Much of your job is problem solving, right? Although we agree that solutions are often sought by reaction and not as prevention to problems. Managers, managers, and supervisors are always "short on time" to solve problems and the tendency is to look for saving formulas that have worked in the past; But is this the best alternative? Not always.
Here is a list of tips for when you have to solve problems; It will not always be possible to apply them, but in many cases they will be of good help:
1. Define your Problem:
This is where people argue. The immediate reaction is to think about what the problem is; try to think a little more why you consider it a problem.
Ask yourself the following questions:
a) Can you see the causes of the problem?
b) Where is it happening?
c) What happens?
d) At what point does it happen?
e) Who is involved? (avoid thinking who is causing the problem)
f) Why does this problem occur?
g) Briefly write a description of the problem
When the problem is complex: If the problem is very complex, divide it into segments, and make a description of each of them
Check your understanding of the issues: It is very helpful to check your own analysis of the issue by sharing it with a peer or another person.
Prioritize problems:
to. If you are facing multiple related problems, set priorities to see which one you should try to fix first.
b. Notice the difference between "important" and "urgent" problems. Often times, one that is only urgent is seen as a major problem. Important issues deserve more attention. For example, if you continually answer "urgent" phone calls, you probably have more "important" problems, and basically one of them is that you need to design a system to screen your calls so that you can assign different priorities to them.
Know your role in the problem:
to. Your role in the problem can significantly influence how you perceive the role of others. For example, if you are very stressed, you may feel that others are too, and you may even go so far as to blame or reprimand them. Or, if you feel very guilty about your role in the problem, you may even ignore the responsibilities of others.
2. Look for possible causes of the problem
to. It's amazing how little you know about what you don't know. Therefore, in this phase, it is essential to obtain information from other people who have identified the problem and are also affected by it.
b. It is very useful to collect opinions from other people, individually (at least, at first). Otherwise, people tend to feel self-conscious about expressing their opinions about the true cause of the problem.
c. Write down your opinions and what you heard from others.
d. If in your view the problem is with an employee's performance, it is helpful to ask a peer or supervisor for help to verify the accuracy of your impression.
and. Write a description of the cause of the problem relating what is happening, when, where, how, with whom and why.
3. Identify different alternative approaches to solve the problem
to. At this point, it helps to involve others (unless the problem is a personal one or an employee performance problem). Use brainstorming or brainstorming to get the opinion of others to solve the problem. Simply put, brainstorming consists of collecting as many ideas as possible, then debugging them and choosing the best one. When collecting ideas it is extremely important not to make value judgments about them: just write them down as you hear them. (An invaluable skill set used to identify the underlying cause of a problem is the System Thinking methodology.
4. Select an approach to solve the problem
When selecting the best approach, consider the following:
to. Which approach is most likely to solve the problem in the long run?
b. Which approach is the most realistic to tackle at the moment? Do you have the necessary resources? Are they cheap and accessible? Do you have enough time to implement the approach?
c. What is the degree of risk inherent in each alternative? (The nature of this step, particularly within the problem-solving process, is why problem solving and decision-making are so closely related.)
5. Plan the implementation of the best alternative (this is your action plan)
to. Think carefully about the following: "What will the situation be like once the problem has been solved?"
b. What measures should be taken to implement the optimal alternative to solve the problem? What systems or processes should be changed in your organization, for example a new policy or procedure? Don't resort to solutions where you just "have to try harder."
c. How will you know if the necessary steps are being taken? (These are your indicators of the success of the plan).
d. What human, monetary and physical resources will you need?
and. How long will it take to implement the solution? Create a timeline that includes start and end dates, and when you expect to see concrete indicators of success.
F. Who will be primarily responsible for ensuring the implementation of the plan?
g. Write down the answers to the questions above and consider them as your plan of action.
h. Communicate the plan to those people who will participate in the implementation of the plan; at least your immediate superior supervisor. (A critical aspect of this step in the problem-solving process is continuous observation and feedback.)
6. Closely monitor the implementation of the plan
Monitor your success indicators:
to. Do you observe the expected results of the indicators?
b. Will the plan be carried out according to schedule?
c. If the plan is not accomplished as expected, consider the following: Was the plan realistic? Are there sufficient resources to meet the plan according to schedule? Should certain aspects of the plan be given higher priority? Should the plan be modified?
7. Check if the problem has been solved or not
One of the best ways to check whether or not the problem is resolved is to resume normal organization operations. Still, you should evaluate the following:
to. What changes should be made to avoid these kinds of problems in the future? Consider making changes to policies, procedures, training, etc.
b. Finally, consider "What did you learn from this problem-solving process?" Think about new knowledge or skills acquired.
c. Write a short memo that describes the main points of your success in solving the problem and what you learned as a result. Show it to your supervisor, your peers and subordinates.
