Things you don't learn in school - What is problem solving?

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Problem solving is the basic skill to come up with a suitable solution to a specific problem. In other words, if you have a problem and you have solved it by substituting the issue with something else, then you have solved the problem.

If you are able to develop good and solid problem solving skills then you are definitely manager material.  A manager is someone that are constantly finding solutions to other people’s problems, as well as finding solutions to complicated working conditions. Being a confident problems solver in the workplace is extremely advantageous, because you are able to come up with quick and effective solutions.

 

1. Identify the problem.

2. Evaluate the problem. 

3. Find a possible solution to the problem.

4. Implement the solution.

Identifying the problem

If you own a business you want everything to run smoothly.  You don’t want things to go wrong because it can cause you to lose money.  

If you notice anything out of the order and things are not going the way it’s supposed to, you need to find out why. Do a proper investigation to find out what changed, especially if everything was functioning well before.  There might be many different factors that cause the work not to be up to standard.  

It is your job to identify the problem and to find out what went wrong.  If you can pinpoint certain things that caused this issue, try and solve the situation by talking to the people in charge of the project.  They might be able to shed some more light on why things went wrong. 

Once you have identified the problem, you need to go over to step 2. 

Evaluate the problem

The problem has been identified and you now have to find possible solutions.  Find out what changed from before up to now. There are many factors that could play a role here. A staff member might not be doing their job correctly or someone might have a personal problem.  It might also be that the staff members are skipping vital steps in the operation which they see as unnecessary.  

Call a staff meeting and listen to what your staff members have to say.  They might be able to shed some more light on the issue as they work with these issues on a daily basis. 

Once the problem has been identified, then the issue needs to be resolved.  It is now time to go to step 3. 

Find a possible solution to the problem

Use your skills to find the best solution to the problem that would benefit the staff members as well as yourself.  It is important to take the staff into consideration as they are the ones working with the real issues.  Make sure to have a backup plan should the first option not work. 

Implement the solution

Once you have found a possible solution, put the plan into action.  Make sure that you keep track of what is going on and check-up often.  Keep track of any changes and keep your thumb on the whole situation.  Once you are satisfied that the changes are making a difference, then you can step away, but still follow up regularly and be hands on.  If the first plan did not work, implement plan B and do the same.  You will find out soon enough what works and what doesn’t. 

In the end it is a matter of trial and error.  You will make mistakes but if you keep track of everything that goes on in your business, then the case is halfway won.