Camarines Sur Polythechnic

Colleges
College of Engineering &
Architecture
Electronics Engineering
Department

PROBLEM
SOLVING

Skills
AT WORK

ABONAL CHARLENE G.
MARK BUENA
BSECE 2C
INSTRUCTOR
 Camarines Sur Polythechnic
Colleges
College of Engineering &
Architecture
Electronics Engineering
Department

Problem Solving Skills at Work

What Actually Are Problem-Solving Skills?

The OXFORD DICTIONARY describes problem-solving as “the process of finding solutions to

difficult or complex issues.”
But come on, James. Surely we already know what problem-solving skills are, it’s being able
to solve a problem, right?

At one level, you’re correct, but have you ever tried breaking down how you solve a
problem? There’s a lot more to it – let me explain the process.
1. Understand the problem – Problem-solving starts by fully understanding the issue at
hand. This requires many supplementary skills such as good communication (mainly
listening), empathy, and situational awareness.

The example – A Sales Exec goes to their manager with a problem – they’re
struggling to hit their sales target. The Sales Manager sits down with them to
understand the situation, where they are with their sales, and the gap to the target.

2. Analyze the root cause – Next, great problem-solvers seek to understand why the
problem exists by rooting out the underlying cause. This requires a wide range of
analysis skills such as data-gathering, fact-finding, and interviewing.

The example – The Sales Manager goes away and gathers some information about
the Sales Exec. They look at their CRM notes, speak with other team members, and
shadow the Sales Exec on the job.
3. Design creative solutions – Armed with all the information they need, the problem-
solver gets creative and comes up with some solutions. To do this, they need skills
such as creative thinking, collaboration, and options analysis.

The example – The Sales Manager comes up with some solutions to help their Sales
Exec. Options on the table include additional training, a structured work plan, and
re-prioritizing their workload.
4. Implement their plans – With all the solutions considered, the problem-solver now has
to put their plan into action. This is where the problem gets solved and will require
skills such as project management, decision-making, and time management.

The example – The Sales Manager lays out the next steps with the Sales Exec,
explaining the proposed solutions. The Sales Exec will do some re-training on the sales
process and will re-prioritize their workload to focus on particular, high-value
customers.
 Camarines Sur Polythechnic
Colleges
College of Engineering &
Architecture
Electronics Engineering
Department

5. Evaluate their solution – The work’s not done when the solution is implemented, as
the problem-solver needs to evaluate the effectiveness of their actions. This will
require skills such as observation, data-gathering, and teamwork to fully understand if
their solution has been effective or needs to be tweaked going forward.

The example – The Sales Exec completes their training and focuses on particular
customers. They begin to see some results and get much closer to hitting their target.
The problem was partially solved, so the Sales Manager also decides to action some
further improvements with the Sales Exec next month.
As you can see, problem-solving skills are actually pretty complex. They’re underpinned by
a range of other skills such as:
• Communication
• Situational Awareness
• Analysis
• Data Gathering
• Fact-Finding
• Creative Thinking
• Collaboration
• Team Working
• Project Management
• Decision Making
That’s why being an excellent problem-solver isn’t straightforward. It requires a broad mix
of hard and soft skills that have to be executed together to effectively solve a problem.
 Camarines Sur Polythechnic
Colleges
College of Engineering &
Architecture
Electronics Engineering
Department

Why Are Problem-Solving Skills so Important at Work?

