Problem solving skills are a premium today. They are highly valued since solving complex problems and eliminating societal obstacles are essential for progress and development. Organizations dedicate significant resources to help their employees improve these skills. But despite the need and the focus, the world today has a scarcity of this much-valued resource. Why are problem solvers so hard to find? The simple answer is that being a good problem solver is not easy.
Researchers spend enormous amounts of time trying to understand the psychology behind what makes someone good at problem-solving. The most commonly quoted traits are strong analytical skills and being able to think out-of-the box. Critical and creative-thinking make up the bulk of all the training and development programs that focus on improving problem solving skills. Most of them also provide frameworks and templates to guide one through a “problem-solving process”.
A key missing element though is that it is not enough to have good problem-solving skills, but one needs to be a good problem solver! Here are three traits that we believe are critical for that to happen:
1. 99% of problem solving is hard work and resilience. If it is an easy problem that has an easy fix, it would probably already be solved by someone. But the bigger and more complex a problem, the more obstacles you are bound to encounter. So, you must become very good at failing, picking yourself up and trying again, and not giving up.
2. A strong urge to be a “difference maker” – it is almost natural to focus on personal problems, but most complex problems affect a larger group of people and often, an organization, an ecosystem, or even society at large. These problems are everybody’s and yet nobody’s. So, you should want to change things not just for yourself, but also for those around you.
3. A keen awareness of the world – complex problems do not occur in isolation. They do not lend themselves to a purely logical though-process. They are usually the result of an evolution of interactions between individuals, communities and the environment. So, unless you develop a deep sense of connection and care to the world around, you will not be able to truly appreciate the issues that require attention.
At Enabling Leadership, we believe that being an excellent problem-solver is an essential element of being a leader – a role model, a global citizen and a positive contributor. Our programs use a unique curriculum and pedagogy to develop these essential skills. We are working to help an entire generation of children become leaders. So, come join us!
Ravi Sonnad
CEO
