Approaches to Solving Problems

In addition to identifying the characteristics displayed by incident managers when working to restore service from unplanned IT outages, this research also identified the approach to solving problems that each respondent to the KOZADAR Questionnaire preferred to use.

The second question raised at the beginning of this research was ―What are the different problem-solving approaches used by incident managers when they work to restore service that has been lost due to an unplanned outage?‖ The literature leans heavily on problem-focused problem solving and includes the work of Coppola (1997), Rooney, Kubiak, Westcott, Reid, Wagoner, Pylipowe, et al. (2009), Kepner and Tregoe (1965, 1997), and Marquis (2006). In each review of problem-focused problem solving, authors propose that understanding and eliminating the root cause of a problem will solve the problem. This research confirms their work; however, and more importantly, this research found that the elimination of the root cause of a problem is not necessary to obtain a solution to a given problem. Importantly, it is not necessary to find the root cause of a problem that caused an unplanned IT outage when finding a solution to that problem can restore service more expeditiously than finding out why the problem occurred. This research supports Visser‘s (2009) view that the impact of a problem can be lessened by taking action to provide a solution rather than focus on a given problem. Problem-focused problem solving is not required by incident managers; solution-focused problem solving, alternately, is found in this research to be valuable to incident managers and, in concert with the display of being authoritative, contributes to lower MTRS values being attained.

With a nearly 50-year head start held by those who proselytise problem-focused problem solving, solution-focused problem solving literature is less bulky, but no less important.

Based on the psychological therapy introduced in the late 20^th century, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, the introduction of solution-focused management and solution-focused problem solving led to the adoption of its structure in business (McKergow & Clarke, 2007).

Solution Focused Brief Therapy proposed that the problems trying to be solved were often perpetuated when time was taken to understand their origins. Moreover, problems, and their impacts, were lessened when actions were taken to find solutions to the problems. Rather than focusing on the problem to remove it, solution-focused practitioners focus on solutions to remove the impact of the problem. Furthermore, it includes the giving of verbal rewards— compliments—to reinforce thought processes and actions that result in a desired state (Bannink, 2007). This research confirms Bannink‘s work, as well as that of other solution-focused practitioners and promoters (Jackson & McKergow, 2007; McKergow & Clarke, 2007) by confirming that the use of a solution-focused approach to solving problems, when used by incident managers, can reduce the time taken to restore service from an unplanned outage.

This research has expanded the literature to include the application of solution-focused problem solving by incident managers, operating in high stress environments and working to restore service from unplanned IT outages. Cepeda and Davenport (2006) align person-centred therapy with its focus on now, and Solution Focused Brief Therapy with its focus on future, as two therapeutic techniques that raise awareness of the ability, skills, and resources available to the individual experiencing a problem. Use of a solution-focused approach builds on the resources of the individuals needing help to obtain a state they desire. In the case of incident managers, that desired state is the restoration of service. It is uniquely suited to facilitating positive outcomes (Froerer, Smock, & Seedall, 2009). As well, this research contributes to the literature through the development of a new and validated incident management questionnaire that identifies the characteristics displayed by incident managers and also identifies the preferred approach to problem-solving that incident managers use. The questionnaire allows respondents to be assessed relative to the problem-solving approaches they use to restore service, moderating the characteristics they display to attain an MTRS value. When a solution-focused approach to solving problems moderates the display of being authoritative, MTRS is reduced.

The goal of incident managers is to restore service lost when unplanned outages occur.

It is uniquely aligned with the goals of solution-focused problem solving, in that attention is focused on the restoration of service, not the cause of the loss of service. Though ITIL, the

de facto standard in IT Service Management, promotes the use of Kepner-Tregoe problem solving for problem managers, it offers no preference for how the work done by incident managers is to be performed. This research has confirmed that the use of a solution-focused approach to problem solving by incident managers could minimise the duration of time unplanned outages endure. This finding is not only statistically significant, but can be used as a guide and a goal for organisations wanting to take action to minimise the MTRS values attained by those currently providing service in IT incident management.

The research presented here identifies the benefits of the use of a solution-focused approach to solving problems when time is of the essence to obtain a viable and effective solution and costs are being experienced that cannot be recovered and may, in fact, need to be defended. Whether that defence is presented to senior managers in a corporation or to an interested media pool, the costs experienced by the unplanned outage can be minimised, and possibly avoided, by minimising the MTRS values attained. When service has been restored to an acceptable operating level, IT applications and associated data are available for use.

The identification of characteristics displayed by incident managers and their preferred approach to problem solving, both identified through the use of the KOZADAR Questionnaire, affords organisations an opportunity to identify the performance of their current incident managers and take actions to improve their performance. The displayed characteristics of Being Decisive, Being Facilitative, Being Authoritative, and Being Communicative, each in combination with a solution-focused approach to problem solving was found to be statistically significant in attaining a lower MTRS than attained with other combinations of characteristics displayed and problem-solving approach used. Additionally, the display of Being Pragmatic was found to be significant when a problem-focused approach to problem solving was used. The contribution of this research establishes the literature for the display of specific characteristics by incident managers and the impact of their use of problem-solving approaches on the minimisation of MTRS values. This study clearly identifies the strength of relationship of the use of a solution-focused problem solving approach with the display of being decisive, being facilitative, being authoritative, and being communicative. It also clearly identifies the strength of the relationship of the use of a problem-focused problem solving approach and the display of being pragmatic.

There is nothing in this research to suggest that there is no need for a problem-focused approach to solving problems. Though not referred to as a solution-focused approach when it was used, NASA‘s focus on the return to earth of its stranded astronauts on the Apollo XIII mission was an explicit use of a solution-focused problem solving approach to solving its

problem. Subsequent to the astronauts‘ return to earth, NASA did use a problem-focused problem solving approach to identify the root cause of the famous explosion onboard the spaceship. Though Kepner and Tregoe (1997) refer to the use of an abbreviated use of problem analysis, in fact, NASA engineers did not focus, during the time its crew was wayward in space, on anything other than the safe return to earth of the crew of Apollo XIII.

To achieve this, they needed a solution-focused approach and, as this research confirms, the ability to moderate an output is optimised by the use of a solution-focused approach to solving problems. It is in the same manner that incident managers use a solution-focused approach when displaying the characteristic of being authoritative that allows them the ability to expedite the return to service a system failure that results in an unplanned IT outage.