Which of the following should most likely be included in a problem statement?
So whats"
Root causes
Success criteria
Results of analysis
Success criteria
During the critical thinking process what's the first thing you should consider?
causes
stakeholder goals
schedule
consequences
causes
Asking "the question behind the question" is most likely related to:
- The assumptions that are being relied upon
- The root cause of the problem
- The consequences of proposed solutions
- The motivation for asking the question
the motivation for asking the question
Defining a clear problem statement can help you avoid this common pitfall.
jumping to answers too quickly
focusing on the unimportant
not thinking of future consequences
being unwilling to expand the problem space
jumping to answers too quickly
What's the recommended strategy for dealing with a complex problem that has no obvious solution?
List out the consequences, then analyze the cause for each one.
Assign parts of the problem to each person on your team.
Throw in the towel and go out for a d
Break the problem down into smaller, more solvable pieces.
What does a problem statement define, overall?
what success for the project looks like
the tasks involved in solving the problem
the symptoms of the problem
what role each stakeholder will take
what success for the project looks like
Analyzing causes involves evaluating _____ and finding the ____ for each one.
consequences; solution
performance; measurement
goals; milestones
symptoms; root cause
symptoms; root cause
Three of these choices are benefits of looking for the question behind a stakeholder's question. Find the choice that is not a benefit.
your solution will be bigger and better
you avoid solving symptoms
you know the exact analyses to perform
you get a bet
you know the exact analyses to perform
The "7 So What's" are a tool for analyzing _____.
probability of milestones
causes underlying problems
consequences of recommendations
roots of origin
consequences of recommendations
The "7 So What's" are a tool for analyzing _____.
causes underlying
problems
probability of milestones
roots of origin
consequences of recommendations
consequences of recommendations
If you want to improve your team's critical thinking skills you'll need to introduce them to the tools, give them opportunities to practice, coach them along the way, and _____.
teach them to believe in themselves
hold them accountable when they don't app
hold them accountable when they don't apply the methods
Comparing the solutions from _____ can improve your analysis and lead to the discovery of new kinds of solutions.
successful projects
unauthorized projects
unrelated projects
high-level projects
unrelated projects
What's the most productive way to apply the 80/20 principle to critical thinking?
Spend 80% of your effort analyzing causes, and 20% analyzing consequences.
20% of your efforts are unnecessary and should be cut.
Focus on the efforts that impact 20% of the
Focus on the efforts that impact 80% of the results.
Focusing questions help you _____ a problem space.
bound
share
solve
avoid
bound
Three different lenses for thinking critically are to change your _____, to change the context, or to change the reality of the problem
space.
feelings
point of view
clothes
project statement
point of view
Looking at prior efforts on a problem can help you understand previous limitations and gain _____ that can be applied the next time around.
root causes
institutional knowledge
stakeholder consequences
schedule wins
institutional knowledge
Causality involves digging down to uncover root causes as well as considering the _____ of potential solutions.
scope
costs
causes
consequences
consequences
How would you run your business with 50% less employees? This question is most relevant when analyzing your _____.
cost blow-up
business model blow-up
antonioni blow-up
revenue blow-up
cost blow-up
Viewing a problem "through a different lens" is least likely accomplished by looking at the problem:
- from a different point of view.
- assuming different circumstances.
- in a different context.
- with different objectives.
with different objectives
Metaphorically, the process of asking "why" five times is like what?
zesting an orange to produce a new spice
cooking a broth to blend the flavors
peeling an onion to the core
dicing a large cauliflower into smaller florets
peeling an onion to the core
When we first encounter a problem, we are mostly likely to observe its:
- causes.
- resolution.
- initial occurrence
- symptoms.
symptoms
A decision to radically alter a business' salary structure is most likely an example of a:
- revenue blow-up.
- business model blow-up.
- cost blow-up.
cost blow up
The "5 whys" is most likely a tool designed to help determine a problem's:
- success criteria
- root causes
- consequences
- symptoms
root causes
The "7 so whats" approach is most likely designed to help determine:
- the assumptions underlying a business' operational structure.
- the potential causes of an observed symptom.
- the chain of events leading from problem to solution.
- consequences of p
consequences of proposed solutions to a problem
The 80/20 rule-of-thumb most likely reminds us to solve problems that:
- have clearly defined causes.
- affect all stakeholders.
- have especially large impacts.
- are unlikely to have measurable consequences.
have especially large impacts
Which of the following is most likely a way to prioritize the use of resources in problem solving?
- Go back as far in time as possible.
- Performance analysis that ties directly back to the problem.
- Use the most sophisticated analytical tools that are
performance analysis that ties directly back to the problem
Which of the following is most likely a characteristic of high quality critical thinking?
- Focusing on existing -
performance indicators.
