobs, they tend to experience more positive moods and emotions.

      ii.            Employee performance

Mood can affect personal judgment which in turn will influence performance. According to Ashkenazy &Humphrey (2011), managers who experience positive moods are likely to take greater risks and be more optimistic. This optimism by managers can inspire the employees to perform better too.

    iii.            Creativity  and innovativeness

Both positive and negative moods can contribute to innovation. However, only positive mood can influence creativity at work. According to Amiable, Barsade et al (2005), positive mood facilitates cognitive and divergent thinking which enhance tasks that require creativity.

    iv.            Interpersonal relationships

Personal moods among workers can influence their moods toward others. This in turn will affect to a significant extend interpersonal relationships among workers. A worker who shows positive moods attracts other to him/her which will lead to a positive interpersonal relationship and vice-versa

Different personality tests

There are many personality tests put forth by various psychologists. The main goals of psychology have been to establish a model that can conveniently describe human personality. While conducting various personality tests Personality test is basically a questionnaire designed to reveal various aspects of a person’s character.(Brief, 2002) One of the more prominent models for the description of personality in contemporary psychology is known as the five-factor model of personality (Digman, 1990) the big five personality tests model includes;

·         The Ten Item  Personality Inventory

·         Revised Neo personality Inventory

·         The Five Factor Personality Inventory

·         The Five Factor Model Rating Form

·         The Big Five Inventory

The five factor personality traits are in the following table

There has been much research conducted on how people describe others and five major dimensions of human personality have been found which is described as the OCEAN model of personality which have been described by the above table

1- Openness

2- Conscientiousness

3-Extraversion

4-Agreeableness

5-Neuroticism

3 - Personality Test Performed

I performed 3 personality tests on myself to explore my personality traits and I agreed to some of the results and some of the personality traits I found very helpful to incorporate into a leadership role to manage successfully an organization.

1-Big five personality test:

I did this big five personality test for myself and my son who is 23 , was another person in this comparison having the same ethnic and social back ground with the difference of the fact that I was born in Pakistan and he was born in USA and studied in USA.

When I performed the big five project personality test and results are following:

I'maO80-C96-E53-A90-N37BigFive!!OCEAN

	Your Results Their Results
Closed-Minded		Open to New Experiences
Disorganized		Conscientious
Introverted		Extraverted
Disagreeable		Agreeable
Calm / Relaxed		Nervous / High-Strung

This score is close to my personality but I would say the test results don’t describe my personality fully as there are some personality traits which changes with the circumstances, for instance when I am dealing with my team members I have to be aggressive to get the job done on timely basis. As per the results of this test I have a relaxed personality trait along with the element of openness which is sometimes turns out to be opposite.

2-Type A / B personality Test

I also conducted Type A /B personality test and my score was 6 out of ten putting me in Type A and B personality.

Type A individual as ambitious, rigidly organized, highly status conscious, can be sensitive, care for other people, are truthful, impatient, always try to help others, , take on more than they can handle, want other people to get to the point, proactive, and obsessed with time management. People with Type A personalities are often high-achieving "workaholics" who multi-task, push themselves with deadlines, 

 Type B individuals are a contrast to those with Type A personalities. People with Type B personality by definition generally live at a lower stress level and typically work steadily, enjoying achievement but not becoming stressed when they are not achieved. When faced with competition, they do not mind losing and either enjoy the game or back down. They may be creative and enjoy exploring ideas and concepts. They are often reflective, thinking about the outer and inner worlds. Furthermore, Type B personalities may have a poor sense of time schedule and can be predominately right brained thinkers.

If I look into my personal and professional personality traits I have most of the qualities of Type A and few from Type B ,like I am very ambitious, organized, , sensitive, care for other people, truthful, take on more than what I can handle, proactive, and obsessed with time management, "workaholics" multi-task, push  with deadlines, and some of the qualities of type B which are I am very creative love exploring new ideas and concepts ,brain thinker and always stay at lower level of stress .

3-   Stress-O-Meter

I also conducted the stress-o-Meter test to measure the precise amount of stress in the working environment. There were 16 questions regarding the attitudes at work among the employers and employees.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is also known as Emotional Quotient. According to Coleman &Andrew (2008), emotional intelligence is “the capacity of individuals to recognize their own, and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, and to manage and/or adjust emotions to adapt environments or achieve one's goals” Emotional intelligence (EQ) is more important than one’s intelligence (IQ) in attaining success in their lives and careers. (Abraham, 1999)

Understanding the Five Categories of Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

1.      Self-awareness.

 The ability to recognize an emotion as it “happens” is the key to your EQ. Developing self-awareness requires tuning in to your true feelings. If you evaluate your emotions, you can manage them. The major elements of self-awareness are:

• Emotional awareness. Your ability to recognize your own emotions and their effects.
• Self-confidence. Sureness about your self-worth and capabilities.

