skills in decision making and problem solving

• INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
• Decision-Making and Problem Solving

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Decision-Making and Problem-Solving

• Effective Decision Making
• Decision-Making Framework
• Introduction to Problem Solving

Identifying and Structuring Problems

Investigating Ideas and Solutions

Implementing a Solution and Feedback

• Creative Problem-Solving

Social Problem-Solving

• Negotiation and Persuasion Skills
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The SkillsYouNeed Guide to Interpersonal Skills

Making decisions and solving problems are two key areas in life, whether you are at home or at work. Whatever you’re doing, and wherever you are, you are faced with countless decisions and problems, both small and large, every day.

Many decisions and problems are so small that we may not even notice them. Even small decisions, however, can be overwhelming to some people. They may come to a halt as they consider their dilemma and try to decide what to do.

Small and Large Decisions

In your day-to-day life you're likely to encounter numerous 'small decisions', including, for example:

Tea or coffee?

What shall I have in my sandwich? Or should I have a salad instead today?

What shall I wear today?

Larger decisions may occur less frequently but may include:

Should we repaint the kitchen? If so, what colour?

Should we relocate?

Should I propose to my partner? Do I really want to spend the rest of my life with him/her?

These decisions, and others like them, may take considerable time and effort to make.

The relationship between decision-making and problem-solving is complex. Decision-making is perhaps best thought of as a key part of problem-solving: one part of the overall process.

Our approach at Skills You Need is to set out a framework to help guide you through the decision-making process. You won’t always need to use the whole framework, or even use it at all, but you may find it useful if you are a bit ‘stuck’ and need something to help you make a difficult decision.

Decision Making

Effective Decision-Making

This page provides information about ways of making a decision, including basing it on logic or emotion (‘gut feeling’). It also explains what can stop you making an effective decision, including too much or too little information, and not really caring about the outcome.

A Decision-Making Framework

This page sets out one possible framework for decision-making.

The framework described is quite extensive, and may seem quite formal. But it is also a helpful process to run through in a briefer form, for smaller problems, as it will help you to make sure that you really do have all the information that you need.

Problem Solving

Introduction to Problem-Solving

This page provides a general introduction to the idea of problem-solving. It explores the idea of goals (things that you want to achieve) and barriers (things that may prevent you from achieving your goals), and explains the problem-solving process at a broad level.

The first stage in solving any problem is to identify it, and then break it down into its component parts. Even the biggest, most intractable-seeming problems, can become much more manageable if they are broken down into smaller parts. This page provides some advice about techniques you can use to do so.

Sometimes, the possible options to address your problem are obvious. At other times, you may need to involve others, or think more laterally to find alternatives. This page explains some principles, and some tools and techniques to help you do so.

Having generated solutions, you need to decide which one to take, which is where decision-making meets problem-solving. But once decided, there is another step: to deliver on your decision, and then see if your chosen solution works. This page helps you through this process.

‘Social’ problems are those that we encounter in everyday life, including money trouble, problems with other people, health problems and crime. These problems, like any others, are best solved using a framework to identify the problem, work out the options for addressing it, and then deciding which option to use.

This page provides more information about the key skills needed for practical problem-solving in real life.

Further Reading from Skills You Need

The Skills You Need Guide to Interpersonal Skills eBooks.

Develop your interpersonal skills with our series of eBooks. Learn about and improve your communication skills, tackle conflict resolution, mediate in difficult situations, and develop your emotional intelligence.

Guiding you through the key skills needed in life

As always at Skills You Need, our approach to these key skills is to provide practical ways to manage the process, and to develop your skills.

Neither problem-solving nor decision-making is an intrinsically difficult process and we hope you will find our pages useful in developing your skills.

Start with: Decision Making Problem Solving

See also: Improving Communication Interpersonal Communication Skills Building Confidence

Problem Solving and Decision Making - Two Essential Skills of a Good Leader

Problem solving and decision making are two fascinating skillsets. We call them out as two separate skills – and they are – but they also make use of the same core attributes.

They feed on a need to communicate well, both through questioning and listening, and be patient and not rushing both processes through. Thus, the greatest challenge any leader faces when it comes to solving problems and decision making is when the pressure of time comes into play. But as Robert Schuller highlights in his quote, allowing problem-solving to become the decision means you’ll never break free from the problem.

“Never bring the problem-solving stage into the decision-making stage. Otherwise, you surrender yourself to the problem rather than the solution.”—Robert H. Schuller

So how does a leader avoid this trap? How do they ensure the problem solving doesn’t become the be-all and end-all?

The 7 steps of Effective Problem Solving and Decision Making

A vital hurdle every leader must overcome is to avoid the impulsive urge to make quick decisions . Often when confronted with a problem, leaders or managers fall back in past behaviours. Urgency creates pressure to act quickly as a result, the problem still exists, just side-lined until it rears its ugly head again.

Good problem solving opens opportunity. A notable example of this is the first principles thinking executed by the likes of Elon Musk and others. Understanding the fundamentals blocks of a process and the problem it’s creating can lead to not just the problem but accelerate beyond it.

So, to avoid the trap, and use problem solving and decision making effectively , you should embody yourself with the following seven steps.

1.      What is the problem?

Often, especially in time-critical situations, people don’t define the problem. Some label themselves as fire-fighters, just content with dowsing out the flames. It is a reactionary behaviour and one commonplace with under-trained leaders. As great as some fire-fighters are, they can only put out so many fires at one time, often becoming a little industry.

The better approach is to define the problem, and this means asking the following questions:

• What is happening? ( What makes you think there is a problem?)
• Where is it taking place?
• How is it happening?
• When is it happening?
• Why is it happening?
• With whom is it happening? (This isn’t a blame game…all you want to do is isolate the problem to a granular level.)
• Define what you understand to be the problem in writing by using as few sentences as possible. (Look at the answers to your what, where, why, when, and how questions.)

2.      What are the potential causes?

Having defined the problem it is now time to find out what might be causing the problem. Your leadership skills: your communication skills need to be strong, as you look to gather input from your team and those involved in the problem.

Key points:

• Talk to those involved individually. Groupthink is a common cause of blindness to the problem, especially if there is blame culture within the business.
• Document what you’ve heard and what you think is the root cause is.
• Be inquisitive. You don’t know what you don’t know, so get the input of others and open yourself up to the feedback you’ll need to solve this problem.

