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All About the 7-Step Military Problem Solving Process

Written by Everett Bledsoe / Fact checked by Brain Bartell

7 step military problem solving process

In addition to power and strength, the military relies on quick and decisive thinking. Members in service must be able to think on their feet and craft solutions in the blink of an eye. Obviously, this is not easy to do. But it is not too far-fetched when you realize that countless lives depend on a single personnel’s decision and course of action.

As such, every recruit coming into the military is taught and trained about the 7-step military problem solving process. This systematic approach is believed to be the best way for military members to address any problems that they encounter.

In short, the 7 steps to solve problems are:

  • Pinpoint the Problem
  • Identify the Facts and Assumptions
  • Craft Alternatives
  • Analyze the Generated Alternatives
  • Weigh Between the Generated Alternatives
  • Make and Carry Out Your Final Decision
  • Evaluate the Results From Your Decision

To make it easier for you to comprehend and follow along, we have elaborated on each of the above steps in this article. So, continue reading by scrolling down!

Table of Contents

Step 1: Pinpoint the Problem

Step 2: identify the facts and assumptions, step 3: craft alternatives, step 4: analyze the generated alternatives, step 5: weigh between the generated alternatives, step 6: make and carry out your final decision, step 7: evaluate the results from your decision, army problem solving & decision making process, seven step military problem solving process.

7-steps-to-problem-solving-army

The first step is to ID the problem, which means recognizing and identifying what needs fixing. Needless to say, you cannot attempt to seek a solution without first knowing what has to be addressed. By pinpointing your problem, you will have a clear goal or end destination in mind. Only then can you come up with the right steps to take.

To effectively define the problem, ask yourself the 5Ws—who, what, where, and when. In detail:

  • Who is affected? Who is involved?
  • What is affected? What is in the overall picture?
  • When is/did this happen?
  • Where is/did this happen?

Always be crystal clear about the problem and try to view it in the most objective way as much as possible. Imagine you are the third person looking at It rather than from it. It also helps to organize your answers into a coherent and concise problem statement.

The next step is to ID the facts and assumptions. This entails that you get whatever additional information you can in the time that you have. Try to garner more facts than assumptions by reviewing all the possible factors, internal and external, and use them together with what you have thought out in the step above to determine the cause of the problem. You should also be aware of the nature and scope of the problem from this step.

From here, you take a sub-step: think about what you want the final result to be. This does not have to be complicated but it has to be very clear. For instance, one of your troop members may be lost and uncontactable. Your ultimate goal is to find him/her and return to your base together. Remember, having a wishy-washy end state will only make your problem solving process more difficult.

These first two steps constitute situation assessment, which serves as the basis for you to work towards the remaining steps of the military problem solving process.

Onto the third step, strive to develop as many potential solutions as possible. Here, you will have to exercise your imagining and visualizing skills. Brainstorm and refine any ideas simultaneously. Engage both critical and critical thinking in this step. If possible, take note of what you have come up with. Do not be hesitant and brush off any ideas.

Then, analyze your options. Consider all of your possible courses of action with all the available information that you have compiled in the previous steps. Take into account your experiences, intuitions, and emotions. This does not have to be a purely rational or mathematical procedure. Nevertheless, this does not mean that you are 100% guided by your instincts and emotions. You must have a good balance between the two.

This step naturally lends itself to the next: compare between your generated alternatives. Weigh between their respective pros and cons. In particular, look at their cost and benefit of success. Are there any limiting factors or potential for unintended consequences? Evaluate carefully and ask yourself a lot of questions. You can also consider using a table, T-chart, or matrix to compare visually.

Try to settle for the “best” solution or course of action that is both logical and feels “right”. Apart from picking the best, select two or three more workable solutions as backups. Keep them handy in case you need to refer back to them. During this process, you may merge ideas and mix-match bits and pieces—that’s perfectly fine!

Once you have made your decision, craft your action plans. Know the details—what exactly do you have to do to solve the problem? If it is a long-term problem that you have to address, set milestones and timelines with clear methods of measuring progress and success. On the other hand, if it is a short, instantaneous problem, communicate your plans clearly to anyone else involved. Be aware of the specifics and be brutally honest. Execute your course of action with care. But do not be rigid. If something happens out of the plan, be willing to adjust and adapt.

