How To Be The Go-To Problem Solver At The Office

Looking to be the go-to problem solver at the office?

That’s a wise decision! Becoming a problem-solver that gets it done is a skill that will help land you that next raise, promotion, or bonus.

According to the dictionary, problem-solving is “the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues”. They key is adapting a process that works for you and sticking with it.

HuffPost has a great article on 10 Characteristics of Good Problem Solvers that highlights some of the qualities problem solvers have. As you grow as a problem solver, your qualities will sharpen. Don’t concentrate too much on any specific characteristic.

Let’s go through some steps that will help transform you into the incredible problem solver at the office that we know you can be.

Identify The Problem

This is not the main step by any means. In fact, this is the smallest of them all.

Often, we spend way too much time on this step but this should be the easiest.

So let’s assume that you (or someone at the office around you) has a problem. Write it down.

I’m a huge believer in writing everything down and getting it out of your brain.

People want to talk about the problem for hours/days/weeks. Talking about problems is exhausting. The exciting part is finding a solution to the problem. So get through talking about the actual problem itself quickly.

You may need to break down the problem if there are multiple parts. Utilizing something like a dry erase board to write down all aspects of the situation will prevent you from going in circles talking about the problem.

Once you’ve clearly identified the problem, move on to working on solutions.

The Inability To Get Past The Problem

Before we jump into the solution, let’s take a minute and talk about the problem.

Often, we stay focused on talking about the problem. We complain. Others will share in our complaining. We will point fingers.

We will go around talking about exactly the same issue, but a million different ways.

Example Problem

Let’s say that the problem is always running out of pens in the office. Everyone wants to talk about how Judy never orders pens before you run out. Judy doesn’t even have a full 40 hour a week job, yet she can’t buy pens on time. Alyssa has seen Judy watching Netflix as soon as she gets in every day.

Someone else chimes in and says that they’ve seen Bill stash eight boxes of pens in his drawer before the pen delivery driver has even gotten out of the parking lot. Megan can’t believe that Bill is doing that! She sits right next to Bill and last week she asked him for a pen and he said he had none!

Everyone goes on to talk about how not having pens impacts their ability to do their job in a timely manner. How can they be held accountable for anything if they don’t have the tools to get their work done? Sandy wants to share how she has spent her personal money on pens and now she feels like the company owes her money. Megan then chimes in… You get the idea.

Getting Past The Problem

Talking about the problem from different perspectives is not changing anything. Were we any closer to getting pens in a timely manner at the end of this story? No.

Is everyone a little more riled up about not having pens? Probably.

I get that venting about something can help. I also do acknowledge that sometimes it feels good getting all of the feelings out there and being heard.

If someone needs to vent, let them. They may have been dealing with the problem for months without sharing with anyone. It may take a few minutes to refocus someone else without being rude.

Let them get the main problem out and then inform them that you want to help. The first thing you need them to do is work with you on refocusing solely on how you can solve the problem together.

Identify Possible Solutions

This is the fun part!

Start thinking about solutions to the problem. I love bouncing ideas off of people and seeing what their reactions are.

If you have a piece of paper or a white board, write down possible solutions. If someone wants to jump in with “that won’t work, here’s why” gently refocus their thoughts.

Let everyone know that you’re writing down only solutions to the problem and you’ll get to eliminating what may not work as you progress through the exercise.

Important: Give more speaking time to those that are talking about solutions. Refocus those that are not.

It’s important to write down all of the solutions, even those that have an immediate reaction of “that won’t work”. It’s likely that those solutions will be brought up again as you brainstorm with the team.

If everyone can see what has already been presented, it reduces the likelihood of the same solution and negative energy being brought back to the surface.

This is the reason why writing the solutions down is so important.

We’re looking for new “out of the box” solutions and analyzing the reasons why it may not work so that we can possibly cater the next solution to be one that fits the best.

Remember in the example problem, how everyone went ’round and ’round with the problem, saying it multiple different ways? We’re looking to stop that in it’s tracks.

Finding Solutions That Work

You’ve figured out how to stop dwelling on the problem and saying it a million different ways.

You’ve also written down a bunch of possible solutions. Some of the solutions are obviously not going to work.

Now you can move on to the next fun part. Go through each solution and eliminate those that have roadblocks that cannot be overcome.

For example, one solution that was noted was spending $10,000 on pens so you never run out. That may get someone fired so you’re crossing that off.

Go down the list and cross out any solutions that don’t quite make sense.

Now we are left with solutions that may possibly make our problem better. Go down that list one by one. The trick is always shift your mind towards a solution.

Let’s keep using the pen situation for an easy example.

Problem: Pens aren’t ordered before we run out.

Solution: Make sure the pen orderer (Judy) knows when it’s time to order pens.

Problem with the Solution: Nobody wants to have to tell Judy to do the job she should be doing on her own.

Solution: Stockpile a year’s worth of pens.

Problem with the Solution: We don’t have that kind of pen budget to spend all at once.

Shifting Gears Back to Original Problem

Problem: Pens aren’t ordered before we run out.

Solution: Let’s put a dry erase board in the supply closet. On the board, we will write down supplies needed when we are down to the last stack of anything.

We’re on to something!

But what if Judy doesn’t check the board?

Solution: We ask Judy to check the board once a week.

Changing Mindsets

When introducing a new concept or way of doing things, it’s natural to have some resistance or hesitation.

Some people are so incredibly used to having the problem to constantly complain about, they feel weird without it.

It’s going to take baby steps to turn negative emotions into positive ones.

First, work on yourself. Be mindful of when you’re focusing for too long on the problem.

Becoming the Problem Solver Teacher

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” – Lao Tzu

I truly believe that a single person can change the mindsets and culture of an entire company.

You are silently transforming into a leader by resolving problems at your office. When it’s time for the next pay increase, promotion, or bonus, things like this will be remembered.

You will be known for the person who collaborates with others to come up with solutions.

By becoming this positive individual that is making a change, you’re slowly converting others to believe that they can make changes as well.

Create a system that works best for you. I find that I enjoy the work I do the most when I make a game out of things. How many problems can I solve in a day?

Final Thoughts on Becoming a Problem Solver

Being known as problem solver can help you in so many ways in your career and personal life.

The solution does not ever have to be perfect. The solution could fail at times.

For example, I was forgetting to water my plants before I left the house for work almost every single day. My solution was to water the plants immediately after I brushed my teeth every morning so that this turned into a habit instead of a chore.

One day while I was rushing, I forgot to water the plants. I didn’t go back and change the solution because it worked 99% of the time. I had an off day and didn’t stress about it.

There’s also no shame in taking a long time to get to a solution that you find fitting as long as you are making baby steps towards the solution.

Being a problem solver can be a game changer in your career and personal life.