3.      What other ways can you overcome the problem?

 Sometimes, getting to the root cause can take time. Of course, you can’t ignore it, but it is important to produce a plan to temporarily fix the problem. In business, a problem will be costing the business money, whether it be sales or profit. So, a temporary fix allows the business to move forward, providing it neutralises the downside of the original problem.

4.      How will you resolve the problem?

At this stage, you still don’t know what the actual problem is. All you have is a definition of the problem which is a diagnosis of the issue. You will have the team’s input, as well as your opinions as to what the next steps should be.

If you don’t, then at this stage you should think about reassessing the problem. One way forward could be to become more granular and adopt a first-principles approach.

• Break the problem down into its core parts
• What forms the foundational blocks of the system in operation?
• Ask powerful questions to get to the truth of the problem
• How do the parts fit together?
• What was the original purpose of the system working in this way?
• Name and separate your assumptions from the facts
• Remind yourself of the goal and create a new solution

Solve hard problems with inversion

Another way is to invert the problem using the following technique:

1. Understand the problem

Every solution starts with developing a clear understanding of what the problem is. In this instance, some clarity of the issue is vital.

2. Ask the opposite question

Convention wisdom means we see the world logically. But what if you turned the logical outcome on its head. Asking the opposite questions brings an unfamiliar perspective.

3. Answer the opposite question

It seems a simple logic, but you can’t just ask the opposite question and not answer it. You must think through the dynamics that come from asking the question. You're looking for alternative viewpoints and thoughts you've not had before.

4. Join your answers up with your original problem

This is where solutions are born. You’re taking your conventional wisdom and aligning it with the opposite perspective. So often the blockers seen in the original problem become part of the solution.

5.      Define a plan to either fix the problem permanently or temporarily

You now know the problem. You understand the fix, and you are a position to assess the risks involved.

Assessing the risks means considering the worst-case scenarios and ensuring you avoid them. Your plan should take into the following points:

• Is there any downtime to implementing the solution? If so, how long, and how much will it cost? Do you have backup systems in place to minimise the impact?
• If the risk is too great, consider a temporary fix which keeps current operations in place and gives you time to further prepare for a permanent fix.
• Document the plan and share it with all the relevant stakeholders. Communication is key.

Here we see the two skills of problem solving and decision making coming together. The two skills are vital to managing business risks as well as solving the problem.

6.      Monitor and measure the plan

Having evolved through the five steps to this stage, you mustn’t take your eye off the ball as it were.

• Define timelines and assess progress
• Report to the stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aware of progress or any delays.
• If the plan doesn’t deliver, ask why? Learn from failure.

7.      Have you fixed the problem?

Don’t forget the problem you started with. Have you fixed it? You might find it wasn’t a problem at all. You will have learnt a lot about the part of the business where the problem occurred, and improvements will have taken place.

Use the opportunity to assess what worked, what didn’t, and what would have helped. These are three good questions to give you some perspective on the process you’ve undertaken.

Problem solving and decision making in unison

Throughout the process of problem solving, you’re making decisions. Right from the beginning when the problem first becomes clear, you have a choice to either react – firefight or to investigate. This progresses as move onto risk assessing the problem and then defining the solutions to overcome the issue.

Throughout the process, the critical element is to make decisions with the correct information to hand. Finding out the facts, as well as defeating your assumptions are all part of the process of making the right decision.

Problem solving and decision making – a process 

Problem solving isn’t easy. It becomes even more challenging when you have decisions to make. The seven steps I’ve outlined will give you the ability to investigate and diagnose the problem correctly.

• What is the problem?
• What are the potential causes?
• What other ways can you overcome the problem?
• How will you resolve the problem?
• Define a plan to either fix the problem permanently or temporarily.
• Monitor and measure the plan.
• Have you fixed the problem?

Of course, this logical step by step process might not enable you to diagnose the issue at hand. Some problems can be extremely hard, and an alternative approach might help. In this instance, first principles thinking or using the power of inversion are excellent ways to dig into hard problems. Problem solving and decision making are two skills every good leader needs. Using them together is an effective way to work.

Decision Growth Made Easy

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How to Make Great Decisions, Quickly

• Martin G. Moore

It’s a skill that will set you apart.

As a new leader, learning to make good decisions without hesitation and procrastination is a capability that can set you apart from your peers. While others vacillate on tricky choices, your team could be hitting deadlines and producing the type of results that deliver true value. That’s something that will get you — and them — noticed. Here are a few of a great decision:

• Great decisions are shaped by consideration of many different viewpoints. This doesn’t mean you should seek out everyone’s opinion. The right people with the relevant expertise need to clearly articulate their views to help you broaden your perspective and make the best choice.
• Great decisions are made as close as possible to the action. Remember that the most powerful people at your company are rarely on the ground doing the hands-on work. Seek input and guidance from team members who are closest to the action.
• Great decisions address the root cause, not just the symptoms. Although you may need to urgently address the symptoms, once this is done you should always develop a plan to fix the root cause, or else the problem is likely to repeat itself.
• Great decisions balance short-term and long-term value. Finding the right balance between short-term and long-term risks and considerations is key to unlocking true value.
• Great decisions are timely. If you consider all of the elements listed above, then it’s simply a matter of addressing each one with a heightened sense of urgency.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Like many young leaders, early in my career, I thought a great decision was one that attracted widespread approval. When my colleagues smiled and nodded their collective heads, it reinforced (in my mind, at least) that I was an excellent decision maker.

• MM Martin G. Moore is the founder of Your CEO Mentor and author of No Bullsh!t Leadership and host of the No Bullsh!t Leadership podcast. His purpose is to improve the quality of leaders globally through practical, real world leadership content. For more information, please visit, www.martingmoore.com.

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What Are Decision-Making Skills?

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What Are Decision-Making Skills? was originally published on Forage .

Decision-making skills are the soft skills that you can use to help solve every problem at a company. Whether an employee needs to choose what font is best for a brand logo or what growth marketing tactic to use, making good decisions is crucial to company success. 

So, what are some decision-making skills examples, and how can you improve your decision-making skills? In this guide, we’ll cover:

Decision-Making Skills Definition

Decision-making skills examples, how to demonstrate decision-making skills in an interview, how to improve decision-making skills, decision-making: the bottom line.

