Soft Skills/Competencies: Problem Solving

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

From the previous post onwards, we have started giving here a detailed treatment of some of the major soft skills/competencies. This will help you to understand these soft skills/competencies in quite clear ways so that you can actually implement these competencies for your overall success.

We gave a comprehensive list of all the possible soft skills/competencies in our blog at http://soft-skills-competencies.blogspot.com/, you may refer this URL.

We also recommend that you should have a good idea of what a competency matrix is while you are reading all the posts under our present blog. For this you may refer our blog on competency matrix at: http://competency-matrix.blogspot.com/

Explanation of Competency “Problem Solving”

• Defines the problem correctly. Makes a good problem statement.
• Decides on what data and information to collect to find out the causes of the problem.
• Sets up the cause and effect relationship accurately.
• Observes the underlying patterns in the problem.
• Defines the type and extent of information that must be collected to work out alternative solutions.
• Looks beyond obvious solutions. Uses creativity to find out better solutions.
• Decides on the most appropriate solution. Applies trade off analysis properly.
• Anticipates the hindrances to problem solving and takes care of them proactively, well in advance.
• Contributes his best when a group is working on solving the problem.
• Infuses critical thinking in solving a problem.
• Knows and further keeps learning where to look out for or whom to contact in the process of problem solving. Tries to become more and more resourceful.
• Escalates the problem to an appropriate person or level when it appears beyond his scope of cracking due to several reasons.
• Makes sure that the problem is tackled at the root level so that it does not surface again.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• Slowing down on taking (calculated) risk.
• Too much of unnecessary analysis what is generally known as analysis paralysis.
• Stealing the show from the other members of the group when the problem is being solved by a group.
• Taking up too much in case of escalation of the problem.
• Losing sight of time lines in order to find the best solution.

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

Also read “Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers” at http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/