The modern workplace is full of problems that need solving. As technology enables
organizations to move faster, employees have to be able to solve complex problems fast.
“Employers like to see good problem-solving skills because it also helps to show them you
have a range of other competencies such as logic, creativity, resilience, imagination,
lateral thinking, and determination.”
Here are some of the benefits amazing problem solvers bring to an organization and those
around them.
Problem-Solvers Work Well Under Pressure
When a problem arises, it needs to be fixed quickly. Employees with amazing problem-
solving skills roll with the punches and tight deadlines to deliver when it matters.
To do this, expert problem-solvers react quickly to short-term situations while thinking
proactively about future problems. That ability to act fast and effectively exuberates
confidence, creating a sense of calm across the wider team.
They Create Amazing New Ideas
Problem-solving and creative thinking go hand-in-hand. The best problem-solvers don’t just
put bandaids over an issue, they fix them in a dynamic, value-adding way.
Exciting, out-of-the-box thinking isn’t just good in the moment but creates an exciting,
innovative culture across the organization. That helps organizations stay ahead of the
curve and attracts other expert problem-solvers to join the organization, improving the
workforce’s capability over time.
 Camarines Sur Polythechnic
Colleges
College of Engineering &
Architecture
Electronics Engineering
Department

Problems Create Risk, and Problem-Solvers Fix Problems

From an organizational perspective, problems create risk. Even if a business process is
slightly off-kilter, it can become a much greater issue.
Problem-solvers help organizations reduce risk in the moment while mitigating future risks
before they even occur. That helps everyone sleep sounder at night and also removes
financial liability from the c-suite.
Problem-Solvers Beat The Competition
Ultimately, excellent problem-solvers help organizations stay ahead of their competition.
Whether through creative ideas, faster outputs, or reduced risk, organizations with
awesome problem solvers find themselves delivering better products and services to their
clients.
And as we all know, it’s the people that make an organization great, and problem-solvers
are some of the best people out there!
4 Common Problem-Solving Techniques Teams Can Use at Work
If you’ve got a team of wannabe problem-solvers, the good news is that it’s a skill that can
be improved over time.
Here are four problem-solving techniques you and your team can use to tackle problems in
your day-to-day business.
Understanding a Problem – 5 Whys
If you’re trying to get your head around a problem, the 5 whys technique is a great way to
uncover the root cause.
When presented with a problem, ask why that problem exists. Then for each answer, ask
again four more times until you’ve drilled right down into the root cause of the problem.
 Camarines Sur Polythechnic
Colleges
College of Engineering &
Architecture
Electronics Engineering
Department

This great diagram from MindTools shows the 5 whys problem-solving technique perfectly,
drilling down into this delivery problem until the true issue is identified.
Analyzing a Problem – SWOT Analysis
Once you understand the root cause of a problem, you need to analyze the position you
find yourself in to decide what to do next.
SWOT is a tool that’s useful across the business world, but for problem-solving, it’s a great
way to begin formalizing a solution by considering the following:
• Strengths – What does the business do well that you’d want to enhance?
• Weaknesses – What does the business not do well that you want to improve?
• Opportunities – Does the problem present the business a new opportunity to
succeed?
• Threats – Does the problem create a threat the business wants to avoid?
 Camarines Sur Polythechnic
Colleges
College of Engineering &
Architecture
Electronics Engineering
Department

By viewing your problem, and a potential solution through the SWOT lens, you consider the
internal and external perspectives to come up with a well-rounded solution.
Formulate Creative Solutions – Design Thinking
If your problem-solvers are struggling with new ideas, design thinking helps you get a fresh
and unique perspective.
The 5-step process first helps problem solvers empathize with the problem, then begin
defining and developing new ideas before prototyping and testing them.

Design thinking helps cut out the noise and refocus on the real-life benefits a solution can
deliver. If you’d like to read more, check out this article on design thinking for problem-
solving.
Implementing Action Plans – Trial & Error
For problem-solvers that need to come up with solutions fast, adopting a trial and error
mindset helps deploy ideas quickly and gain rapid feedback.
When you take the trial and error approach, you commit to simply going ahead and trying
different options to solve a given problem. When one fails, you stop and start over with
another option.
The key here is to be comfortable with failure by adopting a fail-fast mindset to work
through ideas until you find one that really sticks. This sort of philosophy is commonly used in
software development, sports, and pharmaceuticals, where it’s easy to continually pivot to
new ideas until you achieve the desired result.