Problem Solving Approach

Does anyone have problem free life? I think that is next to impossible. Problems can be either large or small, simple or complex and easy or difficult. Therefore, problem solving is very essential in our day to day activity whether they be problem at home or within the work place. Essentially, we have to dealt with it.

Most of the times when problem arise we get afraid or uncomfortable and wish it would go away. We feel that we have to come up with the proper answer or justification so we look for someone to blame which is the biggest mistake we are doing while solving problem.

The most important thing we have to keep in mind is that problem happen all the time and they are opportunities to improve ourselves and any underlying systems. It always teaches us a lesson, so that we can do better in future. Looked at this way, we can begin to welcome problems!

The biggest problem we all are facing is that we have tendency to provide solution immediately. That is the most common mistake in problem solving approach because by doing this we are applying temporary solution and create more problems.

There are few steps I would like to suggest you for problem solving process:

• Identify the problem: This is the core part of problem solving approach. You have to be clear about what the problem is and share with the stakeholders as different people might have different views of what the issues are. Also, identification of actual problem is necessary as so many times we have identified that we are looking at some other things than where the actual problem is! we spend hours and hours but outcome is 0.
• Generate various solutions: After identifying and analyzing problem, we need to select one or more appropriate strategies to resolve the problem. Don’t worry about whether or not they are feasible, realistic, practical or effective.Also, at the same time check your lesson learned document or ask others if they have the same type of problem in the past and how they have resolved it.
• Select a solution: From all of your silly or serious solutions choose which has the most potential. You can consider below points while selecting solution:
  • How realistically it will help you solve the problem?
  • Is it relevant to problem?
  • Is it manageable?
  • What are the good and bad points if we implement that solution?
• Implementation: The last step is to implement the solution we have selected. This step involves monitoring of the effectiveness of the solution to make sure it actually solved the problem. If it works then you can feel satisfied with your efforts and what you have achieved. If solution doesn’t work then you can try other options as it is continuous cycle.

We always have to be positive whilst solving problem as we can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. We don’t have to be panic and react instead we have to think, pause and then respond.

‘Problems are only opportunities in work clothes!’ -Henry Kaiser