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• Art Of Problem Solving
• Problem Solving Definition
• Problem Solving In Management

Problem solving is the act of defining a problem; determining the cause of the problem; identifying, prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution.

Problem solving consists of using generic or ad hoc methods in an orderly manner to find solutions to problems. Some of the problem-solving techniques developed and used in philosophy, artificial intelligence, computer science, engineering, mathematics, or medicine are related to mental problem-solving. Problem solving and Problem analysis tools. Problem solving and analysis forms an integral part of continuous improvement and allows the appropriate selection of kaizen, process analysis and lean concepts not only to solve problems but to uncover hidden opportunities and areas which are under performing.

Problem Solving Chart

1. Problem solving, Process involved in finding a solution to a problem. Many animals routinely solve problems of locomotion, food finding, and shelter through trial and error.
2. “Solving a problem for which you know there’s an answer is like climbing a mountain with a guide, along a trail someone else has laid. In mathematics, the truth is somewhere out there in a place no one knows, beyond all the beaten paths.
3. Problem solving is an exceptionally important workplace skill. Being a competent and confident problem solver will create many opportunities for you. By using a well-developed model like Simplexity Thinking for solving problems, you can approach the process systematically, and be comfortable that the decisions you make are solid.

The Problem-Solving Process

In order to effectively manage and run a successful organization, leadership must guide their employees and develop problem-solving techniques. Finding a suitable solution for issues can be accomplished by following the basic four-step problem-solving process and methodology outlined below.

1. Define the problem

Diagnose the situation so that your focus is on the problem, not just its symptoms. Helpful problem-solving techniques include using flowcharts to identify the expected steps of a process and cause-and-effect diagrams to define and analyze root causes.

The sections below help explain key problem-solving steps. These steps support the involvement of interested parties, the use of factual information, comparison of expectations to reality, and a focus on root causes of a problem. You should begin by:

• Reviewing and documenting how processes currently work (i.e., who does what, with what information, using what tools, communicating with what organizations and individuals, in what time frame, using what format).
• Evaluating the possible impact of new tools and revised policies in the development of your 'what should be' model.

2. Generate alternative solutions

Postpone the selection of one solution until several problem-solving alternatives have been proposed. Considering multiple alternatives can significantly enhance the value of your ideal solution. Once you have decided on the 'what should be' model, this target standard becomes the basis for developing a road map for investigating alternatives. Brainstorming and team problem-solving techniques are both useful tools in this stage of problem solving.

Many alternative solutions to the problem should be generated before final evaluation. A common mistake in problem solving is that alternatives are evaluated as they are proposed, so the first acceptable solution is chosen, even if it’s not the best fit. If we focus on trying to get the results we want, we miss the potential for learning something new that will allow for real improvement in the problem-solving process.

3. Evaluate and select an alternative

Skilled problem solvers use a series of considerations when selecting the best alternative. They consider the extent to which:

• A particular alternative will solve the problem without causing other unanticipated problems.
• All the individuals involved will accept the alternative.
• Implementation of the alternative is likely.
• The alternative fits within the organizational constraints.

4. Implement and follow up on the solution

Leaders may be called upon to direct others to implement the solution, 'sell' the solution, or facilitate the implementation with the help of others. Involving others in the implementation is an effective way to gain buy-in and support and minimize resistance to subsequent changes.

Regardless of how the solution is rolled out, feedback channels should be built into the implementation. This allows for continuous monitoring and testing of actual events against expectations. Problem solving, and the techniques used to gain clarity, are most effective if the solution remains in place and is updated to respond to future changes.

Problem Solving Resources

You can also search articles, case studies, and publications for problem solving resources.

Books

Articles

One Good Idea: Some Sage Advice (Quality Progress) The person with the problem just wants it to go away quickly, and the problem-solvers also want to resolve it in as little time as possible because they have other responsibilities. Whatever the urgency, effective problem-solvers have the self-discipline to develop a complete description of the problem.

Diagnostic Quality Problem Solving: A Conceptual Framework And Six Strategies (Quality Management Journal) This paper contributes a conceptual framework for the generic process of diagnosis in quality problem solving by identifying its activities and how they are related.

Weathering The Storm (Quality Progress) Even in the most contentious circumstances, this approach describes how to sustain customer-supplier relationships during high-stakes problem solving situations to actually enhance customer-supplier relationships.

