Core Soft Skill 3: Problem Solving

"I solve problems" bragged Winston Wolfe in the well known documentary that is Pulp Fiction. Well, anyone who gets his own clients to pick brain tissue off the backseat of a car (and then charging them for it!) knows how to solve problems indeed! While you might not want to go down that particular career path, the attitude embodied by our friend Winston will get you places.

Fact is, at work you will face problems on a regular basis, and you will have to make decisions, often in ambiguous situations and in the absence of all the facts. Knowing some basic techniques helps you deal with these situations effectively and strategically. They also come in handy when attending an assessment centre. Here are some good approaches:

The Force Field Analysis [pdf] technique is actually not much more than a glorified way of of looking at all the pros and cons that come with a particular decision or way of solving a problem. However, it is worth knowing about because you are likely to encounter situations at work where someone goes 'why don't we do a force field analysis'. It's a very basic decision making tool, but one worth knowing about.

The HBDI model [pdf] is a tool to assess our 4 basic thinking styles. However, it lends itself superbly to problem solving, because it enables us to get around a big limitation: our human tendency to approach a problem in the way we know best. Why is this a limitation? Well, an old proverb says 'he who is good with a hammer uses it for all things'. But sometimes it clearly takes a screwdriver to tackle an problem effectively.

The 'Multiple Whys' [pdf] technique is deceptively simple, but can be applied to powerful effect. Often what appears to be the cause of a problem on the surface is not the root cause that drives it, and failure to recognise this can make your problem. The Multiple Why technique became famous in the 70s when Toyota used it to get to the root of some of their production line problems.

The SWOT model [pdf] is well known as a tool do take stock of the current situation, which lays a foundation on which to reach sound decisions with regards to a problem. The term SWOT implies that you analyse your current and future Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

The PEST Model [pdf] is best applied when having to reach far reaching decisions, such as whether or not to invest a ton of money in launching a new product line. Used by senior managers, but knowing how to apply it could help you become one of them. It gives you a framework within which to analyse the impact of Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors on your potential undertaking.

The 6 Thinking Hats model [pdf] is often used in facilitated problem solving sessions, and it requires the team to look at the problem or issue from 6 different perspectives. The result is usually the team’s ability to reach a well informed, balanced decision.