2.      Self-regulation

 (John, 1999)

You often have little control over when you experience emotions. You can, however, have some say in how long an emotion will last by using a number of techniques to alleviate negative emotions such as anger, anxiety or depression. A few of these techniques include recasting a situation in a more positive light, taking a long walk and meditation or prayer. Self-regulation involves

• Self-control. Managing disruptive impulses.
• Trustworthiness. Maintaining standards of honesty and integrity.
• Conscientiousness. Taking responsibility for your own performance.
• Adaptability. Handling change with flexibility.
• Innovation. Being open to new ideas

3.      Motivation. 

To motivate yourself for any achievement requires clear goals and a positive attitude. Although you may have a predisposition to either a positive or a negative attitude, you can with effort and practice learn to think more positively. If you catch negative thoughts as they occur, you can reframe them in more positive terms — which will help you achieve your goals. Motivation is made up of:

• Achievement drive. You’re constant striving to improve or to meet a standard of excellence.
• Commitment. Aligning with the goals of the group or organization.
• Initiative. Readying yourself to act on opportunities.
• Optimism. Pursuing goals persistently despite obstacles and setbacks.

4.      Empathy. 

The ability to recognize how people feel is important to success in your life and career. The more skillful you are at discerning the feelings behind others’ signals the better you can control the signals you send them. (Mayer, 1997) An empathetic person excels at:

• Service orientation. Anticipating, recognizing and meeting clients’ needs.
• Developing others. Sensing what others need to progress and bolstering their abilities.
• Leveraging diversity. Cultivating opportunities through diverse people.
• Political awareness. Reading a group’s emotional currents and power relationships.
• Understanding others. Discerning the feelings behind the needs and wants of others

.

5.      Social skills. 

The development of good interpersonal skills is tantamount to success in your life and career. In today’s always-connected world, everyone has immediate access to technical knowledge. Thus, “people skills” are even more important now because you must possess a high EQ to better understand, empathize and negotiate with others in a global economy. Among the most useful skills are (Barling, 2000) :

• Influence. Wielding effective persuasion tactics.
• Communication. Sending clear messages.
• Leadership. Inspiring and guiding groups and people.
• Change catalyst. Initiating or managing change.
• Conflict management. Understanding, negotiating and resolving disagreements.
• Building bonds. Nurturing instrumental relationships.
• Collaboration and cooperation. Working with others toward shared goals.
• Team capabilities. Creating group synergy in pursuing collective goals.

Psychologists have come up with various models to explain and demonstrate how emotional intelligence works. (Pipkins, 1998) These models are;

·         Traits model

This model uses the perception of individuals regarding their own emotional abilities. Individuals are then subjected to a traits emotional intelligence questionnaire to test their emotional intelligence

·         Ability model

This model was developed by Salovey and Mayer. The model is based on an individual’s ability to perceive emotions. Use emotions, understand and manage emotions. The model uses emotion-based problem solving tests to determine emotional score of an individual

·         Mixed model

This model was pioneered by Daniel Coleman. The model is based on self-awareness, social skill, empathy and motivation. Individuals are subjected to Emotional Intelligence Appraisal tests. (Dasborough, 2002)

            All of these models can be applied flexibly to various situations and aren’t only applicable in one type of situation. Leaders must be aware of all of these models of assessing emotional intelligence of the employees and other individuals.

Conclusion

As leaders, managers and individuals our success and the success of the today’s profession depend on our ability to read other people’s signals and react appropriately to them. The leaders must keep their employees happy mentally with the healthy environment around and positive emotions resulting from a fantastic work environment. The functions of positive emotions are that employees are extremely productive, motivated and happy. This would result in tremendous progress and profits for the organization.

Sample paper: Nursing leadership

Nursing Leadership

Student Name

Institutional Affiliation

Question one

 Through leadership, it is possible to set policies and guidelines that govern the operation of every activity within the field. Nursing is one of the major technical fields, professional leadership has always played an important role in ensuring that there is the delivery of quality services to the patients. However, professional leadership in nursing has faced several challenges and barriers which has limited delivery of better leadership services. Nevertheless, the challenges should not lead to the eradication of leadership in the nursing industry, they should, however, provide a propelling force towards offering the best leadership. People have different ideas, during decision making, each person would want his or her idea to be considered and when that is not done, there may rise unnecessary quarrels within the organization. Thompson et al. (2004), acknowledges that this is a major challenge that professional leaders face, he advises that each person be allowed to explain more about his or her idea and through that, it will be easy to merge all ideas and come up with a concrete solution.

