[This article is part of the Employee Edge: Sharpen Your Skills & Drive Your Impact series from Total Career Management Services.]
Problems often pop up at work. Strong problem-solving skills help us tackle these challenges head-on and discover the best answers. This means you analyze a problem, think about different ways to fix it, and then pick the best path forward.
Here are five key steps you can take to make your problem-solving skills even better:
- Understand the Problem: Don’t jump to conclusions right away. Take time to clearly define what the problem actually is. Ask yourself “what” happened and “why” it happened.
- Gather Information: Collect all the facts you can. Talk to others who might have insights or different viewpoints. The more information you have, the better you will understand the issue.
- Brainstorm Solutions: Think of many possible ways to fix the problem. Even unusual ideas can be good. At this stage, just list them all without judging.
- Evaluate Options: Look closely at each solution you came up with. Think about its good points and bad points. Consider how each solution might affect others or future projects.
- Take Action & Review: Choose the best solution and put it into action. After you implement it, check to see if it worked. Learn from both your successes and any challenges you faced.
By regularly practicing these steps, you will improve your ability to solve problems and contribute even more effectively to our team.
You can find these articles and other resources on Total Career Management Services on UCOR Hub. You can contact one of the career counselors by emailing totalcareer@orcc.doe.gov.