Decision-making skills are all of the skills you need to make an informed, rational decision. Someone with good decision-making skills at work can assess all the facts, understand the company’s current state and goal state, and choose the best course of action. 

In the workplace, this can look like:

• Facilitating a brainstorming session to decide on a new product feature
• Choosing a candidate to give a job offer to
• Collecting feedback from team members to ideate a new team workflow
• Researching market trends to understand how they’ll impact company strategy
• Networking with an external person to learn how they approach workplace problems at their company
• Collaborating with a team member who disagrees with you to find a joint solution
• Identifying a data reporting issue and digging in to remedy it

Decision-making is about much more than the final result. Numerous types of skills go into decision-making, including analysis, creativity, collaboration, and leadership skills.

Analytical Skills

Analytical skills help you collect and assess information before you make a final decision. An analytical person zooms out on the problem, looks at all the facts, and tries to interpret any patterns or findings they might see. These kinds of skills help you make fact-based decisions using logical thinking .

Creativity Skills

Decision-making isn’t just all facts and figures; it also requires creative thinking to brainstorm solutions that might not be so straightforward or traditional. Creative decision-makers think outside of what’s been done before and develop original ideas and solutions for solving problems. In addition, they’re open-minded and willing to try new things.

Collaboration Skills

Good decisions take into account multiple ideas and perspectives. Collaboration skills help you find a solution by working together with one or more teammates. Involving numerous people in the decision-making process can help bring together different skillsets, exposing you to other problem-solving methods and ways of thinking.

Leadership Skills

While collaboration is often crucial for good decision-making, someone must take the lead and make a final decision. Leadership skills can help you consider all perspectives and decide on a singular solution that best represents your team members’ ideas. 

You don’t need to be a manager to take the lead in decision-making. Even if you don’t have the final say, speaking up and sharing your ideas will not only help you stand out at work but prove you can be an effective leader.

Hiring managers will generally ask straightforward interview questions to get you to demonstrate your decision-making skills. 

According to Belinda O’Regan, a global HR and remuneration specialist who has helped create Forage virtual work experience programs, hiring managers will “often use the STAR method of probing for the information they want to check for.” They want you to give a step-by-step account of how you made a critical work decision.

“First, start by explaining the situation and clearly what the decision was that you personally had to make,” O’Regan advises. “Stay away from a time when you were part of a decision. They are interested in when you had to make the decision independently. Then, talk about why the decision had to made. From there, describe the action you took. Be clear on the basis on which you made the decision. Do not just skip to the decision you made but lay out the facts that you used, the people you consulted, the research you did etc. The interviewer wants to see if you make decisions based on actual information or you make them without much thought. End your answer with what the final result was, which hopefully was positive!”

>>>MORE : Practice your interview skills with Comcast’s Unspoken Interview Fundamentals Virtual Experience Program .

Decision-making skills improve as you’re required to make more decisions, but you don’t need to be in a high-stakes work environment to practice these skills. You can even improve your decision-making with exercises like what you’re making for dinner — it’s all about how you slow down, consider the facts, ask for help, and reflect on your decision. 

Making fast decisions is a valuable skill, but you won’t make the best decisions if you move quickly — at first. So start slowly by zooming out and looking at all the factors of your decision-making process. You don’t need only to consider big decisions; things like what outfit to wear or what to do this weekend count too. Next, consider: 

• What facts are you taking into account? 
• How many solutions do you come up with? 
• How do you arrive at your conclusion?

When you break down the decision-making process slowly, you’ll become accustomed to the steps it takes to make an effective decision — which over time and with practice, can help you become a more efficient, faster decision-maker.

Consider the Facts

It’s easy to make decisions based on our assumptions, yet digging deeper and searching for facts is the best way to be an effective, rational decision-maker. Practice taking a step back and assessing the information you have to make a decision. Do you know all of the facts? Are you leaning toward a conclusion because of an assumption? Focusing on the facts is a great way to learn and identify your biases.

Ask for Help

Some decisions can be made alone, but when you ask someone to weigh in, they can help show you perspectives and ways of thinking you might not have previously considered. In addition, this will help expose you to different problem-solving methods that you might not have used before.

The best way to get better at decision-making is to reflect on the decisions you’ve already made. Then, in hindsight, you can see where you might have misstepped. Reflecting can help you identify problem patterns within your decision-making and, over time, help you become a better decision-maker. 

>>>MORE: Improve your professional development skills with Cisco’s Career Readiness Virtual Experience Program .

Employers want employees who can help solve their problems, so strong decision-making will always be a valuable workplace skill. Yet it’s not enough to be able to make decisions on the fly; you need to make smart, rational decisions that consider all the facts, understand the company’s resources and goals, and lead to practical solutions.

If you can show off your strong decision-making skills by describing how you’ve made critical decisions at work before, you’ll make it an easy decision for the employer to hire you.

Image Credit: Thirdman / Pexels

The post What Are Decision-Making Skills? appeared first on Forage .

Problem Solving And Decision Making: 10 Hacks That Managers Love

Understanding problem solving & decision making, why are problem solving and decision making skills essential in the workplace, five techniques for effective problem solving, five techniques for effective decision making, frequently asked questions.

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• Improved efficiency and productivity: Employees with strong problem solving and decision making skills are better equipped to identify and solve issues that may arise in their work. This leads to improved efficiency and productivity as they can complete their work more timely and effectively.
• Improved customer satisfaction: Problem solving and decision making skills also help employees address any concerns or issues customers may have. This leads to enhanced customer satisfaction as customers feel their needs are being addressed and their problems are resolved.
• Effective teamwork: When working in teams, problem solving and decision making skills are essential for effective collaboration . Groups that can effectively identify and solve problems together are more likely to successfully achieve their goals.
• Innovation: Effective problem-solving and decision-making skills are also crucial for driving innovation in the workplace. Employees who think creatively and develop new solutions to problems are more likely to develop innovative ideas to move the business forward.
• Risk management: Problem solving and decision making skills are also crucial for managing risk in the workplace. By identifying potential risks and developing strategies to mitigate them, employees can help minimize the negative impact of risks on the business.