Question two

In the health care industry, nursing is the largest profession, in this profession research shows that there are more women than men. Unfortunately, during policymaking, the nursing profession has often lacked enough representation this makes other medical practitioners make policies that all nurses are supposed to adhere to. Gender bias has always been a great issue for human beings to deal with. Women are considered weak and vulnerable, often their ideas are ignored and thus they lack the morale of presenting concrete ideas that could change the face of the nursing profession (MacKusick & Minick, 2010). Thus, the main problem has been ignorance since other medical practitioners especially male have ignored the ideas raised by women making the nursing profession lack representation during policymaking.

Technology Enhances the Chances of Success in a Business

Student's Name

Professor's Name

Course Number

Date

Technology Enhances the Chances of Success in a Business

            Technology has revolutionized several industries, including business. Today, technological advancements such as fast internet speeds, smart devices, and Big Data have changed how firms operate. Technology enhances the chances of business success by enabling businesses to gather, disseminate, and process information quickly.

            Technology makes businesses more successful by allowing companies to leverage information more rapidly. Zara, a leading fashion brand, spent heavily on information technology which allowed it to improve its distribution system significantly (Roll n.p.). Zara's technology-driven distribution system enables it to have seamless information exchange across its stores and its headquarters, which helps it to keep up with the latest trends. Additionally, technology is crucial in aiding businesses to become more productive at lesser cost by reducing the time from product conception until it gets to the market (Wilburn and Wilburn 23). The adoption of technology-enabled Zara to considerably minimize lead times and to respond to shifting market trends quicker. Hence, technology helps businesses to become more profitable by developing an efficient distribution system which caters to customers' needs and keeps up with the latest trends.

            Apart from making firms more successful by allowing them to leverage information more quickly, technology also enables firms to tap into the e-commerce market. In 2010, Zara ventured into the e-commerce space by setting up its first online shop that was available in only a few countries (Roll n.p.). However, a few years later, Zara's online business has extended across Europe and now accounts for approximately 10% of its global sales. The move by Zara to enter the e-commerce market was informed by its well-designed information technology system that allows it to gather data on the latest trends. When the e-commerce market was booming, Zara already had the right information to join the market and reach out to a broader reach of customers. Therefore, technology helps a business to become better by offering them a more extensive range of the market through e-commerce.

            In conclusion, technology enhances the chances of business success by enabling businesses to gather, disseminate, and process information quickly. Zara is an example of a company that benefitted from heavily investing in information technology. Technology also allows firms to take advantage of the e-commerce market to reach more clients.

Works Cited

Roll, Martin. "The Secret of Zara's Success: A Culture of Customer Co-creation." Martin Roll:Business and Brand Strategist, Mar. 2018, martinroll.com/resources/articles/strategy/the-secret-of-zaras-success-a-culture-of-customer-co-creation/.

Wilburn, Kathleen M., and H. R. Wilburn. "The Impact of Technology on Business and Society." Global Journal of Business Research, vol. 12, no. 1, 2018, pp. 23-29.

Personal Statement

From a tender age, long before I could fathom the particulars of science or its numerous fields, I had already developed a compelling desire to practice in the healthcare profession. This desire was as a result of a tragic incident that occurred to my family when I was around ten years old. My beloved little sister, upon premature discharge from the hospital, passed on. The heartbreaking incident happened in my home country, Nigeria. I was utterly devastated. She had been discharged from the hospital because we could no longer afford her medical upkeep. We desperately sought for ways to help her in vain. The loss engraved in me a deep desire to dedicate my life to caring for the sick, and in particular the sick and the poor. Nevertheless, it was not until my senior year in high school that I married my desire to my specific liking for human biology.

My childhood imaginations of how the body works were that there were little persons who always labored to make metabolic processes possible. Honestly, I was thrilled and overly excited to learn and understand the word metabolism later in life at Texas State University. I was very encouraged to confirm the reality of my imagination in real life. My imagination of little persons matched the relationship of body cells to the rest of the body in general. My thirst for learning, great sense of imagination, and the ability to relate textbook knowledge to the practical anatomy it refers to have brought me a long way in becoming the health caregiver that I always aspired to be.