The Right Questions (Quality Progress) All problem solving begins with a problem description. Make the most of problem solving by asking effective questions.

Solving the Problem (Quality Progress) Brush up on your problem-solving skills and address the primary issues with these seven methods.

Case Studies

Art Of Problem Solving

Refreshing Louisville Metro’s Problem-Solving System (Journal for Quality and Participation) Organization-wide transformation can be tricky, especially when it comes to sustaining any progress made over time. In Louisville Metro, a government organization based in Kentucky, many strategies were used to enact and sustain meaningful transformation.

Webcasts

Making the Connection In this exclusive QP webcast, Jack ReVelle, ASQ Fellow and author, shares how quality tools can be combined to create a powerful problem-solving force.

8-step Problem Solving Process Learn a simple 8-step problem solving process.

Adapted from The Executive Guide to Improvement and Change, ASQ Quality Press.

© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.

Sections of This Topic Include

Guidelines to Rational Problem Solving and Decision Making
Rational Versus Organic Approach to Problem Solving and Decision Making

General Guidelines to Problem Solving and Decision Making
Various Methods and Tools for Problem Solving and Decision Making
General Resources for Problem Solving and Decision Making

Also consider
Related Library Topics

(Also see the closely related topics Decision Making, Group-Based Problem Solving and Decision Making and Planning -- Basics.)

What is Your Personal Decision-Making Style?

There are many styles of making decisions, ranging from very rational and linear to organic and unfolding. Take this online assessment to determine your own style.

Do you want to improve or polish your style? Consider the many guidelines included below.

Guidelines to Problem Solving and Decision Making (Rational Approach)

Much of what people do is solve problems and make decisions. Often, they are 'under the gun', stressed and very short for time. Consequently, when they encounter a new problem or decision they must make, they react with a decision that seemed to work before. It's easy with this approach to get stuck in a circle of solving the same problem over and over again. Therefore, it's often useful to get used to an organized approach to problem solving and decision making. Not all problems can be solved and decisions made by the following, rather rational approach. However, the following basic guidelines will get you started. Don't be intimidated by the length of the list of guidelines. After you've practiced them a few times, they'll become second nature to you -- enough that you can deepen and enrich them to suit your own needs and nature.

(Note that it might be more your nature to view a 'problem' as an 'opportunity'. Therefore, you might substitute 'problem' for 'opportunity' in the following guidelines.)

1. Define the problem

This is often where people struggle. They react to what they think the problem is. Instead, seek to understand more about why you think there's a problem.

Define the problem: (with input from yourself and others). Ask yourself and others, the following questions:

1. What can you see that causes you to think there's a problem?
2. Where is it happening?
3. How is it happening?
4. When is it happening?
5. With whom is it happening? (HINT: Don't jump to 'Who is causing the problem?' When we're stressed, blaming is often one of our first reactions. To be an effective manager, you need to address issues more than people.)
6. Why is it happening?
7. Write down a five-sentence description of the problem in terms of 'The following should be happening, but isn't ...' or 'The following is happening and should be: ...' As much as possible, be specific in your description, including what is happening, where, how, with whom and why. (It may be helpful at this point to use a variety of research methods.

Defining complex problems:

If the problem still seems overwhelming, break it down by repeating steps 1-7 until you have descriptions of several related problems.

Verifying your understanding of the problems:

It helps a great deal to verify your problem analysis for conferring with a peer or someone else.

Prioritize the problems:

If you discover that you are looking at several related problems, then prioritize which ones you should address first.

Note the difference between 'important' and 'urgent' problems. Often, what we consider to be important problems to consider are really just urgent problems. Important problems deserve more attention. For example, if you're continually answering 'urgent' phone calls, then you've probably got a more 'important' problem and that's to design a system that screens and prioritizes your phone calls.

Understand your role in the problem:

Your role in the problem can greatly influence how you perceive the role of others. For example, if you're very stressed out, it'll probably look like others are, too, or, you may resort too quickly to blaming and reprimanding others. Or, you are feel very guilty about your role in the problem, you may ignore the accountabilities of others.