• Brainstorming: Brainstorming is a technique for generating creative ideas and solutions to problems. In a brainstorming session, a group of people share their thoughts and build on each other’s suggestions. The goal is to generate a large number of ideas in a short amount of time. For example, a team of engineers could use brainstorming to develop new ideas for improving the efficiency of a manufacturing process.
• Root Cause Analysis: Root cause analysis is a technique for identifying the underlying cause of a problem. It involves asking “why” questions to uncover the root cause of the problem. Once the root cause is identified, steps can be taken to address it. For example, a hospital could use root cause analysis to investigate why patient falls occur and identify the root cause, such as inadequate staffing or poor lighting.
• SWOT Analysis: SWOT analysis is a technique for evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to a problem or situation. It involves assessing internal and external factors that could impact the problem and identifying ways to leverage strengths and opportunities while minimizing weaknesses and threats. For example, a small business could use SWOT analysis to evaluate its market position and identify opportunities to expand its product line or improve its marketing.
• Pareto Analysis: Pareto analysis is a technique for identifying the most critical problems to address. It involves ranking problems by impact and frequency and first focusing on the most significant issues. For example, a software development team could use Pareto analysis to prioritize bugs and issues to fix based on their impact on the user experience.
• Decision Matrix Analysis: Decision matrix analysis evaluates alternatives and selects the best course of action. It involves creating a matrix to compare options based on criteria and weighting factors and selecting the option with the highest score. For example, a manager could use decision matrix analysis to evaluate different software vendors based on criteria such as price, features, and support and select the vendor with the best overall score.

• Cost-Benefit Analysis: Cost-benefit analysis is a technique for evaluating the costs and benefits of different options. It involves comparing each option’s expected costs and benefits and selecting the one with the highest net benefit. For example, a company could use cost-benefit analysis to evaluate a new product line’s potential return on investment.
• Decision Trees: Decision trees are a visual representation of the decision-making process. They involve mapping out different options and their potential outcomes and probabilities. This helps to identify the best course of action based on the likelihood of different outcomes. For example, a farmer could use a decision tree to choose crops to plant based on the expected weather patterns.
• SWOT Analysis: SWOT analysis can also be used for decision making. By identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of different options, a decision maker can evaluate each option’s potential risks and benefits. For example, a business owner could use SWOT analysis to assess the potential risks and benefits of expanding into a new market.
• Pros and Cons Analysis: Pros and cons analysis lists the advantages and disadvantages of different options. It involves weighing the pros and cons of each option to determine the best course of action. For example, an individual could use a pros and cons analysis to decide whether to take a job offer.
• Six Thinking Hats: The six thinking hats technique is a way to think about a problem from different perspectives. It involves using six different “hats” to consider various aspects of the decision. The hats include white (facts and figures), red (emotions and feelings), black (risks and drawbacks), yellow (benefits and opportunities), green (creativity and new ideas), and blue (overview and control). For example, a team could use the six thinking hats technique to evaluate different options for a marketing campaign.

Aastha Bensla

Aastha, a passionate industrial psychologist, writer, and counselor, brings her unique expertise to Risely. With specialized knowledge in industrial psychology, Aastha offers a fresh perspective on personal and professional development. Her broad experience as an industrial psychologist enables her to accurately understand and solve problems for managers and leaders with an empathetic approach.

How strong are your decision making skills?

Find out now with the help of Risely’s free assessment for leaders and team managers.

How are problem solving and decision making related?

What is a good example of decision-making, what are the steps in problem-solving and decision-making.

Best Decision Coaches To Guide You Toward Great Choices

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Why Problem-Solving Skills Are Essential for Leaders in Any Industry

• 17 Jan 2023

Any organization offering a product or service is in the business of solving problems.

Whether providing medical care to address health issues or quick convenience to those hungry for dinner, a business’s purpose is to satisfy customer needs .

In addition to solving customers’ problems, you’ll undoubtedly encounter challenges within your organization as it evolves to meet customer needs. You’re likely to experience growing pains in the form of missed targets, unattained goals, and team disagreements.

Yet, the ubiquity of problems doesn’t have to be discouraging; with the right frameworks and tools, you can build the skills to solve consumers' and your organization’s most challenging issues.

Here’s a primer on problem-solving in business, why it’s important, the skills you need, and how to build them.

Access your free e-book today.

What Is Problem-Solving in Business?

Problem-solving is the process of systematically removing barriers that prevent you or others from reaching goals.

Your business removes obstacles in customers’ lives through its products or services, just as you can remove obstacles that keep your team from achieving business goals.

Design Thinking

Design thinking , as described by Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar in the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , is a human-centered , solutions-based approach to problem-solving and innovation. Originally created for product design, design thinking’s use case has evolved . It’s now used to solve internal business problems, too.

The design thinking process has four stages :

• Clarify: Clarify a problem through research and feedback from those impacted.
• Ideate: Armed with new insights, generate as many solutions as possible.
• Develop: Combine and cull your ideas into a short list of viable, feasible, and desirable options before building prototypes (if making physical products) and creating a plan of action (if solving an intangible problem).
• Implement: Execute the strongest idea, ensuring clear communication with all stakeholders about its potential value and deliberate reasoning.

Using this framework, you can generate innovative ideas that wouldn’t have surfaced otherwise.

Creative Problem-Solving

Another, less structured approach to challenges is creative problem-solving , which employs a series of exercises to explore open-ended solutions and develop new perspectives. This is especially useful when a problem’s root cause has yet to be defined.

You can use creative problem-solving tools in design thinking’s “ideate” stage, which include:

• Brainstorming: Instruct everyone to develop as many ideas as possible in an allotted time frame without passing judgment.
• Divergent thinking exercises: Rather than arriving at the same conclusion (convergent thinking), instruct everyone to come up with a unique idea for a given prompt (divergent thinking). This type of exercise helps avoid the tendency to agree with others’ ideas without considering alternatives.
• Alternate worlds: Ask your team to consider how various personas would manage the problem. For instance, how would a pilot approach it? What about a young child? What about a seasoned engineer?

It can be tempting to fall back on how problems have been solved before, especially if they worked well. However, if you’re striving for innovation, relying on existing systems can stunt your company’s growth.

Related: How to Be a More Creative Problem-Solver at Work: 8 Tips

Why Is Problem-Solving Important for Leaders?

