problem solving manager example

10 Problem Solving Skills Examples: How To Improve

Problem-solving skills have suitable examples and are inevitable that employers look for in candidates before and after employment. This process has some effective steps, with examples of every possible skill, and how to demonstrate that you have strong problem-solving skills with examples. When employers talk about analytical and problem-solving skills examples, they often mention the ability to work in difficult places and in complex business challenges to handle difficult or unexpected situations.

Companies can both evaluate and reliably depend on people who can solve the solution by dint of problem-solving examples in the workplace.

Problem-solving skills are what you are capable of doing. Although problem-solving skills are valued by employers, they are also very beneficial in relation to relationships and other areas of lifestyle decisions.

Related: Problem Solving Skills – Definitions, Importance, Steps, and Examples

What are problem-solving skills?

A soft skill (a personal strength, in contrast to the difficult skills, learned through education or training), the competence to solve creative and functional problems, yet, employers are among the most valuable qualities of their job applicants. Problem-solving skills have suitable examples and are inevitable that employers look for in candidates before and after employment.

For example, a cable television technician is trying to solve customer problems with weak signals. A teacher needs to determine how to improve the performance of his students in the writing skills test. A store manager might try to reduce the theft of goods. A computer expert may be looking for a way to speed up a slow program.

The problem-solving skills help you to determine the source of the problem and find effective solutions. Although problem-solving is often identified as its own skill, other skills contribute to problem-solving interview questions and answer examples.

Some important problem-solving skills include:

• Active hearing
• Decision was taken
• Form a team

Problem-solving skills are important in each career at each level. As a result, industrial or work-specific technical skills may be needed to solve the effective problem.

For example, a registered nurse needs active listening and communication skills in interacting with patients, but also requires effective technical knowledge about diseases and medicines. In many cases, a nurse will need to know when consulting a doctor for a patient’s treatment as part of the solution.

Problem-solving skills examples

To solve a problem effectively, you probably need to use a few different skills. Here are some problem-solving skills selection criteria answers you can use to solve problems here:

1. Communication

Problem-solving skills have suitable examples and are inevitable that employers look for in candidates before and after employment. When identifying possible solutions, you need to know how to communicate the problem to others.

If you want help, you need to know which communication channels are most appropriate. Once finding solutions, it will be easy to communicate clearly and reduce confusion and implement the solution.

2. Subsidence

Dependency is one of the most important skills for problem solvers. The problem is solved in a timely manner. Employers can trust both very valuable person to identify and then implement quick and effective solutions.

3. Research

An essential skill related to research problem-solving. As a troubleshooter, you will be able to identify the cause of the problem and fully understand it.

You can begin to gather more information about an issue by consulting with other team members, collecting more experienced information, giving advice to more experienced colleagues, or acquiring knowledge through online research or curriculum.

4. Analysis

The first step to solving the problem is to analyze the situation. Your analytical skills will help you to understand the problem and develop solutions effectively.

You need analytical skills during research to help differentiate between effective and viable solutions. Problem-solving skills have suitable examples and are inevitable that employers look for in candidates before and after employment.

5. Decision making

Finally, you have to decide on the solution to the problems that you solve. At times (and with industry experience), you can be able to make quick decisions and good examples of problem-solving for an interview.

How to show the problem-solving skills

Showing your problem-solving skills in your resume and cover letter can help you understand how Employers can be quick to their team as a part of examples of problem-solving interview questions.

The problem-solving problem for your resume can only be considered if it is particularly relevant to the position you have applied for For example, customer service, engineering, and management positions, with the ability to solve problems, will be good candidates.

Problem-solving skills for resume

In your resume, you can highlight your problem-solving skills in various places: By giving a specific example in the “Skills” section, the “Success” category, troubleshooting solutions in your “Experience” section, and application of life skills and solving the problem in a real-life situation.

In the proficiency section, you can list the key problem-solving skills you have instead of just writing more complicated terms “problem solving”. For example, you can keep certain technical skills with you that will help you solve problems or solve soft skills, such as your research ability or your ability to make decisions.

Remember, stories are powerful. Keep a specific example in mind while you solve a problem. This is useful for your resume but will help you to answer the interview question, “Tell me about the obstruction that you have me.”

Problem Solving Skills for Cover Letter

Your cover letter is also a great opportunity to expand your problem solving skills. Here, you can give a brief example of the time to successfully solve a problem. Otherwise, you can identify a challenge that this potential employer is trying to solve and explain how you can solve a proactive approach to problem solving examples.

For example, if a job posting mentions that the company is looking for someone to help improve its social media presence, you can identify how to help increase awareness of the brand through various social media platforms.

The steps to solve the problem

Now you’ve made a list of possible issues intelligent, your next step is to think of effective solutions for this problem, to mention the skills needed to solve them. Here are some of the most commonly used steps in solving problems, their related skills, and the different career areas where they are used.

1. Analysis of reasons or reasons contributing to unwanted situations

To solve a problem, you must first determine the reason for this. For this, you have to identify and evaluate the data, detach the potential given situations, and identify the main reasons for resolving the problem as a part of demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills examples.

Required Skills:

• Historical analysis
• Reason Analysis
• Process Analysis
• Need identification
• Data collection
• Data analysis
• Fact-finding

Examples: Determining illness, identifying the causes of social problems, explaining the data to determine the extent of problems, conflicts of marital affidavits, recognition of illegal research models

2. Create a set of alternative interventions to achieve your last goal

Once you are making a problem once, it’s time to come up with possible alternative solutions. Sometimes this involves teamwork, two (or more) minds are often better than one. This is a complex strategy that is the obvious way of solving complex problems; Creating a set of options helps you cover your bases and helps reduce your risk exposure that your first strategy fails.

• Project design
• Project planning
• Brainstorming
• Creative thinking

Examples: Brainstorming Solutions, Development Treatment Plans, Devising and Testing Hypotheses

3. Best solution evaluation

Depending on the nature of the problem and your discipline, the best solutions can be guided by the evaluated teams, parties, or leadership, or may move forward to big corporate decision-makers.

Anyone who decides on possible costs, necessary resources, and possible breakthroughs to implement successful solutions should be evaluated for effective problem-solving skills in nursing examples.

