Summary

Apollo Root Cause Analysis is about effective problem solving. It is truly a new way of thinking that will ensure you find effective solutions to almost any kind of problem. You will discover new communications tools that are revolutionizing the way people all around the world think, communicate, and make decisions together. This is a life-changing book that will enable you and your organization to effectively communicate and solve problems without the usual conflicts. Apollo Root Cause Analysis is a simple structured process that creates a visual dialog in the form of a RealityChart such that everyone can see and understand the causes of the problem. With these clearly defined causal relationships, stakeholders help create solutions that will clearly prevent recurrence, are within their control, and accomplish their goals and objectives. This is a unique event-based problem solving method utilized by many Fortune 500 companies, NASA, and the FAA. There is no other problem solving process like this.

In this book you will learn more about the cause and effect principle than has ever been documented before. You will also learn why 70% to 80% of the general population are ineffective problem solvers and why conventional problem solving methods don't work.

The number one skill every employer wants in an employee is good problem solving skills, yet problem solving is not taught in school. Apollo Root Cause Analysis and its supporting software, RealityChartingTM makes everyone a skilled problem solver.

About the Author

Dean L. Gano is a student of the human condition and in particular human problem solving. He has spent 33 years working in various process industries, electric generating plants and computer software development. He has performed hundreds of incident investigations and his unique brand of problem solving has been taught in seven languages to over 50,000 people throughout the world. Mr. Gano holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering and General Science, is a formerly certified nuclear reactor operator, and a Vietnam veteran. He is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers and the American Society for Quality. He is a philosopher who finds great happiness in learning and helping others become more successful in their life pursuits.

Reviews

This book provides a new way of thinking that will ensure you find an effective solution to almost any kind of problem. A great emphasis is placed on communication without conflict. It creates a common reality that everyone can see and understand. With this common reality, communications become crystal clear for everyone involved. Everyone can see how the solutions will prevent recurrence, are within their control, and will accomplish their goals and objectives.

You will learn why 70% to 80% of the general population are ineffective problem solvers and why conventional problem solving methods don't work. You will also learn the secrets of highly effective problem solvers. The book is well structured with easy to understand diagrams and illustrations. A useful glossary at the back ensures you don't get lost in jargon.

If you want some simple structured methods to find solutions to problems and are prepared to leave your paradigms at the door then this is the book for you.
- Simon Shaw, Training Manager, Nestle UK Ltd.

Dean Gano presents the most comprehensive philosophy towards problem solving that I have ever encountered. He sheds the first light on classic problem solving snafus such as story-telling, our failure to identify conditional causes, and why categorization schemes will always lead us away from creative solutions. Gano has identified the common thread that is inherent in all problems (the principle of cause and effect) and provides the reader with a comprehensive tool that allows effective solutions to be created for any problem, from minor incident to catastrophic failure. This is a great book for anyone who is serious about preventing recurrence and jumpstarting process improvement. A word of warning...organizations and individuals that rely on old-school office politics and strong-arm tactics as problem solving strategies beware! Gano is the first to install power into the concept of empowerment.
- Brian Hughes (Houston, TX USA)