After your solution implementation, wrap up by assessing the results. Was it what you envisioned? Were there deviations? What did you take away? Answer all of the questions so you can be even more equipped for future endeavors. Think of it as a reflection stage. The 7 steps to problem solving in the military are a continuous process—you will be confronted with challenges over and over, so do not skip this strengthening step. It will further your skills and expertise to handle problems going forward.

seven-step-military-problem-solving-process

Another set of seven steps that you may come across during your service is the army problem solving steps. Needless to say, this is applied to the army problem solving process.

  • Receiving the Mission
  • Analyzing the Mission
  • Developing the Course of Action
  • Analyzing the Course of Action
  • Comparing the Course of Action
  • Getting Approval for the Course of Action
  • Producing, Disseminating, and Transitioning Orders

This is a part of the MDMP, short for the military decision making process. In each step, there are inputs and outputs. In general, it is more specific than the above set of steps.

These seven steps focus on collaborative planning and performance. Plus, set the stage for interactions between different military agents, including commanders, staff, headquarters, etc.

COA is an abbreviation for a course of action. Thus, these steps are relatively similar to the steps that we have gone through earlier; specifically steps two: mission analysis, three: COA development, four: COA analysis, and five: COA comparison. Like the previous seven steps, these are carried out sequentially but can be revisited when needed.

The main difference is that these 7 steps to problem solving in the army are more explicitly directed to junior personnel. Hence, the mentioning of orders from higher-ranks, the significant role of commanders, and the need to earn approval before execution.

A mnemonic that service members use to remember this process is M.A.D.A.C.A.P. for:

  • A: Analysis

You might want to remember this for an exam at military school, at NCO, or soldier of the month board.

You can learn more about the MDMP here:

So, there you have it—the 7-step military problem solving process. You should now be aware of two different but equally important sets of steps to problem solving and decision making. If you have any follow-up questions or thoughts, let us know in the comments. We look forward to hearing from you!

Everett-Bledsoe

I am Everett Bledsoe, taking on the responsibility of content producer for The Soldiers Project. My purpose in this project is to give honest reviews on the gear utilized and tested over time. Of course, you cannot go wrong when checking out our package of information and guide, too, as they come from reliable sources and years of experience.

part time commander

The 7 Steps in Problem Solving

The MDMP (Military Decision Making Process) and TLPs (Troop Leading Procedures) are both based on the Army Problem Solving Process , which is described in FM 22-100.  In this article, we will explore the sequence of steps that will help any leader work through a problem.  Here are the 7 Steps in Problem Solving.

#1. ID the Problem: This involves recognizing what the root problem really is and defining that problem precisely.  It is often easy to be distracted by the symptoms of a problem but it is essential to determine the root cause.  You can define the problem by asking yourself these questions:

  • Who is affected?
  • What is affected?
  • When did it occur?
  • Where is the problem?
  • Why did it occur?

Also, consider the end state that you want.  How will things look when everything is done?

#2. ID Facts and Assumptions: Get whatever facts you can in the time you have.  Remember, facts are what you know about the situation.  Some good resources for facts are ARs, policies, and doctrine.  Assumptions are what you believe about the situation but do not have facts to support.  As a general rule, try to assume as little as possible.  Analyze the facts and assumptions you ID to determine the scope of the problem.

#3. Generate Alternatives: This is where you develop the ways to solve the problem.  Always try to develop more than one approach.  You can’t possibly ID the best solution without considering more than one alternative and these alternatives should have significant differences.  Sometimes, if time permits, include input from your peers and subordinates.  This brainstorming promotes a faster free flow of ideas and generally can avoid rejecting promising alternatives.

#4. Analyze the Alternatives:  Obvious, right?  However, many fail to ID the intended and unintended consequences, resources and other limitations and each alternative’s advantages and disadvantages.  Be sure to consider all your alternatives according to your screening and evaluation criteria (i.e. factors that a solution must have for you to consider it a feasible option).  If a COA fails to meet your screening criteria, reject it, regardless of its other advantages.

#5. Compare Alternatives: Evaluate each alternative’s cost and benefit of success.  Think past the immediate future.  How will this decision change things tomorrow?  Next week? Next year?  Compare your alternatives simultaneously if you can.  Try utilizing a table or matrix that will lay out each COA and how each compares to the evaluation criteria.