• Test development

For example: evaluating alternate options to reduce pressure, offering diplomatic solutions in conflict, opting out of employees during business hours, troubleshooting computer goods

4. Implement a plan

Once a decision has been made, it must be applied, with a benchmark that can quickly and accurately determine whether it is working to solve a problem. The implementation of the plan generally involves the workers being careful to change their standard operating system (SOPs).

• Cooperation
• Time management
• Benchmark development
• Project management
• Project implementation

For example implementation barrier, implementation solution, interpersonal conflict intermediation, repair of retrofitted equipment, as a part of analytical and problem-solving skills selection criteria answers

5. Evaluate the effectiveness of your intervention

Once the solution is implemented, the best problem-solvent system is to determine how quickly and fast its function is, as well as business problem-solving examples. In this way, they will know whether the problem has been solved as soon as possible, or alternatively, they will know whether their reaction to the medium flow is changed.

• Customer feedback
• Problem solve

For example Surveying End Users, Comparing Production Statistics, YYY Sales Statistics Evaluation

Tips for answering a question about the problem solving interview

You do not have to answer a cookie-cutter. Employers are always interested in people who can think out of the box and present new solutions, especially when older people do not work.

The most important thing is to show your answers to your problem solving skills. If interviews offer a possible problem, share how you would solve it.

When you explain your thinking process, use the steps listed above (from the analysis of the reason for evaluating the effectiveness of your interventions). Or, share an example of the problem you solved in the previous introduction. Explain how and why you solved this problem.

Sample interview answer skills solution skills

Problem solving skills have suitable examples and are inevitable that employers look for in candidates before and after employment and problem-solving skills examples for resume. Here are some examples of how job applicants can describe their problem-solving skills in different occupations:

As a nurse practitioner, my primary responsibility is to use my problem-solving skills to diagnose illnesses and develop treatment plans. With each patient, I can determine whether we can determine whether they can analyze their medical history, their symptoms, and their possible exposure to various diseases, or see immediately if we need blood tests. I then develop a care plan and, if warranted, perform follow-up calls to check the recovery process.

When I first rented as parallel, I inherited a set of 35 backlinks that needed summary summaries, each hundred pages were long. However, at the same time, I had to help in preparing the attorney for three main cases, and there was not enough time just for the day. After explaining the problem to my supervisor, he and the attorney agreed to pay me for the coming Saturday morning to focus on the backlog. I was thus able to extract it in one month.

When I joined Great Graphics as an article director, the designer becomes deficient and unknowable due to being a former director trying to micromanage at every stage of the design process as creative problem-solving examples for interviews.

I used weekly round-table talks to request creative inputs and made sure that every designer was given full autonomy to do their best work. I also introduced the monthly team-based competition that helped build psychology, spread exciting new ideas, and improve cooperation.

Interviews can also provide an example of possible problems and then ask you to outline the steps to address them. To prepare, the problem arising from your case is usually brainstorming.

More problem solving solutions

The list below includes general strategies involved in solving problems. An answer to this problem-solving problem can be useful to include your answers to an interview question.

• Implementation barriers
• Interference Performance Evaluation
• Brainstorming Solutions
• Define the causes of stress effects
• Development Planning Plan
• Devising a classroom management plan to address student abuse
• Devising hypothesis
• Draw a compromise around a set of solutions
• Optional strategy assessment to reduce pressure
• Find Middle Ground
• Flexibility to try new methods
• Identify the reasons for social problems
• Identify the interests of all parties
• Implementation solution
• Explain the information to explain the problem
• Interpersonal conflict intermediation
• Contribution to the marital plight of discretion
• The resolution of diplomatic solutions to settle border disputes
• Recognition of illegal research models
• Recommend ways to improve communication between relationships
• Repair of repair equipment
• A customer complaint solution
• A budget reconstruction after a fiscal short-cut
• Selection of Lay Off staff during a business recession
• Test hypotheses
• Computer Malfunctions Problem Solving
• Verifying the data to correctly identify the problem

The solution to the problem is to be reasonable, to imagine, to create a situation, and to bring an intelligent solution. In fact, the best troubleshooter hopes for possible potential future problems and works to prevent them or reduce their effects.

The problem-solving skills are associated with other skills, including:

• Analytical skills
• Innovative and creative thinking
• A difference mentality
• Adaptation and flexibility
• Layer locks
• Elasticity (for reassessing when your first idea does not work)
• team working (problem-solving is a team effort)
• Skills Impact (get colleagues, clients, and bosses to accept your solution).

Problem detection is often an essential component of the new business or product idea – and, for example, the entrepreneur of solving problems. It is an important element of good leadership.

Why all graduates need skills to solve problems at work

Turn around to find some graduate career solutions – for example, engineering, management consulting, scientific research, and technology as a part of analytical and problem-solving skills selection criteria examples.

Meanwhile, other staff graduates may be expected to resolve their growing times of employment: For example, coach managers should deal with operational problems (such as delays in the supply chain) or resolve conflicts between group members.

In fact, the ability to solve the problem is an essential part of an employee’s skill set, even if it is not specific to the job description.

How will employers evaluate your problem-solving skills?

Your problem-solving skills can be evaluated in three ways: before you ask the examples of time to solve a problem; Present certain imaginary scenarios and how you react to them, And see how many experiments and exercises apply to your problem-solving skills.

Interview questions about skill-based application and problem solving

For example, when you solve the problem of an application form – for example, an engineering company’s application form already includes the question ‘Please tell us a problem when using our technical expertise and knowledge’. But more likely to problem-solving interview questions examples include:

• Give me an example of when you run into a problem in a project. What did you do ?
• Give me an example of a difficult problem to solve outside of your course. How do you communicate it?
• Tell me about the time you work through a problem as a team.
• Have you ever disagreed with the team members? How was it resolved?
• When you see a possible problem, give it an example and it takes steps to become one.
• Give me an example of when you are managing a big crisis.
• Let me give you an example of thinking as well.