- Presenting results of all analytical tests that are run.
- Focusing on root causes not symptoms.
- Proposing a sol
focusing on root causes not symptoms
Which of the following is least likely a column on a balanced scorecard?
- Goods and Services
- Owners
- Customers
- Skills and Capabilities
goods and services
Which of the following is least likely found in each row of a balanced scorecard?
Initiatives
Targets
Metrics
Results
results
Which of the following is least likely a characteristic of a KPI?
It measures performance
It is quantifiable
It is related to strategic goals
It is a leading indicator
it is a leading indicator
Which of the following is most likely a lagging indicator?
Order fulfillment speed
Manufacturing delays
Customer satisfaction
Online catalog ease of use
customer satisfaction
An indicator tells you that 62% of a new inventory system's development is completed. This is most likely an example of an indicator that is:
a raw number
progress related
directional
progress related
Suppose we are using a KPI the is continuously updated. A question we must most likely ask is:
- How often should we look at it?
- How cheap is it to collect?
- Does its availability meet our tracking needs?
how often should we look at it?
(a) Which is developed first, a scorecard or a dashboard? (b) And which is a graphical presentation, a scorecard or a dashboard?
(a) dashboard (b) dashboard
(a) scorecard (b) dashboard
(a) scorecard (b) scorecard
(a) dashboard (a) scorecard
(a) scorecard (b) dashboard
Which of these is least likely a characteristic of a good KPI?
able to update regularly
represents financial data
aligned with a strategic goal
easy to interpret
represents financial data
Which of the following is least likely a problem with an organization's KPIs?
Copied from other companies
There are too few
They are descriptive
They are not made known to employees
there are too few
Which of the following most likely describes an appropriate use of a balanced scorecard?
Identify the causes for any gap between targets and actual values for each indicator
Determining the causes for delays between leading and lagging indicators
Work bac
Determining the causes for delays between leading and lagging indicators
Consider the following use of a function in Excel: =countif(A3:A12,4). The arguments are:
countif
A3:A12
4
=
A3:A12
Consider the following Excel equation: =sum($B6:$B9). If this equation is copied to a cell three cells to the right and two cells down, the result will be:
=sum($E6:$E9)
=sum($B6:$B9)
=sum($B8:$B11)
=sum($E8:$E11)
0
Grades on an exam are best categorized as an example of:
ratio scale data
ordinal data
interval scale data
nominal data
ratio scale data
We develop an experiment in which we measure how quickly a pot of water boils based on the heat setting on the stove and the amount of salt we add to the pot. In this experiment:
time to boil is a dependent variable and the amount of salt is an independen
time to boil is a dependent variable and the amount of salt is an independent variable.
An associated independent and dependent variable are most commonly graphed as a:
scatter plot with the dependent variable on the y-axis and the independent variable on the x-axis.
line graph with both variables on the y-axis and time on the x-axis.
two pi
scatter plot with the dependent variable on the y-axis and the independent variable on the x-axis.
Which of the following is most likely a benefit of defining a table and using it in an equation or function?
Table references are shorter than cell references.
Many Excel functions can only accept tables as their arguments.
Excel will automatically determ
If entries are added to the table in the future they are automatically included in the equation or function.
An ice cream shop keeps a record of every time a customer asks for a flavor it doesn't carry. These records are recorded in a spreadsheet. In order to determine the most popular "missing" flavor, the first step would be to use:
the rank() function.
the co
an advanced filter.
The fishbone diagram is also known as the:
martingale diagram.
cause-and-effect diagram.
6-sigma matrix.
decision tree.
cause-and-effect diagram.
In a fishbone diagram, the head contains the:
root cause.
solution.
primary stakeholder.
effect.
effect
Which of the following is not among the "6 M's" that are sometimes used in a fishbone diagram?
materials
methods
money
measurements
money
Which of the following is not among the "6 P's" that are sometimes used in a fishbone diagram?
program
politics
product
process
politics
Which of the following is true about the "5 whys" approach?
You begin with the observed effect or symptom and ask why it occurred.
The goal is to determine all possible causes of a problem.
There are 5 questions to ask, each of which begins with "why".
You begin with the observed effect or symptom and ask why it occurred.
A thought map differs from the "5 whys" approach in that is:
may identify multiple root causes, not a single one.
examines multiple problems simultaneously, not a single one.
is designed to be used by a team to analyze problems, rather than an individual.
may identify multiple root causes, not a single one.
Which of the following is least likely a benefit of using the "5 whys" approach?
Prevents treating symptoms rather than problems.
It's easy to teach.
It's unbiased.
It's unbiased.
Which of these is most likely a problem associated with the "5 whys" approach?
It relies on personal experience.
It is an introductory method of problem solving.
It's data driven.
It relies on personal experience.