Problem Solving Skills

Use initiative to act on opportunities. Become a leader before other people view you as one. Healthy organisations reward those who take the lead, not just those with formal management roles:

☛ Take responsibility for own objectives, set priorities.

☛ Display a can do attitude even in demanding situations. Try to solve problems, rather than to pass them on to other people.

☛ Go the extra mile when asked to do tasks. Go beyond your job description. Do work that gets you noticed.

☛ Show enthusiasm: this will be noticed and you will eventually be rewarded.

☛ Take ownership of problems: anticipate potential problems, take emotive action and act quickly to resolve problems.

☛ Introduce improvements to the way things are done.

☛ Develop innovative practices. Value innovative thinking.

☛ Learn new skills that will enhance capability.

Most problem-solving skills are developed through everyday life and experience. However, the following interests and activities may be useful in demonstrating a high level of these skills. This may be particularly important when applying to employers in areas such as engineering, IT, operational research and some areas of finance:

☛ Mind games such as cryptic crosswords, Sudoku, chess, bridge, etc.

☛ Computer games are the best of these can involve strategic planning, critical and statistical analysis and assessing the pros and cons of different courses of action.

☛ Practical interests such as programming, computer repairs, car maintenance.

☛ Working with sound or lighting equipment for a band, event or shows.

☛ Academic study is evaluating different sources of information for essays, designing and constructing a microshelter for an architecture project, setting up a lab experiment.

This stage involves careful analysis of the different possible courses of action and then selecting the best solution for implementation.

This is perhaps the most complex part of the problem solving process. Following on from the previous step it is now time to look at each potential solution and carefully analyse it. Some solutions may not be possible, due to other problems, like time constraints or budgets. It is important at this stage to also consider what might happen if nothing was done to solve the problem, sometimes trying to solve a problem that leads to many more problems requires some very creative thinking and innovative ideas.

Finally, make a decision on which course of action to take. Decision making is an important skill in itself.

Here are just some of the competency areas that can be considered part of problem solving:

☛ Initiative: You step up and take action without being asked. You look for opportunities to make a difference.

☛ Creativity: You are an original thinker and have the ability to go beyond traditional approaches.

☛ Resourcefulness: You adapt to new/difficult situations and devise ways to overcome obstacles.

☛ Analytical Thinking: You can use logic and critical thinking to analyze a situation.

☛ Determination: You are persistent and do not give up easily.

☛ Results-Oriented: Your focus is on getting to the desired outcome for solving the problem.

☛ Choose an example that truly demonstrates your problem solving skills at their best. Do not settle for a lame or boring problem or one that makes you look bad.

☛ Go with examples that are relevant for the job description. If you are interviewing for a job with a project management component, choose a time when you overcame an obstacle on an important project. If the posting stresses analytic skills, go with that time you used your Excel macro skills to save the day.

☛ Do not try to skate by with generalities like, I consider myself a great problem solver. I solve problems every day in my job. You are not answering the question. Pick an example to illustrate your point.

☛ Avoid raising red flags by talking about problems that you caused or negatively contributed to. Remember that you want to be the hero in your interview stories whenever possible (we will talk about responding to behavioral questions about negative experiences in a future post).