Solve a Problem

Ask any project manager—if you want to be in management one day, learn to eat
problems for breakfast. An employee with a knack for problem solving is a great asset
for any company because the skill set involves critical thinking and leadership skills. This
person is able to see the “big picture” raised by an issue and think creatively to uncover
possible solutions.

Not everyone is naturally great at problem solving, but you can develop your skills in this
area by focusing on the following things: 

Get used to noticing common business problems around you.
These might be as simple as employees repeatedly missing the Monday scheduling meeting or as
far-reaching as a lack of cash flow for new initiatives.

Look at the problem from all angles.
Whatever the problem may be, what does it look like from a management angle? From the point of view of a staff worker? From the client’s point of view. Imagine yourself circling the issue 360 degrees and
see how it looks from multiple vantage points. Perhaps management is unhappy
because staff misses the Monday meeting but the staff members are serving
clients. How does this issue look from all sides?

Brainstorm possible causes.
What do you feel might be causing—or at least contributing to—the problem? Capture your answers, no matter how far out they might seem, in a OneNote notebook or a Word document. One cause of the employees missing the meeting might be that the meeting is scheduled in a high-call
time; another possible cause is that employees don’t want to attend the meetings
because they feel they are a waste of time.

Weigh the possible causes, and focus on one that seems most likely.
Think through the issue—and weigh it against other options—to see whether it is the
most likely candidate. Perhaps after weighing all the options, you feel that the staff
members want to make the meeting but feel that keeping clients happy is more
important—in the long term—than attending the meetings.

Once you’ve identified the possible cause, brainstorm possible workarounds
or solutions to correct the issue.
If you begin to look for solutions and things don’t seem to be coming together smoothly, return to your “possible causes” list and see whether another candidate is a better fit. One solution might be to suggest
the time of the meeting be moved. Another could be to have members of other departments take the phone calls while the meeting is going on.

Test your solution with a peer.
Or write up your solution, put it in a drawer overnight, and revisit it in the morning—before sharing it with your manager or leadership team.

How will you use technology to demonstrate your solution? You could write up a document that states the problem, causes, and possible solutions clearly. Informally, you could simply share your idea in an e-mail. But no matter how you share your solution, be sure to keep a copy for yourself, because it’s a demonstration of a valuable skill you can talk about in future interviews or personnel reviews.