The IDEAL method designed by Bransford and Stein is a multistage method of problem-solving. According to this method, finding a proper solution to the problem must pass through five stages corresponding to each letter of the word IDEAL (Sippl, 2021). As Bransford and Stein (2002) stated, a letter I mean Identify the problem, D corresponds to Describe the outcome, E is for Explore possible strategies, A relates to Anticipate outcome, and L states Look and learn. Sippl (2021) mentioned that method is used to consider the problem without following a step-by-step path. For instance, Scenario III illustrates a case of the distribution of working ethics and the impact of romantic relationships on the company’s performance. This case will be discussed and analyzed based on the IDEAL problem-solving method.
To express the solution of the problem, first, it is vital to identify the problem. The problem that appeared in Scenario III is that Donna Blakeney’s romantic relationships with James Alvarado manipulated her professional decisions. To be exact, James’s vendor company was interested in signing a contract with Donna, who is an Executive Director of the software development team. Defining outcomes, we can see that James’s company obtained the contract despite another vendor being more profitable for Donna’s company. Then, applying to the third step, we should express possible strategies (Sippl, 2021). In my opinion, it would be helpful to revise the contract terms and conditions to find a possibility to break it. In case this does not work, it is possible to introduce additional requirements that benefit the company. Otherwise, it is possible to reveal James’s professional motives in their romantic relationship with Donna and sue the case of fraud and manipulation. Turning to the fourth step, it is crucial to choose the best option (Sippl, 2021). The option with the court seems possible; however, it requires financial and moral expenses. Moreover, the process could take a long time, and sometimes creating a new contract with another vendor company is not possible until the previous one is broken. In this case, the most suitable strategy is to combine revision with new requirements. After the careful modification of the terms and conditions, the additional requirement could be added to the contract. The last step is to conclude what is learned and observed from the case. This case shows how the personal relationships of workers negatively affect a company’s performance and communications. Donna Blakeny is responsible for this case because she let personal preferences outweigh logic.
Talking about Donna Blakeny and James Alvarado’s situation, their behavior is unethical and unprofessional. When both left the off-site meeting to spend a night together, they disrespected their colleagues (Scenario III, n.d). In my vision, they could choose another time outside of working hours and responsibilities to date. Furthermore, Donna Blakeny showed her unprofessionalism connecting her personal life with work. It is not directly stated in the example; however, based on Debbie Jones’s observations, we could say that James has impacted this process. According to the logic, signing a contract with another vendor company was more profitable and beneficial, but James’s company got the contract (Scenario III, n.d). It does not matter it was manipulation from James or Donna’s sympathy; the outcome is that Donna damaged her company by these actions.
To conclude, the IDEAL method was used to evaluate this situation. The analysis revealed that a possible solution is to review terms and conditions with James’s vendor company and add new requirements. This example showed how romantic relationships could influence professional aspects—the actions committed by Donna and James both unethical and unprofessional.
References
Bransford, J. D., & Stein, B. S. (2002). The ideal problem solver: a guide for improving thinking, learning, and creativity. Freeman.
Scenario III-Donna Blakeny, Debbie Jones, and James Alvarado. (n.d.) Problem Solving Scenarios.
Sippl, A. (2021). Teaching the IDEAL problem-solving method to diverse learners. Web.