Hypothetical interview questions about problem-solving

Interviewers also want to know how to contact you with problems you might encounter at work. Specific interview questions will vary according to work, but the common ones include:

• How would you deal with the conflict at work? (Especially trainer managers and graduate HR professionals can be asked.)
• What to do if you have an unexpected delay due to supply chain issues? (This can be specifically asked in construction, supply, or retail interview).
• What do you do if a client or customer raises a complaint?
• Do you notice if a colleague is fighting with their work?
• How would you react if given a negative reaction by a director of an aspect of your performance?
• How do you judge how you will use your own initiative or ask for help?

Examination for problem-solving and undergraduate work

Various tests that employers can determine skills to solve your problem include:

Online skills, captivating, and power test. These are usually taken part in the application stage, although they can be repeated in an evaluation center. The tests for evaluating your problem-solving skills are situational judgment tests and your reasonable assessment or graphical reasoning tests that evaluate your logic.

Video ‘Immersion Experience’, game-based recruitment practice, or virtual reality assessment. These methods are not yet widely used, but they are becoming more common. They are usually interviewed before facing the interview or evaluation center.

Case study exercises. Work on this general evaluation center. You set a business problem, usually associated with the sector you are working in, and it has been asked to recommend separately or in groups to resolve it. You will usually be asked to outline your proposals in your presentation or written form, a task that will verify your ability to interpret your problem-solving process.

In-tray (or e-tray) exercise. These are always set in an evaluation center but can be part of the online testing phase nowadays. In practice, practice your time management skills initially, but assess your ability to identify a potential problem and take steps to solve it.

Job-specific or task-specific exercises are given in an evaluation center or an interview. If set, it will be related to the role you are implementing, and you will need to fix any issues or fix errors with analytical thinking and problem-solving examples.

For example, for Civil and structural engineering candidates, the answers to the client’s short and-answer questions need to be sketched in a design, and the editorial role can be asked to prove the copies or spot errors in the pages of the candidate’s page (publishing fully designed pages).

How to develop your problem-solving skills and showcase

Here are some tips on how to develop problem-solving strategies for employers.

Find opportunities to get a solution

Dealing with any problems in the following situations will help you to get the problem-solving skills, without even realizing it:

• Sort your technical problem with your phone, device, or computer.
• To solve a dispute with a clever landlord to get your deposit back.
• DIY carry out.
• A claim is to serve the customer or to resolve a complaint.
• Find a way to round a fund shortage to pay for travel or a gap year.
• Turning towards financing or increasing the membership of a struggling student community.
• Organize a student society trip abroad, unexpected difficulties beyond the way.
• A course rep and played as a mentor for other students.

You should also have the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills through your research. In many areas such as engineering and computer science, many hiring has evolved to solve the problem in a clear way, for example, there are no article articles in English literature. However, then, English literary students may also face difficulties in determining educational issues such as the best source elements.

Some professional organizations (for example, to build) compete for students, which often advocate solving problems faced by students of the industry; This can provide good evidence of your problem-solving skills.

Sudoku and chess games can strengthen your ability to think strategically and creatively.

Prior to the recruitment practice

Any candidate, a high-flying affair, can be added to an online exam or an assessment center for the first time, so please do whatever you can to practice beforehand. Free and paid-for-us-access links. Contact your carrier service and book a comedic interview or a mock assessment center.

Remember the solution to this problem

If you are available with a scenario or case study during the graduate recruitment process, you can try using the IDEAL model described in Solver, to Brandford and Stein in their book Ideal Problem Solutions. Break the problem you have to solve in order to solve the problem:

• Mark the problem
• Define the barrier
• Check your options
• Action on an agreed course of action
• See how it is active, and whether you need to make any changes.

Give the details of your answer

Explain how you have identified the problem, solve it, and implement it with examples of problem-solving skills in the workplace.

Quantifiable results are good, and perhaps in more complicated situations, more successful outcomes Qualifications-based interview questions follow the star strategy described in our article.

If you face a problem as part of a team, explain how important your role is to ensure a positive solution, but explain how your group worked together. These may be the opportunity to promote your team working skills as well.

How to Stand Out Your Skills

Highlight your skills in your resume: Your problem-solving skills should show your cover letter, resume, and application materials. Be prepared to discuss phone calls and specific ways of using your skills to solve problems during the interview.

Specify the relevant skills in your cover letter: See the previous roles-whether in academic, work, or volunteer settings-for examples of challenges and for solving your problems while carrying out each function with examples of problem-solving scenarios in the workplace.

You can highlight relevant examples in your cover letter. You can frame bullet points in your resume to show how you can solve the problem.

Be prepared to describe how you can solve the problem: At the time of the interview, the situations that you face in previous roles, to solve the problems, be prepared to describe the procedures you follow, the skills you apply, and the results of your operation. Possible employers are eager to hear a coherent description of the specific ways you’ve used the skills to solve the problem.

How to Improve skills

Dedicated research and solid analytical skills can facilitate those who have less experience in their field. There may be times when a solution may take some time or it can increase the problem to a person who is able to solve the problem.

There are several useful ways you can be able to improve your problem-solving skills. Whether you are looking for a job or working now, improving your problem-solving skills and related skills will help you to support a strong candidate and employee with examples of problem solving interview answers.

Earn more technical knowledge of your case. Depending on your industry, if you have technical knowledge of powerful work, it can be easier to solve the problem. You can make more technical knowledge through additional coursework, training, or practice.

Practice problems While learning to develop your problem-solving skills, practice, and roles may be useful tools to play. You can find solutions to professional practice books and online troubleshooting solutions for your industry. How you can solve that problem and determine whether your potential solutions are effective.

For example, how do you manage customer service such as “How to manage a gross customer?” Or “How do the customers show their reaction?” Can find a scenario like this. When they get to the job, the industry can help them with quick solutions with problem-solving interview answers examples.

Find solutions to the problem by dint of problem-solving examples for performance review.

By putting yourself in new situations, you are more likely to open up opportunities to solve the problem. In your current role, new projects have the opportunity to be volunteers, outside of the workplace for other organizations or outside the organization.

Observe how others solve the problem. The skilled problem solver who can have your colleagues. How those colleagues solve the problem can help you improve your own skills.

If possible, ask one of your more experienced colleagues if you can follow their strategy. Asking relevant questions can be helpful in applying your own career.

1. Participate in Yoga

The highly effective mixture of body consciousness, breathing, and meditation that’s required throughout yoga observe has been proven to considerably increase cognitive take look at scores.

