The Vital Steps for Problem Solving Attitude Development

Problems are part and parcel of life.

Different people have different views to look at the problems. Some people are habitual of problems and they are jokingly considered as problem carriers.

Whatever they will do problems will welcome them. Some people sparsely face problems, one can say, due to their luck and destiny.

But the notable thing is they face a problem they have never thought of. It would be big enough to consume half of their remaining life.

Human destiny gives a balanced life to all. There might be only countable persons who have never faced ‘any’ problem throughout their life.

Every human being is born with destined problems in their life the only thing they don’t know is when which problem will come.

In our life stages, our problems will also change according to surrounding circumstances.

When we are in the learning phase at school, the problems are mostly related to our study and our rapport with other students and teachers.

In college life, they become a bit complicated. In professional life, they take a different form.

In fact, in professional life, we are living our personal life with our family also.

Therefore the problems during our job, the problems are coming from all the corners.

It is not that we face only problems in our life but here we are discussing them to know how to overcome them efficiently.

Rarely can we find people who have not faced any kind of problems during the job?

The problem-solving mindset is very important to develop.

Usually, every individual is capable of handling problems on his own but some people get panicked as soon as they sense a problem.

This blocks their thinking capacity and they need advice from someone else.

A problem-solving mindset is very critical which is often not considered by many as even important.

When you are planning something you always take the worst situation counted and is prepared for it.

However, then too, things can go wrong because of a problem you have not thought of.

On such occasions, your problem solving mindset will come to your rescue. In this too, there are two things, a problem solving mindset as a god-gift and the developed problem solving mindset.

Developed problem solving mindset always talks about your skills to face critical issues or incidences which are against you.

What are the important things for problem solving mindset?

If you want to achieve your set target and grow well you need to develop such things which will immensely help you out of the trouble and help you reach desired results –

1. Identification of Goal

Your vision about your goal must be crystal-clear and you need to know why you need to achieve that goal.

Once you understand this, you won’t be confused about the path to follow. You will exactly know how to do it and start planning to achieve it.

The problem must not be attended solution without knowing the nature and reason of the problem.

Then you must plan to implement a solution to it with the vision of the result of the problem-solving process.

There are many people who, without analyzing the problem, rush to solve it making it more complicated than before.

Once you analyze the problem and understand the outcome of the proposed solution, you can have more success in not only solving the problem but also not letting it arise again.

Your approach must be towards identifying and setting effective goals for critical problems.

2. Willingness to find an appropriate solution

There could be more than one solution for a specific problem.

If you develop a good problem-solving mindset you will not go for the first solution coming to your mind.

On the contrary, you will weigh all the possible solutions, list down pros and cons and then apply the correct application solution.

Usually, the first solution is not the best and appropriate one. So sit back and think about all solutions.

One can discuss with people to shortlist your problems. Applying a long-term and appropriate solution is the key to developing a mindset.

3. Be a good listener

When you are stuck with some problem, discussing with as many people is a better option.

Additionally, if you are a good listener, you will get more benefit as you will think about solutions suggested by other people too.

When you are open to accepting other’s suggestions there is more probability of solving the problems effectively.

While communicating with others, it is essential for them to know whether you understood or not, so indicate and tell the concerned person.

He will realize that you are listening to what he is telling you.

The physical gestures and positive signs of listening will enhance the possibility of solving a problem. Two-way conversations always tend to produce good results.

4. Responsibility

When the problem arises, proactively facing it immediately is a wiser step.

Unfortunately, many people show their back and run away but this builds up the problems bigger.

Therefore if one owns the responsibility and resolves the problem with the right mindset, he will be able to become more successful.

Avoiding a problem is not ideal as later some time; anyway, you have to face a more difficult problem.

Letting the problem grow will be the biggest mistake and owning the responsibility and solving it will make more sense.

5. Study the problem well

The blame game in case of a problem is a big disaster you are going to make.

As you start blaming others, they will be defensive and may offer resistance to you.

You will substantially lose their support in solving the problem which you would have got had you not blamed them.

A detailed study and description of the problem with others will help you to resolve it together.

In the case of a problem, the study does not assume reasons which could not trace instead study it well and come to conclusion.

6. Investigate and communicate

When you are studying a problem, let others know what your outcomes are.

Your conclusions must be communicated to others properly so that they can assist you to come out of the issue.

This will become easier if you value others’ opinions as well. You might not have thought some of the views they put forward and they may have a better solution.

