This article offers the importance of problem-solving and tips on enhancing your problem-solving skills. 

5-minute read by Destiny Goh.

While news of companies looking to adopt technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and environmental and sustainable management may seem intimidating, professional networking platform LinkedIn reported that Singaporean employers favour skills over education and experience, and problem-solving came up top.

Why are problem-solving skills seen as necessary?

It helps you think creatively. 

Every problem is unique; it often challenges and sometimes changes your perspective.

Great problem solvers are wired to look for opportunities amid problems. When an outlook towards a situation changes, one can develop unique, original ideas to adapt and improvise.

A change of perspective encourages creative thinking. For example, you are tasked with managing an important project, and there are hiccups and inconveniences along the way.

The immediate response would be to complain about it or blame others, but when you change how you see things, you will evaluate these hiccups, find ways to improve the situation, and devise solutions to prevent the same problems from recurring.

It improves your work performance.

A lack of problem-solving skills leads to poor solutions and decisions. Problem-solving helps you think analytically and foresee the unexpected.

You will be inclined to create emergency plans or long-term solutions to navigate stressful moments, especially with a tight timeline.

It helps you address and mitigate risk.

An intelligent risk taker knows how to conduct a technical risk assessment. Although you may not know what will happen next, you will have some knowledge of the likely outcomes.

With practice, you’ll be able to identify trends and patterns and make decisions to anticipate and minimise risks caused by a problem.

How do you enhance your problem-solving skills? 

1. Observe others and take note.

Studying how others problem-solve is a great way to improve your problem-solving skills. Before you pick anyone as your role model, take some time to assess the impact of every decision and action they take.

Pay attention to patterns of approaching and navigating a problem. Then, take a step further and learn their values and beliefs. What inspires them to develop such solutions, and how did they become so skilled?

Learning from the experiences of others expands your knowledge, uncovers new perspectives, and avoids common mistakes. 

2. Breaking problems into bite sizes.

Every problem has a root cause. You can retrace your steps to understand how the problem started and break it into bite-sized pieces. Start with knowing what you want to achieve throughout this process.

Focusing on one detail at a time effectively reduces the size of the problem, making its root cause more visible.

Pro tip: Visualisation on paper will give you a clearer picture. Flowcharts and hand-drawn diagrams can help you organise your thought process and note things you want to improve or change. 

Source: Basic Process Flowchart Template by Hubspot

3. Experiment with various strategies.

There are many ways to solve a problem. Take up the challenge and try all the different approaches you can think of, then put your theories and assumptions to the test.

Here’s a scenario: you just launched a new interactive program at work that you spent a lot of time working on, but no one seems excited. Instead of being upset, you can implement several strategies to discover why.

What you can do:

• Approach your colleagues to ask for feedback on what will make them use the program
• Get your colleagues involved and contribute by exchanging ideas
• Create a reward system to encourage their participation further
• Show how the program will benefit them

Feedback is a great tool to tap into the collective wisdom around you.

It will help you note things you may have missed, avoid common mistakes, and motivate you to thrive because you know what you excel in and can improve.

Pro tip: To make your experiments enjoyable, get others on board and have a brainstorming session. Role-play your problems and learn how others develop creative solutions that challenge you to do better.

4. Incorporating fun into your routine.

Scientists state that brain activities energise new connections between nerve cells, which potentially helps with new cell generation and neuroplasticity (the ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to stimuli) development.

You can incorporate mentally stimulating fun activities, such as team-building activities, video games, and word puzzles, to help build your brain, keeping it active and alert.

As you work through these activities, note the areas where you spend more time resolving and how you develop solutions. Your problem-solving approach for those activities can also be used in real-time scenarios.

A report on Singapore’s work future states that 31% of employers are looking into those with transferable skills, one of which is problem-solving skills. Another survey also reported that 73% of Singapore professionals said companies are comfortable hiring professionals with the right skills.

How do I explain my problem-solving skills in my resume?

Suppose you are wondering how you can include your problem-solving experiences on paper. You can start with:

By doing so, you are showing your credibility and proper understanding of the importance of problem-solving.