Other outcomes from a University of Illinois research embrace shorter response times, more accuracy, and increased consideration based on problem-solving skills selection criteria example.

2. Play Some Soccer

A link has been discovered between our mind’s “executive functions” and sports activities’ success with problem solving scenario interview questions.

When in motion, our brains are shortly multitasking between shifting, anticipating, strategizing, reacting, and performing. Doing all these items directly requires an unlimited quantity of mental exercise.

This may be associated with our working world once we plan, motivate, monitor our actions, and problem-solve suddenly. Therefore, it could be concluded that if you play soccer or some other fast-moving sport, you’re rewiring your mind to be quicker at considering, processing, and reacting to issues.

3. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

More than some other sleeping or awake state, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep straight enhances creative processing within the mind with analytical problem solving skills examples.

REM sleep helps “stimulate associative networks, allowing the brain to make new and useful associations between unrelated ideas” and is “not due to selective memory enhancements” equivalent to reminiscence consolidation, which happens when awake.

4. Eat Some Cheerios

The Cheerios Effect is the name physicists have given to the occasion that occurs when the previous few cheerios in a bowl at all times cling to one another. The explanation for this incidence is floor stress with the help of thinking and problem solving soft skills examples.

The takeaway is that in relation to experiencing stress while attempting to resolve an issue, cling to those around you. Rely on others’ experiences and concepts, even these from totally different professional fields. Draw connections. Brainstorm. Work collectively to get the job carried out.

5. Dance Your Heart Out

Did you recognize that dancing has an optimistic effect on neural processing, probably growing new neural pathways to go around dopamine-depleted blockages within the mind?

This signifies that for those who have interaction in ballet or one other type of structured dance, doing so could facilitate convergent considering. In different phrases, it could assist you to discover a single, applicable reply to an issue examples of problem solving skills in administration.

If you need assistance with divergent considering (discovering a number of solutions to an issue), participating in additional improvised kinds of dance equivalent to hip-hop or faucet would possibly just do the trick.

6. Keep an “Idea Journal” with You

Problem solving with a journal you’ll be capable of shortly filing vital ideas, writing down private experiences, making sketches, and discovering concepts if you hold “Idea Journal” with you always with problem solving selection criteria examples.

Working out issues by sorting your ideas on paper after which viewing them more objectively is less complicated than having all of your ideas caught in your head (and can present higher problem-solving methods).

7. Use Mind Maps to Help Visualize the Problem

Mind Maps, a visible snapshot of an issue and its doable options, can assist focus thoughts, stimulate the brain, improve the capability for creative considering, and generate more concepts for options.

Make a Mind Map by drawing your drawback because of the central concept. Add “main branches” consisting of all the explanations for the issue. Use “sub-branches” to discover further particulars.

Next, make a separate Mind Map of all doable options to the central drawback. Add “main branches” exhibiting all of the ways in which your drawback may be solved, equivalent to colleagues that may assist, methods you may apply, and different assets you need to use.

Add “sub-branches” to additional discover the small print. Make a remaining department with essentially the most appropriate resolution for the main drawback. Use “sub-branches” for details for example of fact-finding skills to solve a problem.

8. Create “Psychological Distance”

What is the psychological distance? According to the construal degree theory (CLT), it’s “anything that we do not experience as occurring now, here, and to ourselves.” Some examples include taking one other particular person’s perspective or considering the issue as unlikely.

Scientists have proven that by rising the psychological distance between us and our drawbacks, we’ll have a rise in inventive options such as examples of problem-solving in everyday life.

This occurs as a result of considering more abstractly helps us kind unexpected connections between seemingly unrelated ideas, thus permitting our minds to extend their problem-solving capacity.

9. Work out to Some Tunes

Research on cardiac rehabilitation sufferers examined verbal fluency after exercising with and without music without problem-solving scenarios in job interviews.

Results confirmed that after they listened to music understanding, members greater than doubled their scores on verbal fluency assessments in distinction to those after they worked out in silence.

According to the research’s lead author, “The combination of music and exercise may stimulate and increase cognitive arousal while helping to organize the cognitive output.”

10. Work out Your Brain with Logic Puzzles or Games

The profitable technique when enjoying chess, Sudoku, a Rubik’s Cube, or different brain-boosting games is definitely to work the issue backward, not ahead. The identical technique can apply to realistic strategic-thinking conditions.

To construct your mind muscle and develop new problem-solving methods, observe some logic puzzles and different games, as an example of problem-solving skills

Problem-solving skills have suitable examples and are inevitable that employers look for in candidates before and after employment. Your problem-solving skills will be an advantage for you at every step of your career and problem-solving skills examples for the interview.

Starting from the application, in job interview interviews, the ability to effectively deal with problems can be very valuable to you after the valuable resources and candidates for the job. Here are some examples of problem-solving scenarios:

Examples of problem-solving scenarios

• Stuck in traffic and was late for work, again. – Think Alternatives
• What is that stain on the living room carpet? – Diagnose the cause and Develop Action Plan
• Why is the baby crying? – Investigation and Attention
• What is that smell coming from my teenage son’s room? – Mitigate and Make a Solution
• I don’t think the car is supposed to make that thumping noise – Diagnose and Assess the Impact
• Someone flushed an entire roll of toilet paper and water is backing up in the tub. – Thinking Quickly
• The proposal deadline got moved up to this afternoon! – Meet Deadline
• What’s for dinner? – Planning
• My daughter has a science project – due tomorrow – Action Plan
• What should I get my spouse for his/her birthday? – Decision Making

In almost every career sector, the solution to the problem is that employers are one of the key skills of finding a job applicant. It is difficult to find a blue-collar, administrative, managerial, or professional position, which does not require skill-solving skills.

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Why Problem-Solving Skills Are Essential for Leaders in Any Industry

• 17 Jan 2023

Any organization offering a product or service is in the business of solving problems.

Whether providing medical care to address health issues or quick convenience to those hungry for dinner, a business’s purpose is to satisfy customer needs .

In addition to solving customers’ problems, you’ll undoubtedly encounter challenges within your organization as it evolves to meet customer needs. You’re likely to experience growing pains in the form of missed targets, unattained goals, and team disagreements.

