How can you develop problem solving skills while working remotely?

1.Challenge Yourself: Seek out and accept challenges, even if they take you out of your comfort zone. 2.Peer Engagement: Stay in touch with colleagues, discuss work challenges, brainstorm solutions, and learn from their experiences. Exposure to different perspectives is invaluable. 3.Mindfulness Activities: Engage in mindfulness-building activities such as yoga, meditation, or brain games like Sudoku and Chess. These can sharpen your problem-solving skills by promoting mental clarity and focus. 4.Clear & Timely Communication: Ensures everyone is on the same page and contribute their insights. 5.Continuous Learning: Staying up-to-date, learning new skills and staying informed about industry trends equip you with problem tackling tools.

Developing problem-solving skills while working remotely requires a proactive approach to learning and growth. Here are some strategies to enhance your problem-solving abilities in a remote work environment: 1. Embrace a growth mindset. 2. Seek diverse perspectives and viewpoints. 3. Develop a structured problem-solving approach: Familiarize yourself with effective problem-solving methodologies and frameworks. 4. Enhance critical thinking skills. 5. Leverage technology and digital capabilities. 6. Actively participate in virtual problem-solving activities. 7. Seek feedback and reflect on outcomes. 8. Continuous learning and professional development. 9. Practice self-reflection. 10. Collaborate and learn from others.

A lot (but not all) of remote work is in the technology space. In this industry, you often have the ability to test and recreate problems inside of the platform(s) you use. You can improve your problem solving skills by learning how to recreate the problem in your testing. Rather than guess why it is happening- understand exactly what is causing it. We resolve many issues through reverse engineering them. Even if you can’t resolve the problem, defining the steps to recreation allows you to clearly communicate the situation.

Alignment on the problem, why specifically it is a problem, how you will approach the problem (I.e. the structure), and what success would look like if solved is critical, particularly when working remotely. Remote work has the potential to lead to misalignments and time spent on tasks that are not achieving the desired outcome (I.e., are not meeting what would be defined as a success). Because of this, clear communication and alignment are key aspects of problem solving when working remotely.

Remote or not but acknowledging of the problem is the first step. Break down the problem into smaller elements Further divide it into what is under your control to change and what is beyond your control This would give you a complete understanding of the problem statement and help you resolve it

New tools are coming to help with collaboration in remote and mixed remote/non-remote work setups. I saw on the GITEX conference last week a white board that was in a physical room and could be seem on camera perfectly by remote attendees, even when someone was in front of it writing - the person would become 90% invisible. Using this and similar types of collaboration tools should help reduce limitations of remote collaboration now, and even more with new tech coming up.

Hypothesis: If we could use our time in office for maximum impact, remote work wouldn't suffer from gaps that can't be filled through a video feed. Nothing irks me more than being in the office and joining a video call from my desk. Why am I here? Or I go to the conference room, but half the people are working from home today anyhow. I've seen success from teams that plan dedicated, in-office working sessions to tackle big problems. It doesn't matter people spend 3 days/wk in the office hoping to benefit from some chance hallway encounter. What matters is when the team needs the force multiplier of in-person interaction, you can get it. Do your HOMEwork. Come prepared. Then lock yourselves in a room till you solve the problem and go home.

1. Identifying the core of the problem. 2. Study relevant solutions, by optimisation. 3. Put in action the solution, to see if it works. 4. Try alternatives. 5. Run a cost/benefit check of each option.

While finding possible solutions for a problem it is very important to completely immerse yourself into the process and being empathetic. During the time when I was working completely remote I made sure to understand the depth of the situation even if it involved collaborating with multiple teams or people and it greatly helped me in finding effective solutions. Collaboration always and always works and you will be amazed to see how many interesting perspective comes up for a particular situation or solution under consideration! ??

Once we determine the root causes of an issue, we put in place 3 types of actions: 1. Immediate corrections 2. Corrective actions that try to correct the process 3. Preventive actions to improve the process and prevent the issue happening in the future. Also, it is important to mention that these is a team work and we do brainstorming to find all this actions.

Three tips for this section: 1. Use workload-sharing tools (such as Miro, Asana, Monday, etc.) - allow you to assign roles and responsibilities, track work and be more organized. 2. Work over talk - while it's important to align with the team, make sure you leave enough time to the work itself. It's easy to speak about the implementation for 2 hours every day with the whole team, but it can redirect efforts that can go to actually implement the solution. Trust the team and align just as much as needed, not more. 3. Leave room for adjustments - every plan is a basis for change. Be able to change plan in order to get the desired final outcome.

Zoom and MS teams are your friends. Get to know the structure of your organization and use the employee directory to contact people by phone or set up meetings attaching reference emails or documents. Use the Outlook admin calendar to see when people are available. I still think it is better to book a meeting than to just send a message in messenger and to expect the person to reply right away. If your issue is not urgent then schedule a meeting and remember that your issue is not necessarily the urgent issue of someone else and courtesy is always to be considered. Don't forget to ask if the person is free or when there may be a convenient time to chat.

Implement two versions of the solutions with varying factors to see which one works best. That is the simplest thing you can do.

One of the most underrated aspects of working remotely is that 98% of your work is documented somewhere online. This means that there is almost always a virtual paper trail of your process from the ideation stages to execution - whether it's project notes, version history, or even messages to teammates. I encourage all of my team members to take time at the end of the year to review all of the documents they've created that year and pull out 3-5 areas of growth. The results surprisingly tend to revolve around soft skills that are not easily identified from in-person interactions - perks of a virtual paper trail!

