To label anything today as “old school” is to aim it directly into the  physical or virtual “circular file” for most folks under the age of receiving Social Security …but that almost automatic behavior begs the question “Why?”

Twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings and those who aim to be “forever young” embrace the new and,often,believe that anything created before Steve Jobs breathed life into the digital age is worth little …if anything to them.

How then, can the intellectual discipline of problem solving and decision making be made appealing to people raised in an environment that promised them solutions to every imaginable problem before the half hour sit com they were glued to ended?

After all, our company’s philosophy maintains that human intelligence is magnificent…and that technology can enhance it but never replace it.  Our corporate mission is to enhance natural cognitive ability by the systematic and deliberate use of proven process tools. In other words, TregoED encourages, celebrates and assists intelligent decision makers in the application of their own personal problem solving technology…independent thought!

At TregoEd, we not only present analytical tools that empower key vision makers and their colleagues to proceed through challenging situations with a protocol, but we also challenge people to learn and consider our new iteration of the familiar 3 R’s :

Reflect…..
Jumping to conclusions and acting upon assumptions is an almost guaranteed recipe for failure when one is attempting to unravel complicated situations.  Collaborative decision making and problem solving add a deliberate and designed reflective component into the mix for individuals who are caught in the throes of overwhelming situations. We know, from over a half century of experience, that time spent in “front loading” decision making yields better results…and we are able to assist people learning our tools with strategies designed to control the process so as to allow for collaboration and reflection.

Reclaim…
Feeling as if one is part of a decision making group amps up the willingness to not only seek a viable solution, but to implement it as well.  Disenfranchised employees (whether the feelings are legitimate or not) are, frequently, roadblocks to success when large change needs to be implemented within any organization.  At TregoEd, we know that bringing stakeholders to the table in meaningful and real ways is paramount for optimum results. By assisting our clients as they engage employees in the appraisal of conditions as well as the potential pathways to change, we believe that human beings feel respected and honored …and that translates into increasing the collective willingness to commit to positive change.

Re-purpose…
Learning to see the potential opportunity embedded in difficult situations is a skill that can be learned. One need not be born a perpetual optimist in order to begin to see that even the most dire situation has some kernel of opportunity within its broader scope. Likewise, understanding that the final success of a decision needs to be protected is a skill that we not only value, but know that our clients must integrate into their own problem solving and decision making habits. While acquiring these disparate skills is not especially difficult, learning how to see potential while simultaneously protecting choices already made are techniques that not everyone intuitively owns…but at TregoEd, we know how to share the knowledge!

So…thinking one’s way through a problem may lack the initial glamour of  Googling a solution…but relying on one’s own cognitive processes as well as the ancillary support of colleagues also trained in problem solving and decision making means that problems CAN be solved…even if the electricity goes out and the Internet connection is lost!

For more information on the 3 R’s for the 21st Century and how  can help your organization , please visit us at www.tregoed.org.