Be a Problem Solver

To be successful with life, be a problem solver. Pick a problem, any problem and do something about it, because to someone who is hurting something is everything. If you have the ability, then you have a responsibility.

To be a problem solver you to have an attitude. An attitude that sees the problem as an opportunity rather than the obstacle. An attitude to be able to see the problem in the new way, in ways that others haven’t. The underpinning of this attitude is conviction and the ability to prepare, and the answers will come.

To be a problem solver you need to be able to redefine the problem. You need to be able to see it in a different light, a new angle. So often when we are given the problem it is incomplete or has an incorrect definition. So, you need to redefine and take your own lead.

Have a system, every problem is different, but your methodology in the approach to unpack the problem and work through it invariably will be the same. Also take time understand why certain things didn’t work before, don’t fall into the experience trap because like the saying goes, ‘you can’t solve todays problems with yesterday’s answers.’

To be a problem solver you need to be able to walk in other people’s shoes, see the problem the way the hurt sees them. Different perspectives are key to being an effective problem solver, not every problem has one view, from some angles it may not even look like a problem.

Problem solving can be competitive, especially if the stakes are high and the sharing of information can be reluctant. But a good problem solver can flush out the important facts while effectively managing conflict.

To be a problem solver you need to be able to develop a good intuition, especially in the latter stages of problem solving. Listening to gut feelings and instincts, testing and retesting the notions are all important, because sometimes that is all you have to go on, once you have become well acquainted with the problem at hand.

Be willing to go beyond solving the immediate problem. So very often the answer to one problem leads to another problem or the answer to problem lies within how badly someone answered a problem before. Maybe you need to unpick to solution to another problem to solve your own problem. But good problem solvers will push further in their approach to problem solving as so often more unexpected opportunities arise.

Good problem solvers don’t just want to solve a problem short term, they want to solve the problem permanently. So, they don’t just do a quick job to move on the next problem, they address all aspects surrounding the issue and will ensure that the problem stays solved and doesn’t come back to bite them later on.

To be a good problem solver you need to be an effective communicator, because once you have solved the problem you need to ensure everyone knows not just the solution but why things went wrong in the first place. I am not saying we need to explain every step we have taken in coming up with the solution, but others need to know what the problem was and why. They need to know specific information to ensure the problem doesn’t happen again, it is all part of long-term solutions.

At the end of the day, a good problem solver is not just one who asks questions, but also does research, to understand why something is a problem and to find long term solutions we need to understand where things started to go wrong, not just the point it is a problem we pick it up.

And don’t just be a problem solver giving out solutions, be will to be part of the solution to someone else’s work.