Progressive Media Forum

                       Problem-solving - 6 steps

Dear friends,

In the current fast-changing global economy, employers always look for problem solvers for the success of their organisations. Problem-solving skills are the most sought-after soft skill of this decade.

The ability to solve problems is a basic life skill and is essential to our day-to-day lives, at home, at school, and at work.

Problems are a fact of life - you can’t control when or how they occur. But you can control your attitude towards the problems. The more positive your language and mental process are, the more confident and optimistic you will be when approaching any complication.

                       

The problem-solving process is often broken down into six steps:

1. Identify the issue and its root cause
2. Understand every angle of the problem
3. List possible solutions
4. Evaluate the options
5. Act on the right option
6. Evaluate the results

Practice questioning and getting curious about processes and activities in your everyday life. What could you improve? What would you do if you had more resources for this process? If you had fewer? Challenge yourself to challenge the world around you.

The best way to learn to problem solve is to simply do it. Jump in with both feet and start coming up with potential solutions to issues that need fixing. Over time, you’ll learn about problem-solving without even realising it.