In a recent Problem Solving Skills masterclass we were discussing the benefits of a shift from being reactive when problems arise to being proactive, and what that would require. We talked about the frustration and inefficiency of the same old problem reappearing time and again, with silly workarounds put in place because we are too busy, instead of resolving it once and for all.
We talked briefly about creativity and innovation in solving problems, but we spent most of our time on identifying and understanding the problem, as the more we understood the problem, the more the solution revealed itself. It was then our creativity and innovation could be embraced to find the ‘best version’ of the solution.
Are your people feeling a bit overwhelmed and out of control? Always too busy and becoming frustrated at inefficient and ineffective processes? This can be indicative of poor processes and a search for the bottlenecks can be quite revealing.
NOT JUST FOR COMPLAINTS AND INCIDENTS
Problem solving techniques are essential for investigating customer complaints and incidents. They are also indispensable when used proactively for continual improvement of company processes.
In the Masterclass we worked our way through a number of tools and identified when to use them to the best advantage. It was great to see attendees working through the techniques and applying them to their own work problems.
What tools and techniques are your teams using to solve problems, and how confident are they in using them?