In most projects this most valuable step is skipped over - as busy-ness and new initiatives whisk us away into the next thing. Creating this step in a plan right from the get-go will keep it top of mind for people. So when it's the right time, get an online meeting into everyone's calendars to do a 'project retrospective' The most effective way to run this is keep a project journal as you're going through from problem to solution so you can remember key events. And when facilitating the retrospective navigate the team through the timeline - using techniques like post its and 'highs and lows' to help recollect achievements and challenges.

successes. Every problem you solve is an opportunity to learn and improve. You can reflect on what worked well and what did not, and identify the factors that contributed to the outcome. You can also document your problem solving process and results, and share them with others for feedback and recognition.

Once you have developed your ability to solve complex problems, it is important to exploit it not only within your own duties, but also to help other peers across the organization. This will increase your visibility and set you on a path of recognition from the leaders. Accompanying the results with measurable data is a key factor to allow decision makers to value your contributions and support your performance based on the outcomes you provide to the organization.

The best way to start with enhancing your performance is to seek feedback. When you've solved a problem end to end, ask those who were with you on the journey 3 questions: - What did I do well, and why? - What could I do better next time? - What other problems do you see that I could help out with? This will massively uplift your performance because: 1. It will improve your confidence as you realise your impact, and make you sharpen the areas that need improving 2. It will keep you top of mind with those you worked with, opening up opportunities for working on something new This feedback will keep you in a continuous growth cycle.

In my experience, In the contemporary landscape of remote work, it's important to be proactive in seeking opportunities to enhance your problem-solving skills. I would say key strategies for enhancing your performance are; 1.Set clear and achievable goals: Establish SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) objectives to guide your work. 2. Feedback and Self-Assessment: Actively seek input from colleagues and supervisors to identify areas for improvement. 3. Quality Deliverables:Focus on producing high-quality work that meets or exceeds expectations. 4. Attention to detail: Pay close attention to the finer points of your work, ensuring accuracy and completeness. I hope this helps??

Challenge yourself with new and different problems. One way to sharpen your problem solving skills is to expose yourself to diverse and unfamiliar scenarios that require creative and critical thinking. You can find online courses, games, puzzles, or simulations that can stimulate your brain and test your problem solving abilities.

The younger generation (Gen Z in particular) due to their young age might lack a very important skill, namely relationship building. I have found that many young people have the difficulties in building good rapport with their stakeholders (line managers, top leadership team, colleagues/peers). Then when they have problems, they often face bigger stress due to the gap in these relationships.

Working remotely has made teams slightly detached so being able to involve someone in the problem solving goes a long way. You build relationships and show that you value their opinions. This opens up conversations and thoughts because people become more open to sharing. Continue to collaborate and listen as well as provide constructive feedback to build a stronger team.

Remote work makes collaborating on problem solving more challenging because we’re disconnected from physical presence. However the digital collaboration tools available are more powerful than ever and so developing the confidence to set up electronic whiteboard meetings, using visual tools and templates to get minds working together is the most powerful way to get everyone engaged, contributing and trusting your facilitation. When everyone collaborates on a virtual whiteboard you’re empowering them to participate, get their best ideas noticed and this creates a powerful team bond. You’re also building up your facilitation skills which is a great confidence booster.

Seek feedback and input from others. Working remotely does not mean working alone. You can still collaborate and communicate with your colleagues, managers, or mentors through various platforms and channels. Asking for help or advice can give you new perspectives and insights that can enhance your problem solving abilities.

Try initiating collaborative problem solving, even in a remote environment. Share problems you've encountered and encourage others to share, using platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Try to create group video-chats (Zooms) where people discuss current problems in their role and consult with their peers regarding solutions.

By staying organized, communicating openly, utilizing technology, developing critical thinking, seeking feedback, remaining flexible, continuously learning, and reflecting on your processes, you can enhance your ability to address and overcome obstacles in a remote work environment. With dedication and practice, you can become a more proficient problem solver, contributing to your personal growth and the success of your remote team.

Using the theory of 5 Whys has worked well for me. As they say, stating the problem clearly will get you halfway to the solution. And asking 'why', makes the problem clearer. 2nd thing would be to ask this 'why' to the right person, and this might prove challenging in remote work environment. Being proactive, and reaching out to multiple people even if they aren't the correct ones, can prove pretty effective, since the grapevine will take you to the right person. Once we have the clarity of the problem, we can present the solution to all stakeholders involved. Decision to implement one solution can prove to be time taking, hence always narrow down the possibilities into 3-4 actionable options.

There are a lot of ways,BUT, Firstly we need to understand and accept that Problem solving is a continuous improvement process and we are not getting any magic wand to solve a problem overnight. Slow but steady progress in the right direction will ultimately lead to a better outcome.In remote working environment we can make a small routine like. 1-Find a problem. Even a low hanging problem like "early waking up" will help in boosting morale and developing a good problem Analysis skill. 2 - Now Ask WHY is this a problem. What is happening due to this problem. 2- Express this problem in a way that a small 6 year old understands. 3- Then break it into small fixable issues. " start working on it " You will learn a lot in just this one way.

Working remotely may require us to stimulate and simulate some of the situations that would happen when not working remotely. Grabbing a coffee a few times a day at the office makes you meet people. I personally love using lunch time to connect with others - some times about work, others just to strengthen bonds. Schedule 15 min virtual coffee breaks, or lunch with cameras, propose activities to supplement what working remotely won't offer you.

Problem-solving skills are typically enhanced by being exposed to a variety of diverse issues but also increasing one’s awareness of others’ approach. Collaboration is key to developing these valuable skills. Proactively and intentionally reaching out to colleagues to ask about their challenges and how they are engaging with the obstacles in their own world can help to bring about awareness of unique perspectives and growth in one’s own problem-solving skills.