#6. Make and Execute Your Decision: To help you make a decision, it may be helpful to assign a numerical value to your criteria as a way of ranking them.  For most decisions, a quick review of the weighted criteria will be enough to reveal the best solution.  Make your decision, prepare a plan of action and put it into motion!

#7. Assess the Results: It isn’t over just because you made a decision.  After all, we all make mistakes.  You will need to monitor the execution of your plan and be prepared to change it as necessary.  This step can be made easier by establishing critical steps or milestones that must take place on time in order to guarantee success.  Follow up on results and make further adjustments as needed.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Think of a decision you have made recently.  Did you follow all these steps?  Would your decision have been different if you had?

Leave your comments below. If you have any questions, you can ask those here too.

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4 thoughts on “The 7 Steps in Problem Solving”

The 7 steps to solve problems are: pinpoint the problem, identify the eacts and assumptions, craft alternatives, analyze the generated alternatives, weigh between the generated alternatives, make and carry out your final decision, evaluate the results from your decision.

When problems arise it’s easy to panic and throw caution to the wind. An organized list like this can help you analyze the situation and make the best possible decisions. Keeping a rational mind is important and thinking of all the possible outcomes will help identify the risk vs. reward ratio.

This process makes solving problems so much simpler. I use the 7 Steps in Problem Solving in my business and civilian life too. It works great.

Thanks for the post.

This is a good summary about the problem solving process. One of the major issues I have observed with regard to leaders involved in the problem solving process is that leaders fail to understand or analyze the unintended consequences of their actions. Our military is currently experiencing a major downsizing. As a result Soldiers are being separated from service for issues that previously would have been seen as an honest mistake or as a learning experience for an immature Soldier. In paragraph one you state:

“How will things look when everything is done?” When Leaders ask themselves this question they must also understand that their actions or recommendations could result in the issue being removed from their level of responsibility. Let’s say a Soldier is consistently late to formation. In the past the leader may have recommended an Article 15 to get the Soldier’s attention. Previously a Soldier could survive an Article 15 and go on to have a successful and productive career.

Recommending an Article 15 in today’s environment is almost a guarantee the Soldier will be separated from service. Therefore it is incredibly important the leader understand the unintended consequences of their decisions. When they ask themselves “How will things look when everything is done?” If that visions includes the Soldier being retained in service they must seek other alternatives to correcting substandard performance such as: verbal counseling, written counseling, corrective training, revocation of privileges, local letters of reprimand, etc.

Fully understanding the consequences of your decisions and how they impact your subordinates ensures you are making a decision that is in the best interest of the Soldier and the Army. For more information on revocation of privileges read The Mentor- Everything you need to know about leadership and counseling. It is available at your local military clothing and sales store or online at GIpubs.com

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7-Step Military Problem Solving Process – A to Z Guide

problem solving model army

John Cotton

problem solving model army

FACT-CHECKED BY

Logan Miller

7 step military problem solving process

The 7 steps to problem solving is a decision-making strategy initially developed for the military. This army problem solving process is an effective way of resolving problems, especially in fast-paced environments or time-bound circumstances.

Later, this army problem solving model was adopted by those working in the business and management industry, who also found the strategy practical and valuable.

This article will teach you how to apply the 7-step military problem solving process to your daily life.

Table of Contents

  • Step 1: Identify the Problem

Step 2: Investigate, Gather Facts and Make Assumptions

Step 3: come up with alternative courses of action, step 4: lay down all your alternatives and perform an analysis, step 5: select the best alternative by comparing and contrasting, step 6: finalize your decision and execute, step 7: perform a results assessment, benefits of the 7-step military problem-solving process, is there any other military problem-solving process,  conclusion, a walk-through of the 7-step military problem solving process.

Decision-making in the military is vital because every small decision is crucial to the success of the mission, and in the bigger picture, national security.

Having established this significance, every recruit is taught this seven step decision making process because this knowledge is considered fundamental to becoming a ready member of the military.

S tep 1: Identify the Problem

army-problem-solving-process

The first step of this method involves pinpointing what needs to be resolved in the first place.

This is very important as the successful execution of this step will determine the quality of the solutions that will arise later in the process.

The worst thing that could happen is that you have gone through the whole process just to come up with a solution that doesn’t resolve the problem in the first place.