2. Look at potential causes for the problem

• It's amazing how much you don't know about what you don't know. Therefore, in this phase, it's critical to get input from other people who notice the problem and who are effected by it.
• It's often useful to collect input from other individuals one at a time (at least at first). Otherwise, people tend to be inhibited about offering their impressions of the real causes of problems.
• Write down what your opinions and what you've heard from others.
• Regarding what you think might be performance problems associated with an employee, it's often useful to seek advice from a peer or your supervisor in order to verify your impression of the problem.
• Write down a description of the cause of the problem and in terms of what is happening, where, when, how, with whom and why.

3. Identify alternatives for approaches to resolve the problem

At this point, it's useful to keep others involved (unless you're facing a personal and/or employee performance problem). Brainstorm for solutions to the problem. Very simply put, brainstorming is collecting as many ideas as possible, then screening them to find the best idea. It's critical when collecting the ideas to not pass any judgment on the ideas -- just write them down as you hear them. (A wonderful set of skills used to identify the underlying cause of issues is Systems Thinking.)

4. Select an approach to resolve the problem

• When selecting the best approach, consider:
• Which approach is the most likely to solve the problem for the long term?
• Which approach is the most realistic to accomplish for now? Do you have the resources? Are they affordable? Do you have enough time to implement the approach?
• What is the extent of risk associated with each alternative?

(The nature of this step, in particular, in the problem solving process is why problem solving and decision making are highly integrated.)

5. Plan the implementation of the best alternative (this is your action plan)

1. Carefully consider 'What will the situation look like when the problem is solved?'
2. What steps should be taken to implement the best alternative to solving 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 someone is 'just going to try harder'.
3. How will you know if the steps are being followed or not? (these are your indicators of the success of your plan)
4. What resources will you need in terms of people, money and facilities?
5. How much time will you need to implement the solution? Write a schedule that includes the start and stop times, and when you expect to see certain indicators of success.
6. Who will primarily be responsible for ensuring implementation of the plan?
7. Write down the answers to the above questions and consider this as your action plan.
8. Communicate the plan to those who will involved in implementing it and, at least, to your immediate supervisor.

Problem Solving Definition

(An important aspect of this step in the problem-solving process is continually observation and feedback.)

6. Monitor implementation of the plan

Monitor the indicators of success:

1. Are you seeing what you would expect from the indicators?
2. Will the plan be done according to schedule?
3. If the plan is not being followed as expected, then consider: Was the plan realistic? Are there sufficient resources to accomplish the plan on schedule? Should more priority be placed on various aspects of the plan? Should the plan be changed?

7. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not

One of the best ways to verify if a problem has been solved or not is to resume normal operations in the organization. Still, you should consider:

1. What changes should be made to avoid this type of problem in the future? Consider changes to policies and procedures, training, etc.
2. Lastly, consider 'What did you learn from this problem solving?' Consider new knowledge, understanding and/or skills.
3. Consider writing a brief memo that highlights the success of the problem solving effort, and what you learned as a result. Share it with your supervisor, peers and subordinates.

Rational Versus Organic Approach to Problem Solving

Rational

A person with this preference often prefers using a comprehensive and logical approach similar to the guidelines in the above section. For example, the rational approach, described below, is often used when addressing large, complex matters in strategic planning.

1. Define the problem.
2. Examine all potential causes for the problem.
3. Identify all alternatives to resolve the problem.
4. Carefully select an alternative.
5. Develop an orderly implementation plan to implement that best alternative.
6. Carefully monitor implementation of the plan.
7. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not.

A major advantage of this approach is that it gives a strong sense of order in an otherwise chaotic situation and provides a common frame of reference from which people can communicate in the situation. A major disadvantage of this approach is that it can take a long time to finish. Some people might argue, too, that the world is much too chaotic for the rational approach to be useful.

Organic

Some people assert that the dynamics of organizations and people are not nearly so mechanistic as to be improved by solving one problem after another. Often, the quality of an organization or life comes from how one handles being “on the road” itself, rather than the “arriving at the destination.” The quality comes from the ongoing process of trying, rather than from having fixed a lot of problems. For many people it is an approach to organizational consulting. The following quote is often used when explaining the organic (or holistic) approach to problem solving.

