Strategies for Effective Problem Solving

By Lonnie Pacelli

As you strive to accomplish your individual and organizational goals, you will encounter many challenges along the way. Sometimes these challenges will seem overwhelming. As a manager, it's up to you to determine which problems are the most pressing, which steps you need to take to solve them and how you can motivate your staff to support your efforts.

Basically, problems come in two forms. They can be either a barrier to accomplishing a task, as in, “We can't possibly produce 20,000 units per week with our existing equipment,” or an opportunity to do something better, as in, “We need to reduce the cost of processing purchase orders by 20%.” Both types involve a desire to achieve something tomorrow that can't be done today. The easy part is identifying the challenge. The trickier part is coming up with a detailed appropriate solution.

First, you need to make sure everyone is “on board.” Often, your team or colleagues (especially those from other departments) may disagree on what exactly is and isn't a problem. There may be some confusion as to how to approach a solution. The following five tips will help you can conquer business problems one by one:

Tip #1: Have a clearly articulated mission statement

“We need to reduce costs” is not a good mission statement. It doesn't clearly articulate the cause of the problem or provide a timeline for finding a solution. Create a clear and realistic mission statement for each challenge. Include what needs to be done, when it needs to be done and what measure will be used to evaluate its success. A good mission statement might look something like this: “We need to reduce the cost of shipping orders by 50% by July 1st , while ensuring that the orders are delivered promptly—100% of the time.” This statement encompasses all the necessary elements and gives your staff a clear goal.

Tip #2: Have a consistent understanding of the problem

When tackling a large problem that involves multiple departments, you may find that each group has its own agenda. Not everyone may even agree that a problem exists. To get everyone's support, involve them in developing the mission statement. Include everyone who will be involved in the project, even if they initially resist. You can usually get the people's support if they feel included in the process from the very beginning.

Tip #3: Make sure the problem is the most pressing one

In business, multiple problems loom at the same time. Money, time and staff often limit the number of problems you can solve at any given time. How do you decide which problem gets solved first and which is put on the back burner? Be methodical. Once a year, hold a staff meeting and create a “wish list” of all known problems. For each entry, name the problem, list the resources it will require, the expected outcome and the deadline for solving it. Then rank the entries by their urgency. Remember that priorities change—projects that were originally put on the back burner can suddenly become fires that need to be extinguished immediately. Review the list at least quarterly to ensure that each problem is still in the right slot on your priority list.

Tip #4: Keep your mission statement prominently displayed

A mission statement serves no purpose if it is left in a drawer to collect dust. Make sure each member of your staff has a copy. Enlarge it and hang it in your office. Each time you hold a meeting about a problem, have your mission statement handy and remind the group of the goal to keep them on task.

Tip #5: Don't afraid to change the mission

No business is static; priorities can change from month to month. When problems change, revise your mission statement accordingly. Just make sure you involve the entire team in setting the new mission, defining the revised timeframe and re-allocating resources.

Start Solving Now

Concluding thoughts:

Remember—the best way to tackle challenges is head-on. Don't impede progress because you don't want to admit your business has some problems. Your competition likely has as many (or more) than you. Take action. Put your challenges in writing. Decide which one needs to be solved first and dedicate the appropriate staff, hours and financial resources to implement the solution. Don't be afraid to change as circumstances require. Focus on the solution, and before you know it, you'll be able to cross the first problem off your list.

You can learn more about effective problem-solving strategies in these AMA seminars:

• Strategies for Effective Problem Solving and Decision Making
• When Good Projects Go Bad and How to Fix Them
• Improving Your Managerial Effectiveness
• Critical Thinking for IT and Technical Professionals

AMA On-site: Every one of AMA's 170+ public seminars can be delivered on-site. This flexible, money-saving option allows you to train ten or more people, when and where you choose, at a low cost per participant.

Author Bio: Lonnie Pacelli has over 20 years of project management experience at both Accenture and Microsoft and is the author of The Project Management Advisor—18 Major Project Screw-Ups and How to Cut Them off at the Pass. Contact info: www.projectmanagementadvisor.com.