SCENARIO PLANNING CONCEPT IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

SCENARIO PLANNING CONCEPT

By (Name)

Professor

Course

Date

Scenario Panning Concept

Scenario planning refers to the process of forecasting future activities. Important to note that, scenario planning consists of formulated plans that are based on the mission and the overall goals of the organisation. Again, the entire process requires the business managers to think and make ethical decisions for the long terms objectives. The fundamental purpose of this paper is to research and discuss scenario planning in strategic management of a business or an organisation. Also, the paper seeks for new developments, advancements, and application of the concept in strategic management. Vivid discussions are presented in the content below.

Scenario planning is an essential part of strategic management since it makes the managers plan for the future. Generally, the concept is crucial in an organisation because it helps to deal with uncertainty in the following ways. Firstly, the idea helps the managers to understand the environment as they become rational to risk-taking and also avoid them from taking unreasonable risks (Porter, 1996). Secondly, the concept helps the managers to become more adaptive in their organisations. The Management team expand their mental models hence take proactive actions. Also, the idea avoids denial and paralysis through providing a framework to outline limited strategic choices in the organisation, thus helping the managers to make rational decisions as they get out of the existing mental models.

The concept of scenario planning within the Strategic management fits in the optimisation of effort in the organisation. Notably, considering the available resources in the organisation, the management plans of what they want to achieve in the future. Therefore, the existing gap provides a room for decision making inspiring what the organisation needs to accomplish at a given time. Finally, the concept helps the management team of an organisation to set the mission based on the goals intending to achieve. The idea, as stated, is useful in scheduling the plans that are crucial in organisation advancement.  

Clarification of Meaning and Origin of the Concept

Scenario planning is also defined as a process and an ongoing approach in organisational development by setting future objectives based on the current resources. The management team of an organisation has the mandate to schedule plans that lead to corporate growth in terms of market penetration as it tries to accomplish its specified mission. The overall process starts by considering the available resources that might have an impact on the world, for example, technology, social, and environmental change. Therefore, the concept seeks for the most critical factors and uncertainties hence exploring their implications as they combine them in distinct plausible ways to create possible future.

Mentioning on the origin of the scenario planning based on the recent articles I have read, it is clear that the source of the concept was used in World War 2 (Cork & Kate, 2007, p.4). The idea was primarily used in analysing the prediction regarding their enemies and make ethical decisions. Later on, the idea was then moved to a business-related organisation in the 1960s, especially in Royal Dutch Shell.  The shell's ability to react to the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s is one of the most exceptional examples of implementing scenario planning in strategic management in business organisation to anticipate significant future challenges. Importantly, the concept assisted the company in dealing and countering its challenges. Since then, the idea is practised in most of the business organisation, helping them to expand as well as developing their potential objectives in both short and long terms. The concept needs diversified and skilled people to implement, whereby in most companies and organisations, managers are encouraged to hold and develop skills in scenario thinking.

Recent Developments in Academic Thought Related to Scenario Planning

The concept has undergone developments in academic thought since the 1980s as it has been seeking for personnel to break the constraints of everyday thinking. The development of scenario planning is illustrated in the following figure.

According to the figure above, different possible futures are identified based on the available resources in the organisation. The overall available resources determine the direction and the speed of movement in terms of development and advancement. Ideally, most of the required resources are in terms of technology-based that affects the entire environment. Secondly, the management team has the mandate to formulate the plan to deal with the specified futures following the available resources. Prominent to memo that, the plans are essential in the organisation since they determine both the short and long term objectives. For instance, an institutional organisation might focus on producing quality service in terms acceptance in the society therefore, this form the basis of the mission of the organisation. In this case, the managers should focus on formulating ideas to meet the plans.

At this juncture, the management accounts for the particular plan to invest that will have an immediate impact on the organisation. For instance, the idea was to install an internet connection for smooth running of the activities, and then they have to invest in the project to facilitate improvement in the institution. Once the management is done with the most basic plan, they can hedge to another scenario plan depending on the urgency. The projects are completed depending on their importance in the organisation such that, the most important ideas are firstly completed. If the entire scenario is invalid or fails to work well, then the management switch to another scenario planning that can have an impact on meeting the overall goals of the organisation. According to the discussed presented above elaborating the figure on the development of scenario planning in academic thought, it is vividly portrayed that following the exact steps lead the progression of the organisation.

Solved: Troubleshooting Theory - 6 steps of troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Theory

Lesson overview.

In this lesson, we will cover:

●        The importance of having a methodology.

●        Six-step troubleshooting methodology.

The importance of having a methodology.

Having a troubleshooting methodology is important, especially in the IT arena. I like this quote by Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam, "My methodology is not knowing what I'm doing and making that work for me." While this is a great quote, not everybody can do this, especially in the technology world.

