The stages of problem solving

The problem solving process can be divided in different. ways and the stages have been given vario done to make it easier to understand but how it is divided and the labels that are used are not impo problem solver you need to understand what the stages involve and follow them methodically when problem. To be a successful problem solver you must go through these stages:

recognising and defining the problem finding possible solutions choosing the best solution implementing the solution. These stages are examined in detail in later articles, but here is a summary of what is involved at each stage.

1. Recognising and defining the problem Obviously, before any action can be taken to solve a problem, you need to recognise that a problem exists. A surprising number of problems go unnoticed or are only recognised when the situation becomes serious. Opportunities are also missed. There are specific techniques you can use to help you recognise problems and opportunities. Once you have recognised a problem you need to give it a label..... a tentative definition. This serves to focus your search for relevant information, from which you can write an accurate description or definition of the problem. The process of definition differs for closed and openended problems. With closed problems you need to define all the circumstances surrounding the deviation from the norm. Sometimes this will provide strong clues as to the cause of the problem.

Defining open-ended problems involves identifying and defining your objectives and any obstacles reaching them. The problem definition provides the basis for finding solutions. 2. Finding possible solutions

Closed problems generally have one or a limited number of possible solutions, while open-ended p solved in a large number of ways. The most effective solution to an open-ended problem is found b wide raJ.1ge of possibilities. Finding solutions involves analysing the problem to ensure that you ful constructing courses of action which will achieve your objective.

Analysing the problem involves identifying and collecting the relevant information and representing Analysing closed problems helps you to identify all the possible causes and confirm the real cause, for a solution. With open-ended problems you are looking for information which will help to suggest solve the problem. Analysis also helps you to decide what the ideal solution would be, which helps solutions.

Constructing courses of action to solve the problem involves discovering what actions will deal with your objective. Workable solutions are developed by combining and modifying ideas and a range of available to help in this process. The more ideas you have to work with, the better your chances of 3. Choosing the best solution

This is the stage at which you evaluate the possible solutions and select that which will be most effe problem. It's a process of. decision making based on a comparison of the potential outcome of alter involves

identifying all the features of an ideal solution, including the constraints it has to meet eliminating solutions which do not meet the constraints evaluating the remaining solutions against the outcome required assessing the risks associated with the 'best' solution making the decision to implement this solution

A problem is only solved when a solution has been implemented. In some situations, before this ca to gain acceptance of the solution by other people, or get their authority to implement it. This may in persuasion. 4. Implementing the solution This involves three separate stages:

planning and preparing to implement the solution taking the appropriate action and monitoring its effects reviewing the ultimate success of the action

Implementing your solution is the culmination of all your efforts and requires very careful planning. T sequence of actions required to achieve the objective, the timescale and the resources required at minimising the risks involved and preventing mistakes have to be devised and built into the plan. De if things go wrong are also included.

Once the plan has been put into effect, the situation has to be monitored to ensure that things are ru problems or potential problems have to be dealt with quickly. When the action is completed it's nece success, both to estimate its usefulness for solving future problems of this type and to ensure that t solved. If not, further action may be required.

These stages provide a very flexible framework which can be adapted to suit all problems. With clo where there is likely to be only one or a few solutions, the emphasis will be on defining and analysin possible causes. Open-ended problems, on the other hand, require more work at the idea generatio range of possible solutions.

At any stage in solving a problem it may be necessary to go back and adapt work done at an earlier techniques and strategies are available to help you at each stage and these are described in later a

The skills of problem solving

Problem solving requires two distinct types of mental skill, analytical and creative. Analytical or logical thinking includes skills such as ordering, comparing, contrasting, evaluating and selecting. It provides a logical framework for problem solving and helps to select the best alternative from those available by narrowing down the range of possibilities (a convergent process).. Analytical thinking often predominates in solving closed problems, where the many possible causes have to be identified and analysed to find the real cause. Creative thinking is a divergent process, using the imagination to create a large range of ideas for solutions. It requires us to look beyond the obvious, creating ideas which may, at first, seem unrealistic or have no logical connection with the problem. There is a large element of creative thinking in solving open problems. The creative thinking skills can be divided into several key elements:

fluency - producing many ideas flexibility - producing a broad range of ideas . originality - producing uncommon ideas elaboration - developing ideas. Effective problem solving requires a controlled mixture of analytical and creative thinking. Research has shown that, in general terms, each side or hemisphere of the brain is specialised to serve one of these

