Why are problem solving skills so vital?
I tell you a story: I was an intern and I had my first 1on1 meeting with my supervisor. I entered the room, sat down and started the conversation with: "I have a problem"...Basically I didn't know how to solve something, I went to him with a problem without offering any solutions. He looked and smiled at me saying "Serena, if you have a problem but don't have a solution, you're the problem." Boom! I must confess it was hard thing to swallow but I am now very thankful to this person. Everytime I don't know how to approach a situation (let's be honest here: we'll always be confronted with something new, something unknown), I come up with solutions to discuss about.
Companies trust their employees and rely on their capacity to identify and solve problems with creative solutions. Most of the work connected to problem solving lies in the identification of the issue beneath the surface of the problem.
There are ways to improve problem solving skills by cultivating complementary skills like creativity (think outside the box and come up with something new), team working (seek the advice of your peers, ask your colleagues to help you), decision making (you have to take decision and define what to do), emotional intelligence (don't underestimate the impact that your decision might have on other people), risk management (handle a problem might imply find a risky solution, assess the risk you might decide to take).
How to react next time you are facing a problem?
- Define the problem: name it, describe it.
- Come up with different solutions to solve it: write down the solutions (when you take a pen and some paper and you write down your bullet points, your brain will feel less heavy and emptier),
- Select your solutions.
- Implement the solution/s: congratulations, you can now relax and enjoy your moment of serenity!
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