  • To avoid this, go back to the basics, by asking the 5 W questions: who, what, when, where, and why.

Once the problem statement is clear and specific, you can now proceed to the next step.

7-steps-to-problem-solving

This step involves further data gathering. You will be assessing the situation further, weighing in external and internal factors surrounding the situation.

By identifying facts and assumptions, you are already beginning to hypothesize possible causes of the problem. Different angles as to what could’ve brought the problem about will help have an all-encompassing assessment of the issue at hand.

steps-in-problem-solving-process

This step requires the construction of numerous solutions to the problem you investigated in the 2 previous steps.

Remember how you devised hypotheses about what caused the problem in step 2? Use these as the jump-off point of your proposed courses of action.

This step will require a lot of analysis and logical thinking to come up with all the best alternatives.

seven-step-decision-making-process

Continuing from the alternative courses of action that you came up with in step 3, it’s now time to weigh them in order to start identifying which solution is the best for the situation.

There are army problem solving evaluation criteria that aid in this analysis process. They are as follows:

  • Acceptability – Analyze the basic requirements to see what alternatives are acceptable to the situation.
  • Feasibility – Consider aspects such as time element and available resources.
  • Suitability – Consider the consequences that may arise as a result of your actions; consider the culture and circumstances of the people directly and indirectly involved.
  • Completeness – Consider how the alternative is complete and ready for implementation and execution.
  • Distinguishability – Assess if the options have distinct features that differ from other alternatives.

After having analyzed your options and looking into their strengths and weaknesses, it’s time to compare them in order to eliminate the non-ideal alternatives. This is linked to the previous step and may be considered partners in the general goal of selecting the best course of action.

In this step, ask yourself questions such as: which course of action promises the best turnout?

army-problem-solving-evaluation-criteria

The previous steps in problem solving process all led to this crucial portion – the final decision and the execution. Of course, all the data gathering and analysis will be wasted if the course of action is poorly executed.

Crafting the action plan is part of this step. An ideal action plan includes numerous backup plans for when the situation isn’t ideal for the execution of the original plan.

An effective line of communication is also important when the execution requires a team of people, so make sure to improve the coordination value within your team.

gather-facts-and-make-assumptions

This last step is important in improving future decision-making situations. During this step, you must discuss what went wrong, what went right, and points of improvement.

Expectedly bad decisions could’ve been made, or good decisions turned out to have unexpected and unintended consequences. To make the value of these events, perform a results assessment to generate a learning experience for you and your team.

Applying the aforementioned strategy to your daily life, whether you’re in the military or not, has proved to be an organized way of dealing with a problem. Because the 7-step process provides an organized framework for problem-solving, it helps reduce overwhelming feelings for the decision-maker.

Also, since the process is broken down into clear steps, the risk of committing mistakes, overlooking important factors, and missing to identify good alternatives is reduced.

Aside from the 7-step problem-solving technique, the military also has the military decision-making process, MDMP, and course of action, or COA method. The 7-step method, however, is the most well-known and widely practiced one.

The MDMP is almost similar in essence with the 7-step method. In fact, it also involves the following:

  • (1) receiving
  • (2) analyzing the mission
  • (3) drafting a course of action
  • (4) analyzing
  • (5) comparing the course of action
  • (6) having the chosen course of action reviewed
  • (7) dividing the tasks and ordering the team members as to their roles/tasks.

The COA covers similar steps as steps 2, 3, 4, and 5, of the MDMP. The main difference between MDMP and COA with the 7-step method is the great emphasis on the hierarchical line of command and the requirement of approvals before execution for MDMP and COA; the 7 steps technique is not very explicit in this aspect.

This knowledge on the 7 step military problem solving process, hopefully is useful to you for matters at work, and even for the decisions you make on a daily. Make sure that, even with the use of decision-making techniques like this, mistakes and errors can still arise along the way.

There are things beyond anticipation and control, after all. However, never waste this opportunity to learn and improve.

Feel free to return to this article for help, especially when you find yourself in a situation that requires quick decision-making.

John_Cotton

John Cotton is Safecallnow’s copywriter. He is an authority on research and reviews. He is responsible for locating information and guidance on riot and disturbance control equipment, training equipment, correctional products, watch house products, tactical equipment, government regulation information, and more. His work guarantees a high level of proficiency and authority.

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