Yet, the ubiquity of problems doesn’t have to be discouraging; with the right frameworks and tools, you can build the skills to solve consumers' and your organization’s most challenging issues.

Here’s a primer on problem-solving in business, why it’s important, the skills you need, and how to build them.

Access your free e-book today.

What Is Problem-Solving in Business?

Problem-solving is the process of systematically removing barriers that prevent you or others from reaching goals.

Your business removes obstacles in customers’ lives through its products or services, just as you can remove obstacles that keep your team from achieving business goals.

Design Thinking

Design thinking , as described by Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar in the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , is a human-centered , solutions-based approach to problem-solving and innovation. Originally created for product design, design thinking’s use case has evolved . It’s now used to solve internal business problems, too.

The design thinking process has four stages :

• Clarify: Clarify a problem through research and feedback from those impacted.
• Ideate: Armed with new insights, generate as many solutions as possible.
• Develop: Combine and cull your ideas into a short list of viable, feasible, and desirable options before building prototypes (if making physical products) and creating a plan of action (if solving an intangible problem).
• Implement: Execute the strongest idea, ensuring clear communication with all stakeholders about its potential value and deliberate reasoning.

Using this framework, you can generate innovative ideas that wouldn’t have surfaced otherwise.

Creative Problem-Solving

Another, less structured approach to challenges is creative problem-solving , which employs a series of exercises to explore open-ended solutions and develop new perspectives. This is especially useful when a problem’s root cause has yet to be defined.

You can use creative problem-solving tools in design thinking’s “ideate” stage, which include:

• Brainstorming: Instruct everyone to develop as many ideas as possible in an allotted time frame without passing judgment.
• Divergent thinking exercises: Rather than arriving at the same conclusion (convergent thinking), instruct everyone to come up with a unique idea for a given prompt (divergent thinking). This type of exercise helps avoid the tendency to agree with others’ ideas without considering alternatives.
• Alternate worlds: Ask your team to consider how various personas would manage the problem. For instance, how would a pilot approach it? What about a young child? What about a seasoned engineer?

It can be tempting to fall back on how problems have been solved before, especially if they worked well. However, if you’re striving for innovation, relying on existing systems can stunt your company’s growth.

Related: How to Be a More Creative Problem-Solver at Work: 8 Tips

Why Is Problem-Solving Important for Leaders?

While obstacles’ specifics vary between industries, strong problem-solving skills are crucial for leaders in any field.

Whether building a new product or dealing with internal issues, you’re bound to come up against challenges. Having frameworks and tools at your disposal when they arise can turn issues into opportunities.

As a leader, it’s rarely your responsibility to solve a problem single-handedly, so it’s crucial to know how to empower employees to work together to find the best solution.

Your job is to guide them through each step of the framework and set the parameters and prompts within which they can be creative. Then, you can develop a list of ideas together, test the best ones, and implement the chosen solution.

Related: 5 Design Thinking Skills for Business Professionals

4 Problem-Solving Skills All Leaders Need

1. problem framing.

One key skill for any leader is framing problems in a way that makes sense for their organization. Problem framing is defined in Design Thinking and Innovation as determining the scope, context, and perspective of the problem you’re trying to solve.

“Before you begin to generate solutions for your problem, you must always think hard about how you’re going to frame that problem,” Datar says in the course.

For instance, imagine you work for a company that sells children’s sneakers, and sales have plummeted. When framing the problem, consider:

• What is the children’s sneaker market like right now?
• Should we improve the quality of our sneakers?
• Should we assess all children’s footwear?
• Is this a marketing issue for children’s sneakers specifically?
• Is this a bigger issue that impacts how we should market or produce all footwear?

While there’s no one right way to frame a problem, how you do can impact the solutions you generate. It’s imperative to accurately frame problems to align with organizational priorities and ensure your team generates useful ideas for your firm.

To solve a problem, you need to empathize with those impacted by it. Empathy is the ability to understand others’ emotions and experiences. While many believe empathy is a fixed trait, it’s a skill you can strengthen through practice.

When confronted with a problem, consider whom it impacts. Returning to the children’s sneaker example, think of who’s affected:

• Your organization’s employees, because sales are down
• The customers who typically buy your sneakers
• The children who typically wear your sneakers

Empathy is required to get to the problem’s root and consider each group’s perspective. Assuming someone’s perspective often isn’t accurate, so the best way to get that information is by collecting user feedback.

For instance, if you asked customers who typically buy your children’s sneakers why they’ve stopped, they could say, “A new brand of children’s sneakers came onto the market that have soles with more traction. I want my child to be as safe as possible, so I bought those instead.”

When someone shares their feelings and experiences, you have an opportunity to empathize with them. This can yield solutions to their problem that directly address its root and shows you care. In this case, you may design a new line of children’s sneakers with extremely grippy soles for added safety, knowing that’s what your customers care most about.

Related: 3 Effective Methods for Assessing Customer Needs

3. Breaking Cognitive Fixedness

Cognitive fixedness is a state of mind in which you examine situations through the lens of past experiences. This locks you into one mindset rather than allowing you to consider alternative possibilities.

For instance, your cognitive fixedness may make you think rubber is the only material for sneaker treads. What else could you use? Is there a grippier alternative you haven’t considered?

Problem-solving is all about overcoming cognitive fixedness. You not only need to foster this skill in yourself but among your team.

4. Creating a Psychologically Safe Environment

As a leader, it’s your job to create an environment conducive to problem-solving. In a psychologically safe environment, all team members feel comfortable bringing ideas to the table, which are likely influenced by their personal opinions and experiences.

If employees are penalized for “bad” ideas or chastised for questioning long-held procedures and systems, innovation has no place to take root.

By employing the design thinking framework and creative problem-solving exercises, you can foster a setting in which your team feels comfortable sharing ideas and new, innovative solutions can grow.

How to Build Problem-Solving Skills

The most obvious answer to how to build your problem-solving skills is perhaps the most intimidating: You must practice.

Again and again, you’ll encounter challenges, use creative problem-solving tools and design thinking frameworks, and assess results to learn what to do differently next time.