While obstacles’ specifics vary between industries, strong problem-solving skills are crucial for leaders in any field.

Whether building a new product or dealing with internal issues, you’re bound to come up against challenges. Having frameworks and tools at your disposal when they arise can turn issues into opportunities.

As a leader, it’s rarely your responsibility to solve a problem single-handedly, so it’s crucial to know how to empower employees to work together to find the best solution.

Your job is to guide them through each step of the framework and set the parameters and prompts within which they can be creative. Then, you can develop a list of ideas together, test the best ones, and implement the chosen solution.

Related: 5 Design Thinking Skills for Business Professionals

4 Problem-Solving Skills All Leaders Need

1. problem framing.

One key skill for any leader is framing problems in a way that makes sense for their organization. Problem framing is defined in Design Thinking and Innovation as determining the scope, context, and perspective of the problem you’re trying to solve.

“Before you begin to generate solutions for your problem, you must always think hard about how you’re going to frame that problem,” Datar says in the course.

For instance, imagine you work for a company that sells children’s sneakers, and sales have plummeted. When framing the problem, consider:

• What is the children’s sneaker market like right now?
• Should we improve the quality of our sneakers?
• Should we assess all children’s footwear?
• Is this a marketing issue for children’s sneakers specifically?
• Is this a bigger issue that impacts how we should market or produce all footwear?

While there’s no one right way to frame a problem, how you do can impact the solutions you generate. It’s imperative to accurately frame problems to align with organizational priorities and ensure your team generates useful ideas for your firm.

To solve a problem, you need to empathize with those impacted by it. Empathy is the ability to understand others’ emotions and experiences. While many believe empathy is a fixed trait, it’s a skill you can strengthen through practice.

When confronted with a problem, consider whom it impacts. Returning to the children’s sneaker example, think of who’s affected:

• Your organization’s employees, because sales are down
• The customers who typically buy your sneakers
• The children who typically wear your sneakers

Empathy is required to get to the problem’s root and consider each group’s perspective. Assuming someone’s perspective often isn’t accurate, so the best way to get that information is by collecting user feedback.

For instance, if you asked customers who typically buy your children’s sneakers why they’ve stopped, they could say, “A new brand of children’s sneakers came onto the market that have soles with more traction. I want my child to be as safe as possible, so I bought those instead.”

When someone shares their feelings and experiences, you have an opportunity to empathize with them. This can yield solutions to their problem that directly address its root and shows you care. In this case, you may design a new line of children’s sneakers with extremely grippy soles for added safety, knowing that’s what your customers care most about.

Related: 3 Effective Methods for Assessing Customer Needs

3. Breaking Cognitive Fixedness

Cognitive fixedness is a state of mind in which you examine situations through the lens of past experiences. This locks you into one mindset rather than allowing you to consider alternative possibilities.

For instance, your cognitive fixedness may make you think rubber is the only material for sneaker treads. What else could you use? Is there a grippier alternative you haven’t considered?

Problem-solving is all about overcoming cognitive fixedness. You not only need to foster this skill in yourself but among your team.

4. Creating a Psychologically Safe Environment

As a leader, it’s your job to create an environment conducive to problem-solving. In a psychologically safe environment, all team members feel comfortable bringing ideas to the table, which are likely influenced by their personal opinions and experiences.

If employees are penalized for “bad” ideas or chastised for questioning long-held procedures and systems, innovation has no place to take root.

By employing the design thinking framework and creative problem-solving exercises, you can foster a setting in which your team feels comfortable sharing ideas and new, innovative solutions can grow.

How to Build Problem-Solving Skills

The most obvious answer to how to build your problem-solving skills is perhaps the most intimidating: You must practice.

Again and again, you’ll encounter challenges, use creative problem-solving tools and design thinking frameworks, and assess results to learn what to do differently next time.

While most of your practice will occur within your organization, you can learn in a lower-stakes setting by taking an online course, such as Design Thinking and Innovation . Datar guides you through each tool and framework, presenting real-world business examples to help you envision how you would approach the same types of problems in your organization.

Are you interested in uncovering innovative solutions for your organization’s business problems? Explore Design Thinking and Innovation —one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses —to learn how to leverage proven frameworks and tools to solve challenges. Not sure which course is right for you? Download our free flowchart .

About the Author

How to Train Your Problem-Solving Skills

From the hiccups that disrupt your morning routines to the hurdles that define your professional paths, there is always a problem to be solved. 

The good news is that every obstacle is an opportunity to develop problem-solving skills and become the best version of yourself. That’s right: It turns out you can get better at problem-solving, which will help you increase success in daily life and long-term goals.  

Read on to learn how to improve your problem-solving abilities through scientific research and practical strategies.

Understanding Problem-Solving Skills

You may be surprised to learn that your problem-solving skills go beyond just trying to find a solution. Problem-solving skills involve cognitive abilities such as analytical thinking, creativity, decision-making, logical reasoning, and memory. 

Strong problem-solving skills boost critical thinking, spark creativity, and hone decision-making abilities. For you or anyone looking to improve their mental fitness , these skills are necessary for career advancement, personal growth, and positive interpersonal relationships. 

Core Components of Problem-Solving Skills Training

To effectively train your problem-solving skills, it’s important to practice all of the steps required to solve the problem. Think of it this way: Before attempting to solve a problem, your brain has already been hard at work evaluating the situation and picking the best action plan. After you’ve worked hard preparing, you’ll need to implement your plan and assess the outcome by following these steps:  

• Identify and define problems: Recognizing and clearly articulating issues is the foundational step in solving them.
• Generate solutions: Employing brainstorming techniques helps you develop multiple potential solutions.
• Evaluate and select solutions: Using specific criteria to assess solutions helps you choose the most effective one.
• Implement solutions: Developing and executing action plans, including preparing for potential obstacles, guides you to positive outcomes.
• Review and learn from outcomes: Assessing the success of solutions and learning from the results for future improvement facilitates future success. 

Strategies for Developing Problem-Solving Skills

There are many practical exercises and activities that can improve problem-solving abilities.

Cultivate a Problem-Solving Mindset

• Adopt a growth mindset: A growth mindset involves transforming phrases like “I can’t” into “I can’t yet.” Believing in the capacity to improve your skills through effort and perseverance can lead to greater success in problem-solving.
• Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness can enhance cognitive flexibility , allowing you to view problems from multiple perspectives and find creative solutions.

