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I came across this article about problem solving skills and why are they important in the workplace, and wanted to get feedback from you all!
What are problem-solving skills and why are they important?

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What are problem-solving skills and why are they important? Understanding the critical components involved in problem-solving will help you improve this skill set and demonstrate your expertise to employers. Strong problem solvers are a valuable addition to any team. You can use many different approaches to problem-solving, but you'll typically work through four distinct stages no matter what route you take. View this on Careerbuilder >

 

In my experience, organizations are often consolidating several employment positions into one. There is a saying, "work smarter, not harder." When starting a new position, a key element is to be observant on how procedures and processes are done, and then analyze how you can offer some problem solutions.

In this article it goes into detail on how you can take your analysis and make a difference.  Include feedback from your peers and supervisors; and together come up with a solution that is better for you, and the organization; a win, win.
Have any of you gone through this process?  Did it become a win, win for you and your organization? Any advice or guidance on how you were successful?

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Cindy Turski
BGS

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My job is essentially an endless exercise in problem solving every day. The article is a nice primer into problem solving steps, but I think it lacks something you wrote above. It doesn't say bring in coworkers, at least that I could easily pick out.

When presented with a problem, I always make sure to bring in the subject matter experts who can best help understand the problem and craft a solution. Sometimes it takes a non-SME to help come up with new ideas to challenge how things are done ("we've always done it this way"), but the SMEs can still lend their knowledge to make sure the idea makes sense. I have a lot of experience in a lot of different areas, so I can think outside the box and rely on that experience, but I don't always know the specific details. No person is an island at an organization, even if you're a department of 1. While it's definitely important to hone your own problem solving skills, one also needs to understand that the team is greater than the individual.

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John Schroeder
Arlington Heights IL
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I agree with John--collaboration is key! And pushing back on those "we've always done it this way" arguments can be incredibly useful in the long run, especially with technology and AI improvements over the last few years alone. Funnily enough, we can use our (very human) creative abilities to harness technology to perform those mundane and tedious tasks and transform our workflows into something more streamlined and efficient.

I consider myself to be a very creative person--and a good problem-solver--but determining what those streamlined processes look like is still a challenge sometimes!

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Tiffany Leong
Beta Gamma Sigma
St. Louis MO
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-26-2019 14:49
From: John Schroeder
Subject: What are problem solving skills and why are they important?

My job is essentially an endless exercise in problem solving every day. The article is a nice primer into problem solving steps, but I think it lacks something you wrote above. It doesn't say bring in coworkers, at least that I could easily pick out.

When presented with a problem, I always make sure to bring in the subject matter experts who can best help understand the problem and craft a solution. Sometimes it takes a non-SME to help come up with new ideas to challenge how things are done ("we've always done it this way"), but the SMEs can still lend their knowledge to make sure the idea makes sense. I have a lot of experience in a lot of different areas, so I can think outside the box and rely on that experience, but I don't always know the specific details. No person is an island at an organization, even if you're a department of 1. While it's definitely important to hone your own problem solving skills, one also needs to understand that the team is greater than the individual.

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John Schroeder
Arlington Heights IL
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I agree with your comment about the changing times of technology and AI improvements.  I was given a task to over-haul a billing system for all account receivables and account payables for our department.  There were no funds to purchase new computer software, so I had to use what was available.  The goal was to streamline the process from 3 days to 3 hours.
I did not have knowledge of what the current software program was capable of doing. So, in order to accomplish my task/problem I brought in a SME from the Finance department that was very familiar with the computer software, to see if it was possible to accomplish what I had envisioned.  Through the guidance and knowledge of this person, it was a success!  The result created a chain effect and other departments began to implement the new process.

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Cindy Turski
St. Louis MO
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-03-2019 11:54
From: Tiffany Leong
Subject: What are problem solving skills and why are they important?

I agree with John--collaboration is key! And pushing back on those "we've always done it this way" arguments can be incredibly useful in the long run, especially with technology and AI improvements over the last few years alone. Funnily enough, we can use our (very human) creative abilities to harness technology to perform those mundane and tedious tasks and transform our workflows into something more streamlined and efficient.

I consider myself to be a very creative person--and a good problem-solver--but determining what those streamlined processes look like is still a challenge sometimes!

------------------------------
Tiffany Leong
Beta Gamma Sigma
St. Louis MO
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 09-26-2019 14:49
From: John Schroeder
Subject: What are problem solving skills and why are they important?

My job is essentially an endless exercise in problem solving every day. The article is a nice primer into problem solving steps, but I think it lacks something you wrote above. It doesn't say bring in coworkers, at least that I could easily pick out.

When presented with a problem, I always make sure to bring in the subject matter experts who can best help understand the problem and craft a solution. Sometimes it takes a non-SME to help come up with new ideas to challenge how things are done ("we've always done it this way"), but the SMEs can still lend their knowledge to make sure the idea makes sense. I have a lot of experience in a lot of different areas, so I can think outside the box and rely on that experience, but I don't always know the specific details. No person is an island at an organization, even if you're a department of 1. While it's definitely important to hone your own problem solving skills, one also needs to understand that the team is greater than the individual.

------------------------------
John Schroeder
Arlington Heights IL