Five Problem-Solving Mindsets You Should Embrace

Whether you are trying to improve productivity, resolve a quality issue, or resolve conflict; there is one critical factor which is often overlooked – a problem solving mindset. A problem solving mindset is essential in almost every are of life. Even with the best planning and preparation, things can go wrong. When this happens, your problem solving mindset will enable you to find the best path forward. You will be able to achieve your objectives quicker, help others find solutions to their problems, and reduce conflict and stress. When you have an effective problem solving mindset, you become a valuable resource for colleagues, friends, and family. 

The following are critical mindsets to embrace for more effective problem solving. 

1. Embrace the Challenge 

Do not take it as a problem, a pain or a burden, think of it as an opportunity to prove your value and it will definitely look much easier rather quickly. Problems don’t go away by ignoring them, if your competitors are doing better than you maybe isn’t luck, maybe we can improve our performance; just take it. 

2. Be Curious 

Do not look at things, see them instead; have an active observation of all the facts and ask yourself why things are the way they are even if they have always been that way. Don’t be afraid of asking, things many times have no clear reason to be on certain manner, they simply are that way because it was the best someone imagined at some point, but it can be certainly improved. 

3. Relentless Experimentation 

Complex problems don’t give up their solutions easily. Don’t rely on historical data, but experiment, learn and fail fast when dealing with a new situation. Be a restless experimenter. Through relentless experimentation and continuous discovery, you deepen your understanding of the issues, accumulate interdisciplinary knowledge or unique insight for figuring out optimal solutions.  

4. Be Critical 

Don’t spend time obsessing over what’s gone wrong, focus on the solution. Analyze problems through multiple lenses. Look beyond the common or typical solutions to seek a broader point of view. Come up with all the possible solutions, weigh their pros and cons, and make a more informed decision. When you see a problem with a fresh perspective, you see it as an opportunity to grow and come up with a new solution. Give them a chance to solve the problem.  

5. Show, Don’t Tell 

There’s a fine line between supporting and fixing. See your problems as opportunities to grow. When you attempt to solve someone else’s problem by giving advice or offering action, remember that you don’t want to rob the other person of the opportunity to use their own skills. 

There is a place for offering advice or your opinion, but I would suggest that you try giving it when asked, rather than by default. Practice listening, offering empathy, and perhaps asking questions that support the other to look within. Encourage them to seek their own answers. Remind them that their intuition knows best, and that it’s always there to provide answers much better than those anyone else could give. 

A problem solving mindset is crucial in every walk of life. When you have a problem solving mindset you understand the differences between actually solving the problem and merely changing the nature of the problem. When you have a problem solving mindset you have a range of skills and attributes which enable you to find the most appropriate solution to implement, in order to bring about the desired change.