Enhance Core Cognitive Skills 

• Strengthen your memory: Engage in activities that challenge your memory since accurately recalling information is crucial in problem-solving. Techniques such as mnemonic devices or memory palaces can be particularly effective.
• Build your critical thinking: Regularly question assumptions, evaluate arguments, and engage in activities that require reasoning, such as strategy games or debates.

Apply Structured Problem-Solving Techniques

• Use the STOP method: This stands for Stop , Think , Observe , and Plan . It's a simple yet effective way to approach any problem methodically, ensuring you consider all aspects before taking action.
• Try reverse engineering: Start with the desired outcome and work backward to understand the steps needed to achieve that result. This approach can be particularly useful for complex problems with unclear starting points.

Incorporate Technology into Your Training

• Engage with online courses and workshops: Many platforms offer courses specifically designed to enhance problem-solving skills, ranging from critical thinking to creative problem-solving techniques.
• Use cognitive training apps: Apps like Elevate provide targeted, research-backed games and workouts to improve cognitive skills including attention, processing speed, and more. 

Practice with Real-World Applications and Learn from Experience

• Tackle daily challenges: Use everyday issues as opportunities to practice problem-solving. Whether figuring out a new recipe or managing a tight budget, applying your skills in real-world situations can reinforce learning.
• Keep a problem-solving journal: Record the challenges you face, the strategies you employ, and the outcomes you achieve. Reflecting on your problem-solving process over time can provide insights into your strengths and areas for improvement.

Embracing Problem-Solving as a Lifelong Journey

Since problems arise daily, it’s important to feel confident in solving them. 

And you can do just that by downloading the Elevate brain training app. Elevate offers 40+ games and activities designed to improve problem-solving, communication, and other cognitive skills in a personalized way that’s backed by science. Pretty cool, right? 

Consider downloading the Elevate app on Android or iOS now—it’ll be the easiest problem you solve all day. 

Related Articles

How Problem-Solving Games Can Boost Your Brain

• Discover why problem-solving games are fun and effective ways to train your brain. 

Improving Your Problem-Solving Skills

• Discover how to improve your problem-solving skills and make logical, informed decisions.  

Best Ways to Boost Your Mental Fitness

• Mental fitness refers to your ability to sustain your overall well-being. Learn tips to improve yours.  

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Team Building Exercises – Problem Solving and Decision Making

Fun ways to turn problems into opportunities.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Whether there's a complex project looming or your team members just want to get better at dealing with day-to-day issues, your people can achieve much more when they solve problems and make decisions together.

By developing their problem-solving skills, you can improve their ability to get to the bottom of complex situations. And by refining their decision-making skills, you can help them work together maturely, use different thinking styles, and commit collectively to decisions.

In this article, we'll look at three team-building exercises that you can use to improve problem solving and decision making in a new or established team.

Exercises to Build Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Skills

Use the following exercises to help your team members solve problems and make decisions together more effectively.

Exercise 1: Lost at Sea*

In this activity, participants must pretend that they've been shipwrecked and are stranded in a lifeboat. Each team has a box of matches, and a number of items that they've salvaged from the sinking ship. Members must agree which items are most important for their survival.

Download and print our team-building exercises worksheet to help you with this exercise.

This activity builds problem-solving skills as team members analyze information, negotiate and cooperate with one another. It also encourages them to listen and to think about the way they make decisions.

What You'll Need

• Up to five people in each group.
• A large, private room.
• A "lost at sea" ranking chart for each team member. This should comprise six columns. The first simply lists each item (see below). The second is empty so that each team member can rank the items. The third is for group rankings. The fourth is for the "correct" rankings, which are revealed at the end of the exercise. And the fifth and sixth are for the team to enter the difference between their individual and correct score, and the team and correct rankings, respectively.
• The items to be ranked are: a mosquito net, a can of petrol, a water container, a shaving mirror, a sextant, emergency rations, a sea chart, a floating seat or cushion, a rope, some chocolate bars, a waterproof sheet, a fishing rod, shark repellent, a bottle of rum, and a VHF radio. These can be listed in the ranking chart or displayed on a whiteboard, or both.
• The experience can be made more fun by having some lost-at-sea props in the room.

Flexible, but normally between 25 and 40 minutes.

Instructions

• Divide participants into their teams, and provide everyone with a ranking sheet.
• Ask team members to take 10 minutes on their own to rank the items in order of importance. They should do this in the second column of their sheet.
• Give the teams a further 10 minutes to confer and decide on their group rankings. Once agreed, they should list them in the third column of their sheets.
• Ask each group to compare their individual rankings with their collective ones, and consider why any scores differ. Did anyone change their mind about their own rankings during the team discussions? How much were people influenced by the group conversation?
• Now read out the "correct" order, collated by the experts at the US Coast Guard (from most to least important): - Shaving mirror. (One of your most powerful tools, because you can use it to signal your location by reflecting the sun.) - Can of petrol. (Again, potentially vital for signaling as petrol floats on water and can be lit by your matches.) - Water container. (Essential for collecting water to restore your lost fluids.) -Emergency rations. (Valuable for basic food intake.) - Plastic sheet. (Could be used for shelter, or to collect rainwater.) -Chocolate bars. (A handy food supply.) - Fishing rod. (Potentially useful, but there is no guarantee that you're able to catch fish. Could also feasibly double as a tent pole.) - Rope. (Handy for tying equipment together, but not necessarily vital for survival.) - Floating seat or cushion. (Useful as a life preserver.) - Shark repellent. (Potentially important when in the water.) - Bottle of rum. (Could be useful as an antiseptic for treating injuries, but will only dehydrate you if you drink it.) - Radio. (Chances are that you're out of range of any signal, anyway.) - Sea chart. (Worthless without navigational equipment.) - Mosquito net. (Assuming that you've been shipwrecked in the Atlantic, where there are no mosquitoes, this is pretty much useless.) - Sextant. (Impractical without relevant tables or a chronometer.)

Advice for the Facilitator

The ideal scenario is for teams to arrive at a consensus decision where everyone's opinion is heard. However, that doesn't always happen naturally: assertive people tend to get the most attention. Less forthright team members can often feel intimidated and don't always speak up, particularly when their ideas are different from the popular view. Where discussions are one-sided, draw quieter people in so that everyone is involved, but explain why you're doing this, so that people learn from it.