A good problem-solving mindset thinks of all these things and develops him as a strong leader.

It is also equally important to understand each other’s views correctly to avoid any confusion that may arise during the implementation of the solution.

7. Control the emotions

Do not express your emotions whatever they are. A most important quality of a person will show when there are critical problems.

Perfect leaders usually stay cool and think with a controlled mind rather than expressing anger or frustration.

It is natural to get angry in a crisis but if you want to develop a problem-solving mindset, a cool mind is key.

Because extreme emotions can block your thoughts and it will affect you adversely in a critical situation.

Not only in problematic conditions, but a leader must remain stable-headed all the time.

This quality is hard to develop especially you are short-tempered but dedication growing will help you develop this.

We will try to understand what could be the steps in problem solving briefly –

There will be a lot of sessions in the corporate companies about the problem solving skill developments.

The trainer will create some situations and challenge groups of people to overcome it.

Whoever is a good problem solver will put their ideas proactively and this will indicate the natural leaders. Gifted problem solvers will automatically work on the following things -

Address the problem

Finding and addressing the reason or nature of the problem is halfway done.

Observations will lead to realizing the core issue and addressing will become a key point of the solution.

One must speak about a solution rather than a problem while addressing the issue.

This means it should include what we need to do rather than talking about what we are facing.

Brainstorm activities

This is a very simple but very effective solution finding method. It is widely adopted in corporate sectors all over the world.

Like we discussed above, the problem must be communicated to all kinds of people.

They are asked about solutions they think of.

The power of listening helps you to accept all suggestions as solutions though they look foolish.

By discussion, all solutions are weighed upon for application and this might bring many surprising results out whenever this activity is carried out.

The solutions we thought as silly might work out. Another biggest benefit of this activity is, it lets everyone feel this important part.

Choose what is best and tangible

After all, solutions are discussed, choose the best and tangible solution in terms of money, time and manpower required.

People who want to hone problem solving skills must participate in the decision making process as they will understand why a particular option is chosen as the solution.

People who cannot suggest a single plan are not capable of problem solving.

Implementation of the solution

This is undoubtedly an important step in problem solving without which nothing can be gained.

Chalking out the action plan, assigning the people, and following up till the implementation is complete are the most critical steps of resolving an issue.

One can summarize the problem solving skills as –

• Good observation skill

• Lateral thinking

• Analytical abilities

• Persistence

• Innovative thinking

• Teamwork and leadership

• Resilience

• Communication skill

• Negotiation skill

• Critical thinking

It is also important to showcase your skill once you possess it.

If you are looking for a challenging job, then it is a must for you to mention problem solving skills in your resume.

Along with that, you need to present examples of how you have utilized the skill in solving some problems.

There must be a briefing about the identification of the problem, finding out the solution, and implementing it effectively.

Some examples of such problem solving skills are –

1. Reduced safety violations by 30 percent by installing strategically placed railings on the production floor.

2. Increased customer satisfaction ratings by 20 percent by developing new scripts to address common questions.

3. Cut shipping expenses by 10 percent quarterly with customized software solutions.

This type of presentation can impress your employer and during the interview also you can discuss your problem solving skills to impress the interviewer.

During the job when you are negotiating with clients there may be a difference of opinion on some points.

If you can resolve this disagreement then you are a skilled problem solver.

The disagreement can be expressed skillfully to make it look like an exchange of opinions and it should be discussed open-mindedly.

Keeping a positive attitude is very important to develop problem solving skills as a positive mind will always be opened to new ideas and never give up attitude.

Your nature must be guided in such a way that you should be ready for any situation and you should be approaching the problems as a challenge.

A person willing to accept challenges is sure to get success in life though he may see some failures.

Success and failure are two sides of a coin and any can show up when you are on the task.

One who is trying to solve the problem must be expecting both failure and success.

If there is a failure, a proper plan must be there to come over it.

Conclusion

The skill of problem solving is highly appreciated, be it academic, corporate, or sports.

People with controlled thoughts are more likely to get through the problems than those who get stuck with problems.

Developing a problem solving skill is even tougher as you need to constantly be innovative, read a lot about the subject, and be able to lead a team or group of various people.

It is not only about leadership but also decision making and owing to the responsibility of failure if it happens.

There are a lot of people who have stood with their group in the time of crisis and came out as winners with their extraordinary skill of handling the situation and problem.