While most of your practice will occur within your organization, you can learn in a lower-stakes setting by taking an online course, such as Design Thinking and Innovation . Datar guides you through each tool and framework, presenting real-world business examples to help you envision how you would approach the same types of problems in your organization.

Are you interested in uncovering innovative solutions for your organization’s business problems? Explore Design Thinking and Innovation —one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses —to learn how to leverage proven frameworks and tools to solve challenges. Not sure which course is right for you? Download our free flowchart .

About the Author

5 Examples of Problem-Solving in The Workplace

By Christina Colclough

Last updated: January 12, 2024

When you’re in a job interview, you can almost bet on being asked about your problem-solving experiences. This skill is always high on employers’ wish lists. Walk in with a few solid examples up your sleeve and talk about them with confidence – that’s what grabs their attention.

In this post, I’ll guide you through picking the right problem-solving in workplace examples and articulating them in a way that will make you stand out.

In this article:

What is problem solving.

At its core, this skill is all about spotting issues and then working out the smartest ways to sort them out. In the workplace, this skill keeps things running smoothly because challenges always pop up.

In any job, you’re bound to bump into a range of problems. It could be meeting a tight deadline, handling customer complaints, or resolving misunderstandings among team members. Each of these difficult situations needs a cool head and a clear strategy.

Dealing with these issues well is crucial because it keeps the wheels turning. Effective problem-solving means fewer hiccups in projects, better teamwork, and happier customers. It’s like oiling the cogs of a machine.

That is why interviewers like myself often drill down into the candidates’ problem-solving abilities with questions like “ Tell me about a time you solved a problem ” or “ Can you describe a situation where you had to overcome a significant challenge? “

We want to know if you’re the kind of person who faces challenges head-on or if you tend to sweep them under the rug. We’re looking for someone who not only spots issues but also comes up with smart solutions and puts them into action. It’s all about ensuring that, when the going gets tough, you’ve got the skills to keep things on track.

How to Answer Problem-Solving Interview Questions

When you’re in an interview and asked about problem-solving, it’s a golden opportunity to show your skills. In my experience, a great approach is to use the STAR technique. This strategy helps structure your answer in a clear and compelling way.

Let’s break down what each part of STAR stands for:

• Situation : Describe the context within which you had to solve a problem.
• Task : Explain the actual problem or challenge you were facing.
• Action : Describe the actions you took to address the problem.
• Result : Share the outcomes of your actions.

In this step, your goal is to give the interviewer a snapshot of your scenario.

Let’s say you had to deal with a significant drop in team morale and productivity. At the beginning of your response, you want to set the context for your story. This should include where you were working, your role, and the initial problem.

The key here is to be concise but provide enough detail to paint a clear picture like this:

“In my previous role as a team leader, I noticed a sudden drop in team morale and productivity. This was unusual for our normally energetic and efficient team.”

Common Situations

Here are some other common situations you can mention in your answer:

• Resolving an issue with a difficult client when they complain about a product or service
• Figuring out a solution when equipment or technology breaks down or fails
• Dealing with a mistake you’ve made on an important project
• Handling a tight deadline when unexpected challenges threaten completion
• Settling a dispute between colleagues who aren’t getting along
• Improving productivity for a team that is underperforming
• Persuading colleagues to get on board with an idea they are resistant to

How to Answer With Limited Experience

Don’t worry if you just graduated or have little work experience. Think about examples from school group projects, internships, or part-time jobs like these:

• Coordinating schedules for a group presentation when everyone has different availabilities
• Resolving a disagreement over roles for a big class project
• Finding ways to improve your team’s process when a professor gives feedback
• Managing deadlines and deliverables with classmates who had competing priorities
• Convincing peers to adopt your proposed solution for an assignment
• Addressing complaints from a classmate about unequal workloads

Clarify the problem you had to tackle. What was expected of you? What complex challenge did you need to address? Here, you’re setting up the specific problem that you were tasked with solving.

Remember, the focus is on the problem, not yet on your actions. Using the above example, here is what you can talk about:

“My task was to identify the causes of this decline and implement a strategy to boost morale and productivity. I needed to make sure our team could return to its usual high-performance level.”

Describe the steps you took to solve the problem. Think about how you analyzed the situation, decided on a course of action, and implemented it. It should show your critical thinking and analytical skills.

“To tackle this, I first conducted one-on-one meetings with team members to understand their concerns and gather feedback. Based on these insights, I realized that a recent change in company policy was causing stress.

I advocated for my team’s concerns with upper management and worked with them to modify the policy. At the same time, I initiated team-building activities and regular check-ins to foster a more supportive and open team environment.”

Finally, talk about the outcomes of your actions. Employers want to know your problem-solving drives real improvements. Also, highlight any positive feedback from your boss or team members, and if possible, quantify the success.

“As a result of these actions, we saw a significant improvement in team morale within a month. Productivity levels bounced back, and the team’s overall satisfaction with their work environment increased.

This experience not only taught me valuable lessons about team dynamics but also reinforced the importance of proactive communication and advocacy for team needs.”

Here are some other outcomes to highlight in your answer:

• Resolving an issue with a difficult client : Client satisfaction restored, future business secured
• Fixing broken equipment : Equipment operational again, no more disruptions to operations
• Dealing with a mistake : Error corrected, a new process implemented to prevent recurrence
• Handling a deadline : Project completed on time, client received deliverable as promised
• Settling a dispute : Conflict resolved, team collaboration and morale improved
• Boosting team productivity : Increased output, goals reached, performance metrics improved
• Persuading colleagues : Proposal approved, a new initiative launched successfully

5 Examples Of Problem-Solving Skills

1. Improving Collaboration in a Stalled Project

Here is a sample you can use when explaining how you improved team collaboration on a project:

“Our team was tasked with developing a new financial management web application. However, we hit a snag and missed two crucial milestones. The core issue was a breakdown in communication – team members were not proactively sharing updates on delays or challenges they encountered.

To address this, I instituted daily 15-minute standup meetings. These sessions provided a platform for everyone to voice concerns and update the team on their progress. We also started tracking tasks in a shared spreadsheet so everyone had more visibility into the project.

Within two weeks, collaboration and communication improved significantly. We renegotiated the timeline with stakeholders, and the project team delivered the web app only 1 week after the original deadline.