You can use the Stepladder Technique when team discussion is unbalanced. Here, ask each team member to think about the problem individually and, one at a time, introduce new ideas to an appointed group leader – without knowing what ideas have already been discussed. After the first two people present their ideas, they discuss them together. Then the leader adds a third person, who presents his or her ideas before hearing the previous input. This cycle of presentation and discussion continues until the whole team has had a chance to voice their opinions.

After everyone has finished the exercise, invite your teams to evaluate the process to draw out their experiences. For example, ask them what the main differences between individual, team and official rankings were, and why. This will provoke discussion about how teams arrive at decisions, which will make people think about the skills they must use in future team scenarios, such as listening , negotiating and decision-making skills, as well as creativity skills for thinking "outside the box."

A common issue that arises in team decision making is groupthink . This can happen when a group places a desire for mutual harmony above a desire to reach the right decision, which prevents people from fully exploring alternative solutions.

If there are frequent unanimous decisions in any of your exercises, groupthink may be an issue. Suggest that teams investigate new ways to encourage members to discuss their views, or to share them anonymously.

Exercise 2: The Great Egg Drop*

In this classic (though sometimes messy!) game, teams must work together to build a container to protect an egg, which is dropped from a height. Before the egg drop, groups must deliver presentations on their solutions, how they arrived at them, and why they believe they will succeed.

This fun game develops problem-solving and decision-making skills. Team members have to choose the best course of action through negotiation and creative thinking.

• Ideally at least six people in each team.
• Raw eggs – one for each group, plus some reserves in case of accidents!
• Materials for creating the packaging, such as cardboard, tape, elastic bands, plastic bottles, plastic bags, straws, and scissors.
• Aprons to protect clothes, paper towels for cleaning up, and paper table cloths, if necessary.
• Somewhere – ideally outside – that you can drop the eggs from. (If there is nowhere appropriate, you could use a step ladder or equivalent.)
• Around 15 to 30 minutes to create the packages.
• Approximately 15 minutes to prepare a one-minute presentation.
• Enough time for the presentations and feedback (this will depend on the number of teams).
• Time to demonstrate the egg "flight."
• Put people into teams, and ask each to build a package that can protect an egg dropped from a specified height (say, two-and-a-half meters) with the provided materials.
• Each team must agree on a nominated speaker, or speakers, for their presentation.
• Once all teams have presented, they must drop their eggs, assess whether the eggs have survived intact, and discuss what they have learned.

When teams are making their decisions, the more good options they consider, the more effective their final decision is likely to be. Encourage your groups to look at the situation from different angles, so that they make the best decision possible. If people are struggling, get them to brainstorm – this is probably the most popular method of generating ideas within a team.

Ask the teams to explore how they arrived at their decisions, to get them thinking about how to improve this process in the future. You can ask them questions such as:

• Did the groups take a vote, or were members swayed by one dominant individual?
• How did the teams decide to divide up responsibilities? Was it based on people's expertise or experience?
• Did everyone do the job they volunteered for?
• Was there a person who assumed the role of "leader"?
• How did team members create and deliver the presentation, and was this an individual or group effort?

Exercise 3: Create Your Own*

In this exercise, teams must create their own, brand new, problem-solving activity.

This game encourages participants to think about the problem-solving process. It builds skills such as creativity, negotiation and decision making, as well as communication and time management. After the activity, teams should be better equipped to work together, and to think on their feet.

• Ideally four or five people in each team.
• Paper, pens and flip charts.

Around one hour.

• As the participants arrive, you announce that, rather than spending an hour on a problem-solving team-building activity, they must design an original one of their own.
• Divide participants into teams and tell them that they have to create a new problem-solving team-building activity that will work well in their organization. The activity must not be one that they have already participated in or heard of.
• After an hour, each team must present their new activity to everyone else, and outline its key benefits.

There are four basic steps in problem solving : defining the problem, generating solutions, evaluating and selecting solutions, and implementing solutions. Help your team to think creatively at each stage by getting them to consider a wide range of options. If ideas run dry, introduce an alternative brainstorming technique, such as brainwriting . This allows your people to develop one others' ideas, while everyone has an equal chance to contribute.

After the presentations, encourage teams to discuss the different decision-making processes they followed. You might ask them how they communicated and managed their time . Another question could be about how they kept their discussion focused. And to round up, you might ask them whether they would have changed their approach after hearing the other teams' presentations.

Successful decision making and problem solving are at the heart of all effective teams. While teams are ultimately led by their managers, the most effective ones foster these skills at all levels.

The exercises in this article show how you can encourage teams to develop their creative thinking, leadership , and communication skills , while building group cooperation and consensus.

* Original source unknown. Please let us know if you know the original source.

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Comprehensive Interview Guide: 60+ Professions Explored in Detail

26 Good Examples of Problem Solving (Interview Answers)

By Biron Clark

Published: November 15, 2023

Employers like to hire people who can solve problems and work well under pressure. A job rarely goes 100% according to plan, so hiring managers will be more likely to hire you if you seem like you can handle unexpected challenges while staying calm and logical in your approach.

But how do they measure this?

They’re going to ask you interview questions about these problem solving skills, and they might also look for examples of problem solving on your resume and cover letter. So coming up, I’m going to share a list of examples of problem solving, whether you’re an experienced job seeker or recent graduate.

Then I’ll share sample interview answers to, “Give an example of a time you used logic to solve a problem?”

Problem-Solving Defined

It is the ability to identify the problem, prioritize based on gravity and urgency, analyze the root cause, gather relevant information, develop and evaluate viable solutions, decide on the most effective and logical solution, and plan and execute implementation. 

Problem-solving also involves critical thinking, communication, listening, creativity, research, data gathering, risk assessment, continuous learning, decision-making, and other soft and technical skills.

Solving problems not only prevent losses or damages but also boosts self-confidence and reputation when you successfully execute it. The spotlight shines on you when people see you handle issues with ease and savvy despite the challenges. Your ability and potential to be a future leader that can take on more significant roles and tackle bigger setbacks shine through. Problem-solving is a skill you can master by learning from others and acquiring wisdom from their and your own experiences. 