Due to the complexity of modern computing systems, a wise technician will have and follow a troubleshooting methodology. A formal methodology gives the technician a starting place and a logical sequence of steps to follow. If you do not have a methodology in place, you are much more likely to waste time and effort and create frustration—not only for yourself but also for your end user.

Six-step troubleshooting methodology.

CompTIA recommends using a six-step troubleshooting methodology. The first step in their methodology is to identify the problem. Step two is to establish a theory of probable cause. The third step is to test that theory of probable cause. Step four is to develop an action plan and implement that plan. The fifth step is to verify complete system functionality. And step six is to document the process. In the section below, each of these steps is covered in more detail.

The six steps of troubleshooting.

1. Identify the problem.

The first thing that you need to be aware of when troubleshooting a problem is that the symptoms are not the problem. When troubleshooting, it is critical that you actually identify the underlying problem—what’s actually causing the symptoms to manifest themselves. To do that, you should question the user. Ask detailed questions about when the symptoms occurred and why they may have occurred. If the user can re-create the issue for you, this can be extremely helpful. Determine what, if anything, has changed, which may have caused the problem. Importantly, before you take any action, make a backup copy of the system, so that you can preserve everything as it is.

Highlights:

●        Question the user.

●        Remember that the symptoms are not the underlying problem.

●        Determine what has changed.

●        Make a backup of the system before moving on.

2. Establish a theory of probable cause.

Once you have identified the base problem that is causing the symptoms, you will establish a list of probable causes. Once you have a list of all of the probable causes, use your technical knowledge to prioritize that list. Your list should have the probable causes listed from most likely to least likely. Incidentally, be sure to question the obvious. For instance, if the symptom is a power situation at the workstation, is the power cord plugged in and, if it is plugged in, is the outlet actually getting power? Additionally, if no probable cause can be determined, you will need to escalate the problem to a higher level.

Highlights:

●        Make a list of probable causes.

●        Using your knowledge, prioritize the list.

●        Question the obvious (i.e., if the symptom is a power issue at the workstation, first check to make sure that the power cord is plugged in).

●        Escalate to a higher level if a probable cause cannot be determined.

3. Test probable cause theory to determine actual cause.

Once you have established your theory of probable cause, you should take a moment to consider whether or not you can troubleshoot the issue on your own, or if escalating it to a higher authority is called for. If it falls within your capabilities, you will need to test your theory to determine if it is, indeed, the actual cause. Your theory was created from the most likely probable cause, so you need to determine how best to test it. If your theory is confirmed, you will move on to the next step. If the theory is disproved, you will need to go back to step two or step one, as needed, and work your way through the troubleshooting methodology.

Highlights:

●        Create your theory from the most likely probable cause.

●        If the theory is confirmed, move on to the next step.

●        If the theory is not confirmed, go back to step two or step one (if needed).

4. Establish an action plan and execute the plan.

Once you have determined the actual cause by testing your probable cause, you will need to establish an action plan and then execute that plan. Simple problems will probably only need simple plans. However, if it is a complex problem, you may need to write out the plan so that you can be sure to execute it correctly. This is another opportunity to escalate the problem to a more senior level if necessary.

Highlights:

●        Simple problems probably just need simple plans.

●        Complex problems may need written out action plans.

●        Escalate to a higher level if required.

5. Verify full system functionality.

After you have executed your plan, you will need to verify that the system is fully functional. If everything works—that’s great. Based on your findings and the issue, you may find that you have the opportunity to implement preventative measures so that the problem does not occur again. If full system functionality has not occurred, you will need to go back to step one and continue to work through the troubleshooting methodology.

Highlights:

●        If everything works, great! If applicable, use your findings to implement preventative measures.

●        If not everything works, go back to step one.

6. Document the process.

Once everything is fully functional, documenting the process becomes important. This is where you document findings, actions, and outcomes. When the problem occurs again, there will be information available to walk someone through the means of troubleshooting and resolving the issue.

This documentation also captures a history of equipment and users so that perpetual issues become known and recorded. An important aspect of this is that both positive and negative outcomes should be documented. This can save time during future troubleshooting and prevent others from taking the same missteps you may have taken.

Highlights:

●        Capture your findings, actions, and outcomes.

●        Issues that need to be troubleshot may occur again.

●        Documentation provides a history of equipment and users so that problem issues are known.

What was covered.

The importance of having a methodology.

A methodology gives a systematic approach to solving IT problems. It reduces wasted time and frustration for both the technician and the end user.

Six-step troubleshooting methodology.

Identify the problem; establish theory of probable cause; test the theory; establish a plan of action and implement it; verify system functionality; and document everything.