Advance your complex problem-solving skill
No matter how well you plan or organize, there will always be unforeseen circumstances that require attention and resolution.The aim is to use a problem-solving process that provides you and your team with appropriate templates and tools to solve some problems collectively.
Imagine being in a position where you know exactly what to do to ensure an innovative and acceptable solution when you hit a problem during development or operations. It would give you the ultimate confidence when dealing with complex problems, knowing which template to use, who to speak to, and what type of questions to ask.
However, how can you reach a consensus on all aspects of the analysis to foster buy-in and commitment to implementation? Correctly handling problems using effective methods can help you demonstrate your skills and earn recognition within the organization.
Ultimately, the goal is to use a problem-solving process that provides you and your team with the “know-how,” confidence and flexibility needed for collaborative success. It could be gathering factual data, intuitive guesses, and creating innovative suggestions on how to solve a problem. The aim is to ensure the team keeps momentum to work on the problem. They need a robust and disciplined method that will help build momentum by solving each challenge efficiently so there are no glitches along the way. They need to know which template to utilize for what type of problem situation.
Five Approaches to Complex Problem Solving:
The complex problems typically involve five approaches with worked questions to cater to situations:
- The first project challenge could be when there are many issues, and no one knows how to proceed.
- The second problem situation is one where there is an ill-defined issue without any clear concept of what is involved.
- The third situation is a technical deviation from the standard. Again, the project team needs to find the precise cause of that deviation before the team can make any progress.
- The fourth approach involves taking innovative action so that an incident does not reoccur.
- The last situation is to think creatively about avoiding anything from going wrong with your implementation. It involves identifying hidden risks and creatively circumventing them so that it does not have any impact on your plan.
Effective and efficient solutions:
Good problem-solving practices have the following considerations that help you get effective and efficient solutions:
- Include the information sources closest to the problem being experienced. It is not about the “best brains” but rather a case of the “most appropriate” brains.
- The generated information is shared and documented to facilitate the team in reaching a mutually supported conclusion.
- Inputs, through collaboration with suitable information sources, are actively promoted.
- Enabling individuals to benefit from a solution without exclusion, results in an environment of boundless creativity, where ideas have no limitations.
- Keep an open mind while using them since anything could happen during your brainstorming session.
- Don’t be afraid if something doesn’t work right away – give yourself time before passing judgment.
The most basic purpose of the critical thinking methodologies is to ensure that the team members engage the suitable information sources to answer pre-defined questions, which enables the team to have a successful solution. In addition, this approach provides you and your team members to reach out to stakeholders in such a way that would stimulate innovative thinking.
Please remember those complex problems takes time, patience and practice. Having a reliable and adaptable solution at hand is crucial to achieving success, regardless of the complexity of the task. With a proven method in place, you are one step closer to achieving your goals. Furthermore, even by following the above considerations, you will be able to solve complex problems collectively as a team.
If you would like more information on using this approach effectively, please register for our eLearning course on complex problem-solving. This course will take an in-depth look at each step of the process and provide you with additional resources to apply these techniques to your work environment.
You can also watch my presentation on this topic here.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to receive more information about the courses available.