groups of skills. The degree of specialisation of each hemisphere varies from person to person, but it has given rise to the terms right-brain thinking and left-brain thinking. Left-brain thinking is more logical and analytical, and is predominantly verbal. Right-brain thinking is more holistic and is concerned with feelings and impressionistic relationships. To be a good problem solver you need to be able to switch from one group of skills to the other and back again, although this is not always easy. Traditional education gives far greater encouragement to the development and use of left-brain thinking. This is reinforced in the way we are required to work, where emphasis is placed on rational, logical analysis of data in drawing conclusions. Some other terms which are often used in discussions of creativity include: Intuition - the ability to draw conclusions based on impressions and feelings rather than hard facts. It is a characteristic of right-brain thinking and some people rely on it more than others. Incubation - the period between stopping conscious work on a problem and the time when we become aware of a solution or part solution. People struggling with problems often suddenly become aware of a solution after a period of incubation, during which the mind is occupied by other things. Invention - the creation of new, meaningful ideas or concepts. Innovation - putting new ideas or concepts to a practical use, as in the development of a new product or service.

Overcoming the Blocks to Problem Solving

Perceptual blocks These are relatively easy to overcome, simply by using the step-by-step approach, e.g.:

having systems to warn of the occurrence of problems defining and analysing problems adequately collecting all the relevant information

questioning whether you have used inaccurate information or made assumptions about what is and isn't relevant asking for other people's points of view using models to. represent the relationships between different aspects of the problem. Emotional blocks These can be difficult to overcome because they require a change in attitude, which may take some time to learn. The following methods help to achieve this change: accept that if you are looking for new, better ways of doing something, some mistakes are almost inevitable remember that many great thinkers have been , ridiculed for what turned out to be great inventions eg the heavier-than-air flying machine

if you still' fear looking foolish, try to develop your ideas into a practical form before you show them to anyone, or develop a logical argument to prove that they will work following a strictly methodical approach will automatically curb impatience to avoid anxiety tackle problems in small, easily manageable steps; if necessary, put the problem aside and come back to it later if you don't want to take risks, identify the worst possible consequences, and how likely they are to occur, and then try to find ways of preventing them Intellectual blocks To overcome the intellectual blocks described in this chapter you need to:

learn to be methodical practice using different types of 'language' to tackle problems practice using the various analytical and creative techniques.

Expressive blocks

Overcoming these blocks involves learning to identify which 'language' is most likely to help you solve a particular problem use languages in different ways, eg diagrams to represent problems normally described verbally ensure that when you explain ideas you have all the relevant information, it is accurate, and that you convey it all clearly develop a style of working with others which is not too forceful (so that people are more willing to listen to you) and not too passive (so that you learn how to influence people); showing enthusiasm for your ideas can help by infecting others with enthusiasm. Environmental blocks Overcoming these blocks can be done by using some of these methods:

if there is a climate of ,criticism, develop the strengths of your ideas and ways to overcome their weaknesses before you propose the being careful how youdescribe it to others " also help to avoid premature criticism conduct your problem solving in an environment which suits you, ie comfortable and free of distractions likely to hinder you; this may make setting aside some time when you can move away from your normal working environment if you feel people may not provide the help need, try to identify the benefits to then solving the problem before you ask for their help if pressure of work hinders you, set aside s time when you are free from other wor tackle the problem if your work is monotonous, introduce ~ variety by looking for different ways of , the job; alternatively, look for varied tasks that could be delegated to you. ' Cultural blocks The following methods can be used to help overcome various cultural blocks:

critically question existing ideas and me looking for areas for improvement identify constraints and question their validity if you dislike change, do some 'wishful thinking to see what benefits change would bring; ask yourself what would be the consequences of taking a new approach. if you think fantasy and humour have no place in problem solving, practice using your day dreams to develop your ideas; next time someone cracks a joke about a situation, think about what new perspectives it creates if you think intuition is unreliable, think back over recent problems you have solved; did that first 'hunch' turn out to be dose to your final solution? if you are in a very competitive environment, be careful how you explain your ideas to people competing with you; emphasise the likely benefits to them if there is a strong climate of cooperation, ask members of your group for their ideas and comments; share the problem with them.

