The Importance of Problem-Solving Skills in the Workplace

Problem-solving skills will help you pinpoint problems in your workplace and effectively solve them in a timely fashion. It is among the most important skills ... 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TableofContentsIsProblemSolvingaSkill?WhatAreProblem-SolvingSkills?HowtoImproveProblemSolvingSkills1.Focusonthesolution 2.Clearlydefinetheproblem3.Makethingssimpler4.Brainstormasmanysolutionsaspossible5.Changeyourwayofthinking6.UsepositivelanguageHowtoListProblemSolvingSkillsonYourResume1.Analyticalskills2.Evaluationskills3.Communicationskills4.Decision-making5.CreativityAreyouaproblemsolver?IsProblemSolvingaSkill?Mostpeopledon’tunderstandhowproblem-solvingworks.Weoftenwonder-is problemsolving a skill?Well,theanswerisyes,anditstartsbyidentifyinganunderlyingissue-ateamleadermayneedtoimproveateammember’sperformance.Todothis,theteamleaderwillreviewtheemployee’sworklookingforareasthatrequireimprovement.Theteamleadermightfindoutthattheemployeehasanissueexecutingaspecifictask,suchasreporting.Tosolvethisproblem,theteamleadercanworkdirectlywiththisemployeeandtakethemthroughthereportingprocessuntiltheyunderstandandareabletodoitalone.Thisisanexampleofhowanemployeecanuseproblem-solvingskillstoeffectivelycurbaworkplaceproblem.Theteamleaderisvaluabletothecompanyforcomingupwithbusinessproblem-solvingtechniqueswhenfacedwithworkplacechallengesWhatAreProblem-SolvingSkills?Problem-solvingskillswillhelpyoupinpointproblemsinyourworkplaceandeffectivelysolvetheminatimelyfashion.Itisamongthemostimportantskillsemployersarelookingforinapplicantstoday.Individualswithproblem-solvingskillsareoftenself-reliantandwillidentifyanunderlyingworkplaceissueandimplementaneffectivesolution.Problem-solvingisoftenconsideredapersonalstrength(softskill)ratherthanahardskillthatcanbeacquiredthroughtrainingandeducation.Youcansharpenyourproblem-solvingskillsbyfamiliarizingyourselfwithcommonproblemsinyourindustryandlearningfromothermoreexperiencedemployeesinyourcompany.HowtoImproveProblemSolvingSkillsMostpeopledon’tthinkofthemselvesasproblemsolvers.Butinreality,wearealwayssolvingproblemsinbothourprofessionalandpersonallives.Thebetteryourproblemsolvingskillsare,theeasieryourlifewillbe.Youdon’thavetobeageniustobeaproblemsolver-allyouneedissomepractice.Mostpeopledon’tknowhowtoimproveproblemsolvingskills.Belowarewaystoenhanceyourproblemsolvingskills?1.Focusonthesolution Researchershaveproventhatthebraincan’tcomeupwithasolutionifitisfocusedontheproblem.Whenyoupayattentiontotheproblem,youwillbefeedingnegativitytoyourbrain,whichresultsinnegativeemotionsinthebrain.Thesenegativeemotionsblockyourpotentialtocomeupwithaneffectivesolution.Don’tignoretheproblem,acknowledgethattheproblemhasoccurred,remaincalm,andfocusonhowtosolveit.2.ClearlydefinetheproblemAdaptingwaystoclearlydefinetheproblemyouarefacingwillhelpyougettoitsroot.Repeatedlyaskyourselfwhytheproblemoccurredtodigintoitsrootcause.Thisishowyouwillformulateasolutiontoconfronttherootcauseoftheproblem.Tryaskingyourselfwhyafewtimesuntilyoucomeupwithalegitimatereason.Ifyouarealwayslatetowork,findoutwhichpartofyourmorningroutinecausesyoutobelate.Itcouldbethatyouwakeuplate,oryoutaketoomuchtimefeedingthedog.Tacklethisproblemfromtherootandsetyouralarm30minutesearlier.3.MakethingssimplerThehumanbraintendstomakethingsmorecomplicatedthantheyshouldbe.Simplifytheproblembygeneralizingit.Takeeverydetailapartandgobacktothebasics.Lookforobviousandeasysolutions-youmightsurpriseyourself.4.BrainstormasmanysolutionsaspossibleOncefacedwithaproblem,listdownallthepossiblesolutions-eventhosethatseemridiculous.It’sessentialtokeepanopenmindtoenhance