How to Learn Problem Solving Easy

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As a recruiter, I interview a lot of people. And while most candidates find a way to look good on paper, their résumés don't always show how good they are as problem solvers. However, all of my clients want to hire problem solvers - people who can come into their business and solve their problems.

That is understandable. Of course, business is all about problems. Whether your business is in growth mode or decline, you will always face problems. And it's the job of management to either find the answers or hire people to do it. This article is about the latter.

How we learned about problem-solving

Conventional classroom training has led most of us to believe that there is usually a right or wrong answer to a problem. Hence, we tend to examine our most pressing business problems to find a single "right" answer - like solving by X in a math problem. In the business world, however, many problems do not become clearer the more we study them. Instead, they can get bigger and more confusing. Problems involving a mix of personalities and dynamic markets can be particularly annoying.

Of course, it will be difficult for hiring managers who don't understand the nature of their business problems to hire someone to solve them.

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Seven steps to successful problem solving

When solving problems - whether in real life or a job interview - it is important to follow a logical process. Most business problems go unresolved because people don't clearly define the "real problem". Therefore, you can see the strength of a candidate's problem-solving ability by taking them through the following seven steps and getting them to describe how they solved a problem in real life in their last job. When discussing an issue they resolved in a previous job, the applicant should demonstrate that they:

1. Define the problem: Have the candidate identify what went wrong by including both a cause and an effect in the definition of the problem they are solving.

2. Define the goals: Have the candidate explain the result they wanted to achieve by solving the problem.

3. Generate alternatives: How many alternatives has the candidate generated? Has the quality of the alternatives changed significantly? Was there a significant difference in the hard (and soft) costs associated with each idea? And so on. In this area, the candidate can demonstrate his creativity and ingenuity as a problem solver.

4. Develop a Plan of Action: Have the candidate review their detailed plan of action. Most action plans for tough problems involve multiple steps over time. Does the candidate state in their summary who did what? And up to what dates? The devil is in the details, and detailed problem solvers are usually more effective than generalists.

5. Troubleshooting: Here the candidate can recap the worst-case scenarios. What could have gone wrong in his plan? What could the side effects have been? How did the candidate ensure this plan worked? Were there any unintended consequences?

6. Communicate: Getting information to the right people is key to making the buy-in a success. Have the candidate discuss which individuals or groups influenced the success of their action plan. Does he explain who was affected and who needed to be informed? How did he communicate with relevant parties? The most effective leaders are those who can use their time and talents by getting things done through other people. This is your opportunity to build your company's management bank.

7. Implementation: Let the candidate address who carried out the plan do the implementation. Who was responsible for each part of the solution? What were the consequences of not following the plan? Try to determine: as a manager, will the candidate be "tough on questions and soft on people"?

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Taking a closer look at how a candidate has solved problems in the past will give you a good idea of ​​how they will solve problems in the future. Think about the quality, consistency, and cost of their solutions. During the interview, you need to get the candidate to accurately describe their problem-solving experience. Minimize the chance of getting scammed by doing Get e candidacy to describe exactly what happened in a given situation.

Think like a little child: ask "Why?" or how? ”to everything they say. If you don't challenge them during the interview process, you may pay a heavy price for your lack of perseverance later.

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