fundamental causes of the problem

Step 1
Choose one of the problems. Use your brainstorming notes and the investigative report for the recommendations you listed to solve that problem. Brainstorm further about the reasons for and causes of that one problem by delving even further into the “whys” of that problem. As you did previously, list several questions and review the answers you’ve discovered.
Explore those answers in greater depth to determine the fundamental causes of the problem. (Think of the problem as a set of symptoms of an illness that you need to treat. What disease is causing the symptoms? What areas of the body are affected by the disease?)
Step 2
Freewrite further on each recommendation you made in your investigative report for resolving this problem. Ask yourself questions about what must change, what you must make happen with the employees and departments at Roanoke to solve the problem so it won’t reoccur. Remember that your primary goal for the proposal is to revitalize the employees and departments in order to restore the Roanoke branch to full productivity. Use as a starting point any of the following that apply to the problem you’ve chosen:
What can the executive team do to reverse the downward spiral of employee morale and increased workload requiring overtime?
How can the executive team help the Roanoke branch retain its current clients and gain new ones?
Is training needed for employees and/or managers? If so, what types of training are required? How can the executive team accomplish training over time to minimize impact on business?
What can be done to streamline or reorganize the office procedures or to incorporate new technology to improve productivity? What training/support will then be needed to enable the office employees to embrace the changes and succeed?
Make sure you’ve done enough exploring in Step 1 to guide your creative efforts toward the changes you’ll make in Step 2. You want to ensure permanent change, so you must understand the exact nature of the causes in order to develop a detailed, logical solution.
Step 3
Wait a day or two before you review your prewriting, so you can return with fresh eyes to the project. Mark the information you’ll use in your proposal and freewrite as needed to develop your ideas on resolving the situation and accomplishing your goal. Break the overall plan into individual parts or actions so you can develop each step in the process separately, organizing a logical flow for each phase from beginning to end.
How much time is needed to accomplish each component or stage of your plan?
Are there steps that must be completed before another phase can begin?
How long will it take to complete each step?
How will it impact the daily operations of the branch and headquarters?
Step 4
Now review the people at Roanoke and across Phoenix Advertising who you’ll need to accomplish each part of your plan. Your proposal must use people from within the company—don’t hire outside personnel. Create names and job titles as well as qualifications to fit your plan. Review your list of steps and for ask yourself:
Who at Phoenix Advertising and/or the Roanoke branch has the experience, training, and qualifications to achieve this stage of my plan? What proves he or she is the one for the particular phase?
What exactly do I want that person to do to accomplish this step? When? How?
Who oversees the implementation of each phase?
What progress reports must be provided to the executive team and when?
What’s my part in the proposed plan of action?