Problem Solving

A good life skill.

What is Problem Solving?

Problem-solving involves diagnosing the possible causes of a problem and developing an action plan that solves that problem. People use problem-solving skills all the time, both in their personal and professional lives. Effective problem-solving in the workplace often requires following a step-by-step process and using a designated problem-solving framework.

Why am I writing about this?

Last weekend my wife and I were in a baby birthing class and the doulas identified some steps for dispelling fears. They laid out very helpful steps to take and this got me thinking about formalizing a problem solving approach of my own. While this was aimed towards anticipation of the birth experience, it was also good general life advice. This was the suggested approach:

  1. Identify Your Fear
    1. Think about the event or situation that caused the fear
    2. Notice your body’s reaction when you think about it
    3. Don’t fight your body, but allow this reaction to happen
  2. Analyze Your Fear
    1. Breathe deeply and ask yourself:
      1. What am I most afraid of?
      2. What will I do if that happens?
      3. What do I think my partner will do or say?
      4. How will I feel about myself if this happens?
  3. Identify What You Can Control
    1. Ask yourself:
      1. What am I doing to prevent this?
      2. What can I do that I have not done yet?
      3. Why have I not done this?
    2. If you’ve done everything to prevent the situation, ask:
      1. How will I handle this if it happens?
      2. What strengths or skills will I use to get through this situation or event?
  4. Get It Out in the Open
    1. Discuss your fears with someone you trust (partner, friend, care provider, family, etc.). 
    2. Identifying and discussing your fears do not make it more likely to happen. 
    3. Unaddressed fear can fester and change the release of hormones during labor and potentially negatively affect the mother or baby’s health.  
    4. The more you work through your fears, the more relaxed and calm your body and mind will be during labor.
  5. Accept Your Limitations
    1. There is no perfection. 
    2. You can only do your best.
    3. Accept that there may be things beyond your control.
  6. Move Forward
    1. After you work through your fears, take steps to build your confidence, focus on the positive and calm mind.
    2. Spend time envisioning the birth you want.

I found these to be great actionable steps and I also found a lot of similarities with how I often approach problem solving. Although I still find myself stuck when approaching a problem, I thought it would be a good opportunity to formally lay out some steps to overcoming technical hurdles. So here’s an approach:

  1. Identify the problem
    1. Sounds trivial, but it’s vital that you have a clear understanding of what it is that you’re hoping to solve.
    2. This is even more important with complex problems or working on a team because it’s easy to get lost in the sauce, so focus on the single problem at hand.
  2. Analyze the problem:
    1. Taking a step back and get a clear picture of what you’re trying to do.
    2. What are the expected inputs and outputs?
    3. Are your assumptions correct?
  3. Attempt to solve the problem:
    1. Try first before you go for external solutions. This will help your growth and strengthen your problem solving skills.
    2. Document or at least take mental note of the way you’ve approached the problem.
  4. Get external assistance:
    1. Ask a peer, mentor, or forum for help on your problem.
    2. Identify the problem and the approaches you’ve already attempted to get up to speed quickly.
  5. Take a break:
    1. This step could be switched with the previous step, but that’s up to your preferences.
    2. Let your brain move into a diffused state. This allows your brain to continue to process the problem in the background.
    3. This is why we get our breakthrough ideas in the shower or on a walk.
  6. Keep at it.

Problems sometimes feel like a brick wall and sometimes you just have to slam your head into that wall over and over before it comes down. Sometimes problems can’t be solved and you should consider a different path. The following are some additional tools and tips that might help.

Problem Solving Tools

Creativity

Effective problem solving requires the ability to brainstorm solutions and think outside the box to arrive at new approaches to longstanding problems.

Teamwork

Addressing a group problem or systemic social problem requires you to work collaboratively and supportively with other team members.

Logical thinking skills

In order to diagnose the cause of a problem and arrive at the best solution, you have to possess analytical skills and follow a logical and methodical process.

High emotional intelligence

The problem solving problem skills so far have been focused on technical problems. Human problems can be just as difficult to solve. If you’re dealing with an interpersonal conflict or are making changes that are likely to affect people on an emotional level, it’s very important that you have high emotional intelligence. Being compassionate, seeing other points of view, and willing to work with others will help raise your EQ.

Decision making

Problem-solving and decision making go hand in hand. It’s essential that you have enough conviction and trust in yourself to make a decision and see it through.

Improvement Tips

Focus on the solution

Shifting your focus away from the current problem to possible outcomes and solutions can give you a more positive outlook and open your eyes to new solutions

Clearly define the problem

If you find yourself getting overwhelmed and distracted during the problem-solving process, go back to step one and make sure you are approaching a singular problem.

Agree on a process

If you’re problem-solving as part of a team, it’s very important that you agree to basic ground rules and procedures before you start the problem-solving process. This will streamline the process and help you prevent conflict down the road.

Be sure to use active listening

The best problem solvers are great listeners. Problem-solving requires you to take in a variety of inputs and opinions and carefully analyze them. It’s important that people involved in the process feel heard.

Thanks for reading!