The processes we put in place didn’t just help us with this project but also significantly boosted our efficiency on later projects.”

2. Revitalizing a Marketing Campaign

This is how you can describe a time you turned around a marketing campaign:

“In my last marketing role, I was responsible for a campaign promoting a new line of eco-friendly skincare products. Midway through, we found that our engagement metrics were dismal, particularly with our targeted demographic of people aged 20-30.

Upon reviewing our approach, I realized our messaging was too generic and failed to connect with this specific group’s interests and values. I spearheaded a strategy shift, focusing on the environmental benefits and ethical sourcing, aspects we found resonated more with a slightly older demographic, females aged 25-35, who were more invested in sustainable living.

We also pivoted our advertising to platforms popular with this demographic, like eco-conscious lifestyle blogs and organic beauty forums. This shift led to a 40% increase in engagement and contributed greatly to the success of our product launch, exceeding our initial sales targets.”

3. Streamlining Operational Processes

Here’s an example to illustrate how you tackled inefficiencies in operational processes:

“As an operations manager at a mid-sized electronics manufacturer, I noticed our product delivery was consistently delayed.

I identified the root cause as a bottleneck in our supply chain. In particular, a stage where manual data entry from manufacturing to logistics was causing significant hold-ups.

Realizing the need for efficiency, I proposed automating this stage. We collaborated with the IT department and implemented a barcode scanning system that integrated manufacturing output with our logistics database.

This change cut down the processing time by 30%, drastically improving our on-time delivery rate. It not only led to an upswing in customer satisfaction but also streamlined our inventory management, reducing both operational delays and costs.”

4. Resolving Communication Barriers Between Teams

This example demonstrates a solution for inter-departmental communication issues:

“In my previous role, I observed recurring conflicts between the sales and product development teams. These were mainly due to misunderstandings and a lack of clear communication about product updates. This led to promises being made to customers that the product team couldn’t fulfill.

To bridge this gap, I proposed and facilitated a series of joint workshops between the two teams. These sessions focused on aligning the teams’ understanding of product capabilities and timelines. Additionally, I initiated a bi-weekly newsletter and a shared digital workspace where both teams could update each other on developments and feedback.

The result was a significant improvement in inter-team collaboration. The sales team was better informed about product limitations and timelines, leading to more realistic commitments to customers.

Meanwhile, the product team received valuable market feedback directly from the sales team. It helped them tailor developments to customer needs. This collaborative approach not only reduced conflicts but also led to better product-market alignment.”

5. Resolving Customer Complaints and Enhancing Service Quality

This highlights an approach to customer service challenges:

“In my role as a customer service manager, I was faced with increasing customer complaints regarding delayed response times. This issue was affecting customer satisfaction and had the potential to harm our company’s reputation.

I started by analyzing our customer service processes and discovered that our response system was outdated and inefficient. To rectify this, I led the implementation of a new customer relationship management (CRM) system that streamlined our customer service workflow.

This system included automated responses for common queries and a more efficient ticketing process for complex issues. I also organized a series of training sessions for the customer service team to ensure they were well-versed in using the new system and could provide more effective solutions to customers.

Implementing these changes led to a huge reduction in response time and a significant drop in customer complaints. Our team also received positive feedback for improved service quality, which was reflected in our customer satisfaction surveys.”

Tips on Improving Problem-Solving Skills

Problem-solving is a career-long skill, not just needed for some interviews. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned pro, honing these skills can make a big difference in how you handle challenges at work.

Understand Before Assuming

Jumping to conclusions can be a trap. When a problem arises, take a step back and get a clear picture of what’s actually going on. This means holding off on assumptions until you’ve gathered all the facts.

Sometimes, the real issue isn’t what it seems at first glance. Doing a bit of digging to understand the root cause can lead you to a more effective solution.

Research and Learn from the Past

History often repeats itself, and this is true for workplace problems, too. When faced with a challenge, look into whether similar issues have popped up before.

How were they handled? What worked and what didn’t? Learning from past experiences, whether your own or someone else’s, can be a goldmine of insights.

Brainstorm With Creative Thinking

When thinking about potential solutions, avoid locking yourself into the first idea that comes to mind. Brainstorming can open up a world of possibilities and creative solutions. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Sometimes, the most unconventional ideas turn out to be the best solutions.

Always Have a Plan B

Even the best-laid plans can go awry. That’s why having a contingency plan is a must.

Think about what could go wrong and how to contain any further issues. This doesn’t mean you’re expecting the worst, but rather, you’re prepared to handle it efficiently if it does happen.

Team Decisions and Communication

Solving problems isn’t a solo mission. Make decisions as a team and keep everyone in the loop.

Clear communication is a valuable soft skill that helps everyone understand the plan and their role in it. Plus, this is how you can bring new perspectives and ideas to the table and make your solution even stronger.

Timeframe and Flexibility

Set a timeframe for your action plan, but be flexible. If something isn’t working, be ready to pivot and try a different approach. Sticking rigidly to a plan that’s not delivering results won’t do anyone any favors.

See more interview tips: How To Write A Follow-Up Email After Interview 3 Examples For Thank-You Email After Interview 8 Examples of Challenges You Have Overcome At Work 6 sample answers of accomplishments at work 5 Examples of Problem-Solving in The Workplace How To Ask for Feedback After Job Rejection How to Explain The Reason for Leaving a Job on Applications For Interview Question: What Do You Like To Do For Fun? What Are You Most Passionate About? What Are You Looking For In Your Next Job? Why Are You Interested In This Position? What Accomplishments Are You Most Proud Of?

Frequently Asked Questions

Are problem-solving skills that important.

Absolutely. No matter where you work, there’s always a curveball now and then. Having the knack to quickly think on your feet, break down a problem, and come up with a solution is a game-changer.

How Do I Sell Myself as a Problem Solver?

Storytelling is your best bet here. The trick is to paint a picture where you’re the person who spots the problem and then creatively solves it, not just someone who follows instructions.

How Do I Choose Good Examples for a Job Interview?

Pick examples that show you’re not just a one-trick pony. What I find impressive is when someone can demonstrate their thought process – how they analyzed the issue, got creative with solutions, and then put their plan into action.