creativethinking.Thiscantriggeryourbraintocomeupwithotherpossiblesolutions.Donotridiculeyourselfforcomingupwithsolutionsyoumayconsidertobestupid.Crazyideasoftentriggerthebraintocomeupwithmoreviablesolutions.5.ChangeyourwayofthinkingChangeyourapproachtotheproblemandlookatthingswithnewandfresheyes.Flipyourobjectiveandlookforapolaroppositesolution.Evenifyoufeelit’ssilly,auniqueandfreshapproachtoaproblemoftenstimulatesnewsolutions.6.UsepositivelanguageWhenthinkingoftheproblem,usewordsthatcreateapossibilityofasolution.Phrasessuchas“imagineif…”and“whatif…”oftenopenourbrainstopossiblesolutionsandcreativethinking.Don’tusenegativelanguageduringthisprocess.HowtoListProblemSolvingSkillsonYourResumeNomatterwhatindustryyouworkin,employersalwaysvalueemployeeswithproblemsolvingskills.Itwillsetyouapartfromothercandidatesapplyingforthesamejobifyoushowoffyourproblem-solvingskillsinyourresume.Byincludingtheminyourresume,youwillbearticulatingthepotentialvalueyoubringtothetable.Theseareskillsyoucanlistinyourresumetoshowcaseyourproblem-solvingskills:1.AnalyticalskillsIdentifyingtheissuesyouaredealingwithisthefirststeptosolvinganyproblem.Thisiskeybecauseifyoudon’tcorrectlyidentifytheproblem,itwillbechallengingtodevelopaneffectivesolution.Afteridentifyingtheproblem,youwillneedtoanalyzeit.Thisinvolvesusingyouranalyticalskillstounderstandwhytheproblemoccurredanddeterminethecourseofactionyouwilltaketosolvetheproblem.2.EvaluationskillsWhenformulatingasolutiontoyourproblem,youwilldevelopafewpotentialcoursesofaction.Thisisbecausemostproblemswefacedonothavejustoneobviousandsimplesolution-therewillalwaysbeafewdifferentwaystoaddressthem.Beingagoodproblemsolvermeansyoucanevaluatetheweaknessesandstrengthsofusingparticularsolutionstotheproblem.Youhavetoevaluateifthesolutionyouhaveinmindcanbequicklyimplementedandeffectivelyaddressedinatimelymanner.3.CommunicationskillsMostproblemsfacedattheworkplacewillrequirealotofinputfromyourcolleagues.Beinginaworkplaceenvironmentmeansworkingasateam.Ifaproblemarises,youwillneedtocommunicatewithotherteammembersandcomeupwithasolution.Ifthereisa communication problem,mostteammembersmaynotunderstandtheproblem,thusleadingtoconfusionandmakingitdifficulttoformulateandimplementasolution.4.Decision-makingFormulatingaplanonhowtosolveaproblemyouarefacingcanonlytakeyousofar.Youwillneedtoputyourfootdownanddecidehowtheproblemwillbesolved.Youshoulduseyourevaluationskillstodeterminethebestwaytosolvetheproblem.Youshouldbeabletoworkwithothersseamlessly,andtogether,youcanbetterunderstandtheproblemandcomeupwithallthepossiblesolutionstoaddressit.5.CreativityCreativity isamongtheExamplesofproblemsolvingskills.Problemsencounteredattheworkplacewillrequirecreativebusinessproblemsolvingtechniques.Manyproblemsfacedattheworkplaceoftenhavealimitationinwhichthesolutionmustfall.Asagoodproblemsolver,youwillbeabletothinkoutsidetheboxandarriveatthebestpossiblesolution.Thisinvolvesexploringnovelandnewapproachesandworkingwithotherstounderstandwhathasbeentriedbefore.Creativethinking, decisionmaking,evaluation,andanalyticalskillsareallExamplesofproblemsolvingskills.However,beforeaddingproblemsolvingasaskillinyourresume,youshouldunderstandifitisrelevanttothejobyouareapplyingto. Infieldssuchasaccounting,finance, customerservice,andprogrammingallrequireahighdegreeofbusinessproblemsolvingtechniquestohandleeverydayissues.Youcanlistproblemsolvinginyourresumeattheskillssection.Thisiswhereyououtlineallyoursoftandtechnicalskillsinanorderlymanner.Youcanalsolistproblemsolvingintheexperiencesection.However,youshouldnotpreciselylist“problemsolving”asanexperience;youshouldusetheabovefivediscussedskills.Areyouaproblemsolver?Ifyouaregoodattearingdownandanalyzingacomplicatedproblem,evaluatingpossiblesolutions,andimplementingthem,thenyouareaproblemsolver.Yourproblem-solvingskillswillbeavaluableadditiontoyourresume.Bylistingtheabovediscussedfiveskills,andyouwilldemonstratetopotentialemployersyourabilitytoeffectivelytackleproblemsthatmaycomeupinyourjob.Theseareamongtheskillsthatwillmakeapotentialemployerwanttohaveyouonboard.Whilemostpeopleunderstandthevaluesofproblem-solvingskills,theydon’tknowpreciselyhowtoimprovetheirskills.Byclearlydefiningtheproblem,focusingonthesolution,usingpositivelanguage,changingyourwayofthinking,and brainstorming possiblesolutionstotheissueathand,youcansharpenyourproblem-solvingskills.reportthisadeLearningDealsandDiscountsLearnJobSkills.comisreader-supported.Whenyoumakeapurchasethroughlinksonoursite,wemayearnanaffiliatecommission.reportthisadRecentPostsAreTradeJobsWorthItin(2021)|WhyaCareerintheSkilledTrades?WhatIsanActuaryandHowToBecomeOne?EmergencyMedicalTechnicians:WhatTheyDoAndHowToBecomeOne30BestJobsforHippiesWithFreeSpirits 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