Problem Solving Skills: What Are They? - The Balance Careers

Problem-solving starts with identifying the issue. For example, a teacher might need to figure out how to improve student performance on a ... LinkedInwithBackground Skills&Keywords CollegeGradSkills WhatAreProblem-SolvingSkills? Definition&ExamplesofProblem-SolvingSkills ••• skynesher/GettyImages By AlisonDoyle FullBio LinkedIn Twitter AlisonDoyleisoneofthenation’sforemostcareerexpertsandhascounseledbothstudentsandcorporationsonhiringpractices.ShehasgivenhundredsofinterviewsonthetopicforoutletsincludingTheNewYorkTimes,BBCNews,andLinkedIn.AlisonfoundedCareerToolBelt.comandhasbeenanexpertinthefieldformorethan20years. Learnaboutour editorialpolicies UpdatedonOctober21,2020 Problem-solvingskillshelpyoudeterminewhyanissueishappeningandhowtoresolvethatissue. Learnmoreaboutproblem-solvingskillsandhowtheywork. WhatAreProblem-SolvingSkills? Problem-solvingskillshelpyousolveissuesquicklyandeffectively.It'soneofthe keyskillsthatemployers seekinjobapplicants,asemployeeswiththeseskillstendtobeself-reliant.Problem-solvingskillsrequirequicklyidentifyingtheunderlyingissueandimplementingasolution. Problem-solvingisconsidereda softskill (apersonalstrength)ratherthanahardskillthat'slearnedthrougheducationortraining.Youcanimproveyourproblem-solvingskillsbyfamiliarizingyourselfwithcommonissuesinyourindustryandlearningfrommoreexperiencedemployees. HowProblem-SolvingSkillsWork Problem-solvingstartswithidentifyingtheissue.Forexample,ateachermightneedtofigureouthowtoimprovestudentperformanceonawritingproficiencytest.Todothat,theteacherwillreviewthewritingtestslookingforareasofimprovement.Theymightseethatstudentscanconstructsimplesentences,butthey'restrugglingwithwritingparagraphsandorganizingthoseparagraphsintoanessay. Tosolvetheproblem,theteacherwouldworkwithstudentsonhowandwhentowritecompoundsentences,howtowriteparagraphs,andwaystoorganizeanessay. TheresaChiechi/TheBalance Therearefivestepstypicallyusedinproblem-solving. 1.AnalyzeContributingFactors To solve aproblem,youmustfindoutwhatcausedit.Thisrequiresyoutogatherandevaluatedata,isolatepossiblecontributingcircumstances,andpinpointwhatneedstobeaddressedforaresolution. Todothis,you'lluseskillslike: DatagatheringDataanalysisFact-findingHistoricalanalysis 2.GenerateInterventions Onceyou’vedeterminedthecause,brainstormpossiblesolutions.Sometimesthisinvolvesteamworksincetwo(ormore)mindsareoftenbetterthanone.Asinglestrategyisrarelytheobviousroutetosolvingacomplexproblem;devisingasetofalternativeshelpsyoucoveryourbasesandreducesyourriskofexposureshouldthefirststrategyyouimplementfail. Thisinvolvesskillslike: BrainstormingCreativethinkingPredictionForecastingProjectdesignProjectplanning 3.EvaluateSolutions Dependingonthenatureoftheproblemandyourchainofcommand,evaluating bestsolutionsmaybeperformedbyassignedteams,teamleads,orforwardedtocorporatedecision-makers.Whoevermakesthedecisionmustevaluatepotentialcosts,requiredresources,andpossiblebarrierstosuccessfulsolutionimplementation. Thisrequiresseveralskills,including: AnalysisDiscussionCorroborationTeamworkTestdevelopmentMediationPrioritizing 4.ImplementaPlan Onceacourseofactionhasbeendecided,itmustbeimplementedalongwithbenchmarksthatcanquicklyandaccuratelydeterminewhetherit’sworking.Planimplementationalsoinvolveslettingpersonnelknowaboutchangesinstandardoperatingprocedures. Thisrequiresskillslike: Projectmanagement Projectimplementation Collaboration Timemanagement Benchmarkdevelopment 5.AssesstheSolution'sEffectiveness Onceasolutionisimplemented,thebestproblem-solvershavesystemsinplacetoevaluateifandhowquicklyit'sworking.Thisway,theyknowassoonaspossiblewhethertheissuehasbeenresolvedorwhetherthey’llhavetochangetheirresponsetotheproblemmid-stream. Thisrequires: CommunicationDataanalysisSurveysCustomerfeedbackFollow-throughTroubleshooting Here'sanexampleofshowingyourproblem-solvingskillsinacoverletter. WhenIwasfirsthiredasaparalegal,Iinheritedabacklogof25setsofmedicalrecordsthatneededtobesummarized,eachofwhichwashundredsofpageslong.Atthesametime,Ihadtohelpprepareforthreemajorcases,andthereweren’tenoughhoursintheday.AfterIexplainedtheproblemtomysupervisor,sheagreedtopaymetocomeinonSaturdaymorningstofocusonthebacklog. Iwasabletoeliminatethebackloginamonth. Expand Here'sanotherexampleofhowtoshowyourproblem-solvingskillsinacoverletter: WhenIjoinedtheteamatGreatGraphicsasArtisticDirector,thedesignershadbecomeuninspiredbecauseofaformerdirectorwhoattemptedtomicro-manageeverystepinthedesignprocess.Iusedweeklyround-tablediscussionstosolicitcreativeinputandensuredthateachdesignerwasgivenfullautonomytodotheirbestwork.Ialsointroducedmonthlyteam-basedcompetitionsthathelpedbuildmorale,sparknewideas,andimprovecollaboration. Expand HighlightingProblem-SolvingSkills Sincethisisaskillthat'simportanttomostemployers,putthemfrontandcenteronyourresume,coverletter,andininterviews. Ifyou'renotsurewhattoinclude,looktopreviousroles—whetherinacademic,work,orvolunteersettings—forexamplesofchallengesyoumetandproblemsyousolved.Highlightrelevantexamplesinyour coverletterandusebulletpointsinyourresumetoshowhowyousolvedaproblem. Duringinterviews,bereadytodescribesituationsyou'veencounteredinpreviousroles,theprocessesyoufollowedtoaddressproblems,theskillsyouapplied,andtheresultsofyouractions.Potentialemployersareeagertoheara coherentnarrativeofthewaysyou'veusedproblem-solvingskills. Interviewersmayposehypotheticalproblemsforyoutosolve.Baseyouranswersonthefivestepsandrefertosimilarproblemsyou'veresolved,ifpossible.Herearetipsforansweringproblem-solvinginterviewquestions,withexamplesofthebestanswers. KeyTakeaways Problem-solvingskillshelpyoudeterminewhyanissueishappeningandhowtoresolvethatissue.It'soneofthekeyskillsthatemployersseekinjobapplicants.Problem-solvingstartswithidentifyingtheissue,comingupwithsolutions,implementingthosesolutions,andevaluatingtheireffectiveness. Sincethisisaskillthat'simportanttomostemployers,putthemfrontandcenteronyourresume,coverletter,andininterviews. 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