If you fail to solve a problem effectively, look back over your thoughts and actions to see if a block hindered you. If it did, next time you can prepare to avoid it. By being constantly aware of the blocks that can occur and using the techniques described above to overcome them when they hinder your problem solving, you will find that gradually fewer and fewer blocks occur. Remember

There is a range of factors known as blocks which can prevent you finding the most effective solutions to our problems. You can recognise blocks by their specific effects on your thinking and problem solving. When you recognise that a block exists you can overcome it by using the appropriate technique.

Why people fail to solve problems effectively

Solving problems is. a complex process and each of us is better at the skills required at some stages than others. The following is a list of some of the reasons why people fail to find effective solutions include

not being methodical lack of commitment to solving the problem misinterpreting the problem lack of. knowledge of the techniques and processes involved in problelI1 solving inability to use the techniques effectively using a method inappropriate to the particular problem insufficient or inaccurate information inability to combine analytical and creative thinking failure to ensure effective implementation.

Remember:

A problem exists when an obstacle prevents you reaching an objective. Problem solving can be divided .into stages, which you. must follow methodically. if you want to be sure of finding an effective solution.

Solving problems effectively requires a controlled mixture of analytical and creative thinking skills.

Problem-solving is a mental process that involves discovering, analyzing and solving problems. The ultimate goal of problem-solving is to overcome obstacles and find a solution that best resolves the issue. The best strategy for solving a problem depends largely on the unique situation. In some cases, people are better off learning everything they can about the issue and then using factual knowledge to come up with a solution. In other instances, creativity and insight are the best options.

Why MOST smart people are better at solving other peoples problems
By Rajesh Setty | Published on: August 10th, 2010
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And, not their own problems. I am sure you have seen them and may be you are one of them. Smart people who can solve other peoples problems very easily but they cant solve their own problems. As my friend Stuart Scott would say, most people have brilliant outsight and all they lack is some insight. What is it that makes it hard to solve ones own problems. It is one thing if they dont have capacity to solve those problems we are not talking about that category of people. We are talking about people who have demonstrated that they can solve those problems when they are presented by other people. The mystery is what happens when these problems show up in their own lives. The dilemma above was the quest of my ongoing mini-research. Finally I think I have some findings that might shed some light on the topic. First some background information: Problems are part of life. In fact, in some way, they are life. It is how you look at those problems that makes a difference. Sometimes not getting that first sale is a problem. The same problem can be looked at as a challenge or even an opportunity to grow and learn. Whatever way you look at it, to overcome what you are faced with, you need a few things. To start with you need the skillsets to handle it, you need to resources like time to handle it and sometimes you need a lot of people who are willing to help you overcome it.

What is also common is that every problem comes with constraints that put some boundaries on how you can handle the problem. Now, let us look at the two scenarios: 1. Smart person solving others problems When a problem gets presented, not all the constraints associated with that problem get presented. May be the person having the problem has a confidence or a selfesteem problem. May be he has a family member thats not doing that well. May be he has a knee pain. But when he presents the problem at hand, he may not list out all the constraints that surround him or the problem. So the smart person listening to this problem has a larger canvas to paint a solution. The smart person operates sees less number of constraints than the person who is facing the problem makes the problem look a bit easier. 2. Smart person solving his or her own problem When a problem shows up in the life of a smart person, he does not see just that problem but a problem and himself/herself surrounded by all the constraints that he or she is operating with. The problem looks way more complicated when presented with all the constraints than as a standalone problem. The smart person has the same canvas to paint a solution but the canvas is torn in places ( constraints ) and is dirty in a few other places (more constraints) suddenly making the problem way more complicated to handle. So, now comes to some solutions for this dilemma. If you are a smart person who is facing this problem, what can you do? Here are some places to start: 1. Stop over-analyzing your constraints: Most constraints grow bigger than natural in your mind. Your confidence problem may not be as big as you think and your public speaking skills may not be as bad as you think. 2. Get help: Yes, you know that if you think long and hard, you can solve the problem yourself but if you can be humble and go to someone that you trust, they will see the problems without all the baggage that you are carrying. Even if it means paying that expert, it is well worth it to get that solved. 3. Change your relationship with failure: Smart people rarely want to fail. If you have a chronic fear of failure, you may end up not taking ANY action. Excellence sometimes requires you to be on the edge and edges are not very safe.