Analysing & Problem Solving

It is fair to say that in business, things will go wrong, showing how you can correct them will make you stand out and succeed.

What is problem solving?
It is hard to believe, but everyone solves problems on a daily basis, this could be anything from fixing a broken printer to finding your usual route to work being diverted. Any job you get in the future or your current employment will involve you finding solutions to all kinds of problems. It is important that you are able to do the following:

• Evaluate the information or the situation
• Analyse why things are going wrong or even reoccurring
• Think of different ways to resolve the problem
• Think of the most cost-effective, time-effective solutions to resolve the problem

Why do employers want people with problem solving skills?
Employers need people who are able to think analytically and make the right decisions for the company. In almost any job you have, you will have to solve problems but it’s the way you deal with the problem and achieve the outcome that is best for the company, not necessarily the individual or even their department.

If you are able to analyse and solve a problem successfully, this should stop it recurring in the future.

How can you show you can solve problems?
You can show how successful you are at solving problems in a number of ways. It is recommended using the IDEAL model of problem solving. Whatever problem you are faced with, here are five steps you can take before you can decide on how to proceed:

I – dentify the problem

D – efine the problem

E – xamine the options

A – ct on a plan

L – ook at the consequence

Problem solving is not always about you as an individual solving a problem, it may be that your department needs to resolve a problem, or there may be a team of you working to prevent a problem from reoccurring. If this is the case it is important that you work well as part of a team and have good communication skills.