Problem Solving-A 21st Century Skill?

PROBLEM SOLVING – A 21ST CENTURY SKILL?

Is this a question or an answer?

For the purpose of this discussion, let me say its both.

It is a question because you have to ask yourself if you have this very critical skill as you become a 21st century professional.

Do not be surprised if you are at an interview and the interviewer asks you to describe in detail how you have solved a complicated problem. Show that you are skillful at solving a difficult problem by using lots of details, the more details you use to describe about how you were able to solve the problem, the more credible your answer will be.

If you are already a professional you will be called to a meeting where professionals are “brainstorming” about how to solve a problem. This is your opportunity to show that you are skillful at solving problems.

During this opportunity be the best in the room in explaining how you would solve the question that is posed.

One case I can describe is when I was sent to a medium size company to look at their ERP system. The CEO and owner said to me, “Carlos my accountant is showing that we are losing money every month, "I know we are not loosing money”, “please look and solve this problem”.

Using all my patience I looked at several key accounts that I knew could affect the P&L-Profit and Loss Statement.

Sure enough after patiently looking at many details I was able to find that the company was really not loosing money, It was a matter of rearranging several accounts that were incorrectly set-up during the installation of the software. The owner told my boss “That Carlos, he walks on water”. A very nice compliment.

At our Language Academy and at our private International school we are always teaching, preparing, and coaching our student’s, problem solving skills.

Using projects as our method of teaching we present a “project”, really a situation that requires critical thinking and the ability to come up with a genius solution, while at the same time our students are learning how to work and collaborate within the project team.

So please ask yourself, do I really have this skill??Go ahead and answer to yourself that this is a tool that you must get and have it handy in your tool box.

Prof. Carlos Roncal has worked with international executives at companies like Solectron (an IBM manufacturing subsidiary and Kimberly Clark-Kleenex) in 27 different countries and was sought after by these executives for his skillful handling of proposing solutions to complicated problems.