What Are the Key Attributes of a Good Problem Solver?

They’re the kind of people who don’t rush to conclusions. Instead, they take their time to understand the problem, explore different angles, and weigh their options.

Adaptability is also key – they can roll with the punches and adjust their plans as needed. And, of course, they’re great at getting their point across, ensuring everyone’s on the same page.

What Are the Major Obstacles to Problem Solving?

From what I’ve seen, the big hurdles are often not having enough info, sticking too rigidly to old mindsets, and letting biases lead the way. It’s easy to get tunnel vision, especially if you’re used to doing things a certain way.

Also, not bringing different perspectives to the table can really limit your options.

As you step into the next interview, remember two key things: confidence and clarity. Trust in your abilities and the experiences you bring to the table. Learn how the above problem-solving examples can paint a vivid picture of your challenge and how you tackled it. Most importantly, let those stories reflect your skills and how you can be an asset to any team.

Christina J. Colclough

Dr Christina J. Colclough is an expert on The Future World of Work and the politics of digital technology advocating globally for the importance of the workers’ voice. She has extensive regional and global labour movement experience, is a sought-after keynote speaker, coach, and strategist advising progressive governments and worker organisations.

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8 Effective problem-solving strategies for managers

What are problem-solving strategies why is it important, some common problem-solving steps include, 8 problem-solving strategies, what skills do efficient problem-solving managers have, how to apply problem-solving strategies in real-life situations, conclusion , frequently asked questions.

• Defining the problem
• Gathering information
• Generating alternative solutions
• Evaluating potential solutions
• Selecting the best solution
• Implementing and monitoring the chosen solution

• Brainstorming:  It is a problem-solving strategy involving generating as many ideas as possible to address a problem. In the workplace, managers can use brainstorming to encourage creativity and collaboration among team members. For example, a manager who wants to improve customer satisfaction can gather their team and encourage them to develop as many ideas as possible to achieve that goal. Some benefits of brainstorming are that it can generate many ideas and foster collaboration and a sense of ownership among team members. It is also a low-risk strategy that encourages creativity.
• Trial and error:  It is a problem-solving strategy that involves trying different approaches until a solution is found. Managers can use trial and error to experiment with different solutions to a problem. For example, a manager trying to improve productivity may experiment with different workflows or processes until they find one that works. One drawback of this problem-solving strategy is that it can be time-consuming, and some solutions may need to be more feasible and practical. Additionally, this strategy can be frustrating and demotivating for team members if they feel like progress is not being made.
• Kipling method:  The Kipling method is a strategy that involves asking a series of questions to understand a problem better. Managers can use the Kipling method to ensure they fully understand a problem before trying to solve it. For example, if a manager is trying to improve employee engagement, they may use the Kipling method to ask questions like “What is the problem?”, “Why is it a problem?”, “Who is affected by the problem?” and “When does the problem occur?” The Kipling method can help managers better understand a problem and identify the relevant factors that must be considered. This helps ensure that the chosen solution is effective.
• Work backward:  This problem-solving strategy involves starting with the desired outcome and working backward to identify the steps needed to achieve it. In the workplace, managers can use this strategy to reverse engineer a solution to a problem. For example, if a manager wants to increase sales, they can ask themselves, “What needs to happen for us to achieve that goal?” and then work backward from there. Following this strategy can help managers identify the key steps needed to achieve a goal and ensure their efforts focus on the most important activities. It can also help to break down a complex problem into smaller, more manageable parts.
• Heuristics:  It is a problem-solving strategy that relies on rules of thumb or intuition rather than a systematic approach. In the workplace, managers can use heuristics to make quick decisions based on their experience and expertise. For example, a manager may use intuition to identify the best candidate for a job based on their previous hiring experiences. The problem-solving strategy heuristics can help managers to make quick decisions when time is limited and can also help to streamline decision-making by eliminating the need for a systematic approach. Additionally, heuristics can be helpful for experienced managers who have developed a strong sense of intuition and expertise in their field.
• Draw the problem:  This is a problem-solving strategy that involves visualizing a problem to gain a better understanding of its components and relationships. Managers can use this strategy in the workplace to better understand complex problems and identify potential solutions. For example, a manager may draw a diagram to visualize the workflow of a particular process and identify areas where bottlenecks occur. However, the biggest drawback of this strategy is that it can be time-consuming and may not be necessary for every problem. Additionally, some team members may not be visual learners and may not find this strategy helpful.
• Get peer advice:  This problem-solving strategy involves seeking input from colleagues or experts to gain a fresh perspective on a problem. Managers can use this strategy to tap into the expertise of their team or other professionals in their field. For example, a manager may seek input from a colleague with experience with a particular process or technology. However, the drawback of getting peers’ advice is that it can be time-consuming, and not all colleagues or experts may be willing or able to provide input. Additionally, seeking information from others may not always be practical, particularly if the problem requires a quick solution.
• Sleep on it:  It is a problem-solving strategy that involves taking a break from a problem and returning to it with a fresh perspective after rest or reflection. Managers use this strategy to avoid making hasty decisions or overcome mental blocks preventing progress. For example, a manager may take a break from a project that is causing them frustration and return to it the next day with a clearer mind. This strategy can help managers to avoid making rash decisions or succumbing to mental blocks and can also help to improve creativity and problem-solving ability.
• Critical thinking
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Analytical skills
• Adaptability
• Decision-making
• Time management
• Risk management
• Evaluate the solutions: Evaluate each potential solution to determine which is the most effective and feasible for the situation.
• Implement the solution: Choose the best solution and implement it. Develop a plan of action, allocate resources, and assign roles and responsibilities.
• Monitor and evaluate the results: Monitor the solution’s progress and effectiveness. Make adjustments as necessary to ensure the desired outcomes are achieved.
• Reflect and learn: After implementing the solution, reflect on the problem-solving process and identify areas for improvement. Learn from the experience and use the knowledge gained to improve future problem-solving efforts.

Are your problem-solving strategies effective?

Find out now with the help of the problem-solving assessment for managers and team leaders.

What are the 4 types of problem-solving strategies?

What are the five 5 most common methods of problem-solving  , why do managers need problem-solving strategies in the workplace.

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