“All the greatest and most important problems in life are fundamentally insoluble … They can never be solved, but only outgrown. This “outgrowing” proves on further investigation to require a new level of consciousness. Some higher or wider interest appeared on the horizon and through this broadening of outlook, the insoluble lost its urgency. It was not solved logically in its own terms, but faded when confronted with a new and stronger life urge.”
From Jung, Carl, Psychological Types (Pantheon Books, 1923)

A major advantage of the organic approach is that it is highly adaptable to understanding and explaining the chaotic changes that occur in projects and everyday life. It also suits the nature of people who shun linear and mechanistic approaches to projects. The major disadvantage is that the approach often provides no clear frame of reference around which people can communicate, feel comfortable and measure progress toward solutions to problems.

Additional Guidelines for Problem Solving and Decision Making

Recommended Articles

Ten Tips for Beefing Up Your Problem Solving Tool Box
Problem Solving Techniques (extensive overview of various approaches)
Key Questions to Ask Before Selecting a Solution to a Business Problem

Additional Articles

Problem-solving and Decision-Making:
Top 5 Tips to Improve Concentration
Problem Solving and Decision Making - 12 Great Tips!
Powerful Problem Solving
Creative Problem-Solving
Leadership Styles and Problem Solving (focus on creativity)
Problem Solving
Forget About Causes, Focus on Solutions
Ten Tips for Beefing Up Your Problem-Solving Tool Box
Coaching Tip: Four Question Method for Proactive Problem Solving
Coaching Tip -- How to Bust Paralysis by Analysis
Appreciative Inquiry
Powerful Problem-Solving
Problem Solving Techniques
Guidelines for Selecting An Appropriate Problem Solving Approach
Factors to Consider in Figuring Out What to Do About A Problem
A Case for Reengineering the Problem Solving Process (somewhat advanced)
Courseware on Problemistics (The art & craft of problem dealing)
Key Questions to Ask Before Selecting a Solution to a Business Problem
Adapt your leadership style
Organic Approach to Problem Solving
Make Good Decisions, Avoid Bad Consequences
Priority Management: Are You Doing the Right Things?

General Guidelines for Decision Making

Decision Making Tips
How We Sometimes Fool Ourselves When Making Decisions (traps we can fall into)
More of Most Common Decision-Making Mistakes (more traps we can fall into)
When Your Organization's Decisions are in the Hands of Devils
Flawed Decision-making is Dangerous
Problem-solving and Decision-Making:
Five Tips for Making Better Decisions
Study Says People Make Better Decisions With a Full Bladder
What Everyone Should Know About Decision Making

Various Tools and Methods for Problem Solving and Decision Making

(Many people would agree that the following methods and toolsare also for decision-making.)

CostBenefit Analysis (for deciding based on costs)
DeBono Hats (for looking at a situation from many perspectives
DelphiDecision Making (to collect the views of experts and distill expert-basedsolutions)
DialecticDecision Making (rigorous action planning via examining oppositepoints of view)
Fishbone Diagram -- 5Steps to build Fishbone Diagram
Fishbowls(for groups to learn by watching modeled behaviors)
GridAnalysis (for choosing among many choices)
ParetoPrinciple (for finding the options that will make the most difference-- (20/80 rule')
for solving seemingly unsolvable contradictions
Rational Decision Making
SWOT Analysis (to analyze from strengths, weaknesses,opportunities and threats)
Voting
Work Breakdown Structure (for organizing and relatingmany details)

General Resources for Problem Solving and Decision Making

The Ultimate Problem-Solving Process Guide: 31 Steps and Resources
list of various tools
long list of tools
Mindtools
Decision Making Tools
Decision-making software: tools and tips
Appreciative Inquiry
Innovation
Decision Making
Group Decision Making and Problem Solving
Inquiry and Reflection
Mental Models (scan down to 'Mental Models')
Planning
Questioning
Research Methods
Reframing
Systems Thinking

Learn More in the Library's Blogs Related to Problem Solving and Decision Making

Problem Solving In Management

In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs that have posts related to this topic. Scan down the blog's page to see various posts. Also see the section 'Recent Blog Posts' in the sidebar of the blog or click on 'next' near the bottom of a post in the blog. The blog also links to numerous free related resources.

Library's Career Management Blog
Library's Coaching Blog
Library's Human Resources Blog
Library's Spirituality Blog

For the Category of Innovation:

To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you maywant to review some related topics, available from the link below.Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.
Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have beenselected for their relevance and highly practical nature.