General problem solving is the ability to find answers to problems using an organised thought process. There are various different approaches to general problem solving and associated decision making. The more commonly used process incorporates the following steps:
- Define the problem—a problem must be clearly understood if a solution is to be found. This can be achieved by breaking the information down into smaller components such as; what/when/how/where/who is it happening to? Also look at potential causes.
- Brainstorm possible solutions—this can be done either individually or in a team. It involves collecting as many ideas as possible (without judgment). It is important to also consider the consequences of each possible solution.
- Select or decide on a solution that seems best and put it into action - consider both short and long term implications, as well as time and resource constraints. Break the solution into smaller parts or steps and use a checklist to follow progress against planned activities. Be specific, provide time lines and allocate responsibility to relevant people when developing the checklist or action plan.
- After you have implemented the solution, evaluate your decision to see how well the solution solved the problem. Make relevant changes, if necessary and repeat step 3 above (i.e. checklist).
Effective problem solving and associated decision making is useful in most workplaces and therefore a valuable skill for employees in general.
Workplace adjustments and solutions:
There are aids and support networks available which can assist people who may experience difficulty with general problem solving within the workplace.
Prompts, reminders and checklists can assist people with problem solving as they can be used to assess the situation and provide information about the problem, such as what has been done, when and what is next.
Aids such as graphic organisers can assist people with problem solving. They provide an effective way, particularly for visual thinkers to arrange their ideas. With graphic organisers, you remove most of the words and focus on connections or links between ideas using only key words and images. This allows people to look at the whole problem as well as the inter-related smaller issues. Graphic organisers have many names including visual maps, mind mapping, and visual organisers. They can be used in several phases of problem solving such as; comparing and contrasting ideas in the decision making phase such as pros and cons grids or graphs, the action phase as an example visual checklists and the evaluation phase with cause and effect visual organisers:
Other supports such as job coaches, skills trainers and mentors in the workplace can assist people with problem solving skill development in the work place:
Also, specialist employment agencies who provide coaching and support on-the-job for people with disability may also be able to assist with learning how to problem solve at work. See the following link to search for a provider in your area (Please note that the link will open an external web site in a new page):
(Johnson & Lamb 2007; McNamara 1997 – 2008)
References:
McNamara, C. 1997-2008, Basic Guidelines to Problem Solving and Decision Making, Authenticity Consulting LLC, North Minneapolis, viewed 5 June 2009, <http://www.managementhelp.org/prsn_prd/prb_bsc.htm>.
Johnson, L. & Lamb, A. 2007, Learning Resources: Graphic Organisers, Teacher tap, online, viewed 5 June 2009, <http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic73.htm>.