A manager's intuition about his or her business helps in each step of the problem solving process. Sometimes, pure intuition about a situation or opportunity turns out to be key to the right decision being made. On the other hand, a manger's systematic addressing of problems is also important. Extremes in either approach is problematic. There are many versions of the approach.
Some approaches involve as many as ten or more steps.
I chose a narrow approach assuming that analysis of the environment in which the problem is being addressed is known from the planning function. Further, I assumed that the evaluation of the decision and acceptance of the responsibility for the decision come under the controlling function. I like limiting the number of steps as much as can be justified and keeping the statement of each step as simple as possible. However, I recognize that other Management Excel teachers of problem solving may be uncomfortable with as few as five steps or wording as simple as what I used. Each of us teaching problem solving needs to conceptualize this core function of management in a way that we are comfortable.