What do you do if your problem-solving skills need a boost for a promotion?

If your problem-solving skills need a boost for a promotion, start by honing your critical thinking abilities. Analyze situations from multiple perspectives, brainstorm creative solutions, and evaluate their potential impact. Sharpen your decision-making by considering risks and benefits. Collaborate with colleagues to leverage diverse insights and expertise. Seek feedback on your problem-solving process to identify areas for improvement. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and learn from past experiences. Stay adaptable and open-minded to adapt strategies as needed. Remember, continuous learning and practice are key to enhancing problem-solving skills.

My opinion: First you have to be aware that there is a gap in your problem solving skills. If you don't see this first, there is no chance to identify anything. Most people don't reflect enough, so they don't even see, that there is a point that needs there full attention to get further. But if you have symptoms in leadership like: projects fail, clients move on to another company or too many employees quit, than it is absolutely urgent to reflect on your skills.

Start small: Begin with small problems that you encounter in your daily work. This provides a low-risk environment to apply new problem-solving techniques. Gradually increase complexity: As you gain confidence, start tackling more complex problems2. This will stretch your problem-solving skills and help you grow. Reflect on your experiences: After solving a problem, reflect on what went well and what you could improve. This will help you continuously refine your problem-solving process. Apply across different contexts: Try applying your problem-solving skills in different contexts. This can help you become a more versatile problem solver.

If you want to make a change in any skill, you have to start small and start getting new routines, that keep you on track. Routines are essentiell to save your energy level. This is the smartest way to apply new skills and techniques. I often see, that many people in leadership try to make big changes in a few weeks, because we live in a world full of speed. But in the long run small steps are the key to success.

Seek out mentors or colleagues: Look for individuals known for their problem-solving acumen and ask for afdvice or feedback on your approach. Participate in brainstorming sessions or strategy meetings: These settings allow you to see different problem-solving styles in action. Ask for feedback: Don't hesitate to ask for feedback on your problem-solving approach. Constructive criticism can help you identify your areas for improvement. Stay open-minded: New ideas and approaches might develop. What works for one person might not work for you, but it can still provide you with a fresh perspective. Try to stay up-to-date by talking to your colleagues and reading articles, newsletters, etc.

Mentors can be a great gift for you, because they shorten your way from identifying to transformation. Also Colleagues or other people in you network can be a great help. But you have to separate: well intentioned advice is not always good for you. So choose your mentors wise. Your environment decides!

Brainstorming: Encourage yourself to think beyond conventional solutions. This could involve any ideas and brainstorming tools without initial assessment. Challenge the status-quo: Don't be afraid to question existing processes or solutions. Sometimes, the best solution involves a complete overhaul of the current way of doing things. Seek diverse perspectives: Engage with people from different backgrounds and skills. Understand their perspective on potential solutions. Embrace failure: Each failure is a learning and should create a positive spirit. Often, the most creative solutions come after a series of failed attempts.

Identify what worked well: Recognize the strategies and approaches that led to successful outcomes. This can help you replicate these strategies in future problem-solving situations. Consider what could be improved: Reflect on the challenges you faced and think about how you could approach them differently next time. Document your reflections: Keep a reflection journal or log where you note down your thoughts and insights after each problem-solving experience. This can serve as a valuable resource for future reference. Apply your learnings: Use your reflections to inform your future problem-solving efforts. Apply the insights gained to new problems and challenges.

Reflection is very important. After identifying your problem, working on it you have to reflect. First because you don't know, if this new way is the best. Maybe it needs a little adaptation. Second because people tend to fall back in old routines, if new ones are not totally established. Third: Growth is something continous.

Problem solving skills are must have for a leradship role! Leaders make good decisions in the face of ambiguity and can take right judgement calls, basis their experience. For enhancing problem solving attitude, one can take on courses to learn proven methodologies. Learn from others, to make best possible decision for teams, customer and organization. Seek courses or learn by doing, when enough experience to solve a problem is not in hand. Understand that you can not always be right, accept the lacuna and work to improve.!

Emotional Intelligence: Developing emotional intelligence can improve interpersonal skills, allowing for better collaboration and conflict resolution during problem-solving. Risk Management: Understanding and managing risks associated with potential solutions is crucial. Learning to anticipate and mitigate risks can lead to more robust and sustainable problem-solving strategies.