It takes a village to come up with solutions, but a good problem solver can steer the team towards the best choice and implement it to achieve the desired result.

Watch: 26 Good Examples of Problem Solving

Examples of problem solving scenarios in the workplace.

• Correcting a mistake at work, whether it was made by you or someone else
• Overcoming a delay at work through problem solving and communication
• Resolving an issue with a difficult or upset customer
• Overcoming issues related to a limited budget, and still delivering good work through the use of creative problem solving
• Overcoming a scheduling/staffing shortage in the department to still deliver excellent work
• Troubleshooting and resolving technical issues
• Handling and resolving a conflict with a coworker
• Solving any problems related to money, customer billing, accounting and bookkeeping, etc.
• Taking initiative when another team member overlooked or missed something important
• Taking initiative to meet with your superior to discuss a problem before it became potentially worse
• Solving a safety issue at work or reporting the issue to those who could solve it
• Using problem solving abilities to reduce/eliminate a company expense
• Finding a way to make the company more profitable through new service or product offerings, new pricing ideas, promotion and sale ideas, etc.
• Changing how a process, team, or task is organized to make it more efficient
• Using creative thinking to come up with a solution that the company hasn’t used before
• Performing research to collect data and information to find a new solution to a problem
• Boosting a company or team’s performance by improving some aspect of communication among employees
• Finding a new piece of data that can guide a company’s decisions or strategy better in a certain area

Problem Solving Examples for Recent Grads/Entry Level Job Seekers

• Coordinating work between team members in a class project
• Reassigning a missing team member’s work to other group members in a class project
• Adjusting your workflow on a project to accommodate a tight deadline
• Speaking to your professor to get help when you were struggling or unsure about a project
• Asking classmates, peers, or professors for help in an area of struggle
• Talking to your academic advisor to brainstorm solutions to a problem you were facing
• Researching solutions to an academic problem online, via Google or other methods
• Using problem solving and creative thinking to obtain an internship or other work opportunity during school after struggling at first

You can share all of the examples above when you’re asked questions about problem solving in your interview. As you can see, even if you have no professional work experience, it’s possible to think back to problems and unexpected challenges that you faced in your studies and discuss how you solved them.

Interview Answers to “Give an Example of an Occasion When You Used Logic to Solve a Problem”

Now, let’s look at some sample interview answers to, “Give me an example of a time you used logic to solve a problem,” since you’re likely to hear this interview question in all sorts of industries.

Example Answer 1:

At my current job, I recently solved a problem where a client was upset about our software pricing. They had misunderstood the sales representative who explained pricing originally, and when their package renewed for its second month, they called to complain about the invoice. I apologized for the confusion and then spoke to our billing team to see what type of solution we could come up with. We decided that the best course of action was to offer a long-term pricing package that would provide a discount. This not only solved the problem but got the customer to agree to a longer-term contract, which means we’ll keep their business for at least one year now, and they’re happy with the pricing. I feel I got the best possible outcome and the way I chose to solve the problem was effective.

Example Answer 2:

In my last job, I had to do quite a bit of problem solving related to our shift scheduling. We had four people quit within a week and the department was severely understaffed. I coordinated a ramp-up of our hiring efforts, I got approval from the department head to offer bonuses for overtime work, and then I found eight employees who were willing to do overtime this month. I think the key problem solving skills here were taking initiative, communicating clearly, and reacting quickly to solve this problem before it became an even bigger issue.

Example Answer 3:

In my current marketing role, my manager asked me to come up with a solution to our declining social media engagement. I assessed our current strategy and recent results, analyzed what some of our top competitors were doing, and then came up with an exact blueprint we could follow this year to emulate our best competitors but also stand out and develop a unique voice as a brand. I feel this is a good example of using logic to solve a problem because it was based on analysis and observation of competitors, rather than guessing or quickly reacting to the situation without reliable data. I always use logic and data to solve problems when possible. The project turned out to be a success and we increased our social media engagement by an average of 82% by the end of the year.

Answering Questions About Problem Solving with the STAR Method

When you answer interview questions about problem solving scenarios, or if you decide to demonstrate your problem solving skills in a cover letter (which is a good idea any time the job description mention problem solving as a necessary skill), I recommend using the STAR method to tell your story.

STAR stands for:

It’s a simple way of walking the listener or reader through the story in a way that will make sense to them. So before jumping in and talking about the problem that needed solving, make sure to describe the general situation. What job/company were you working at? When was this? Then, you can describe the task at hand and the problem that needed solving. After this, describe the course of action you chose and why. Ideally, show that you evaluated all the information you could given the time you had, and made a decision based on logic and fact.

Finally, describe a positive result you got.

Whether you’re answering interview questions about problem solving or writing a cover letter, you should only choose examples where you got a positive result and successfully solved the issue.

Example answer:

Situation : We had an irate client who was a social media influencer and had impossible delivery time demands we could not meet. She spoke negatively about us in her vlog and asked her followers to boycott our products. (Task : To develop an official statement to explain our company’s side, clarify the issue, and prevent it from getting out of hand). Action : I drafted a statement that balanced empathy, understanding, and utmost customer service with facts, logic, and fairness. It was direct, simple, succinct, and phrased to highlight our brand values while addressing the issue in a logical yet sensitive way.   We also tapped our influencer partners to subtly and indirectly share their positive experiences with our brand so we could counter the negative content being shared online.  Result : We got the results we worked for through proper communication and a positive and strategic campaign. The irate client agreed to have a dialogue with us. She apologized to us, and we reaffirmed our commitment to delivering quality service to all. We assured her that she can reach out to us anytime regarding her purchases and that we’d gladly accommodate her requests whenever possible. She also retracted her negative statements in her vlog and urged her followers to keep supporting our brand.

What Are Good Outcomes of Problem Solving?

Whenever you answer interview questions about problem solving or share examples of problem solving in a cover letter, you want to be sure you’re sharing a positive outcome.

Below are good outcomes of problem solving:

• Saving the company time or money
• Making the company money
• Pleasing/keeping a customer
• Obtaining new customers
• Solving a safety issue
• Solving a staffing/scheduling issue
• Solving a logistical issue
• Solving a company hiring issue
• Solving a technical/software issue
• Making a process more efficient and faster for the company
• Creating a new business process to make the company more profitable
• Improving the company’s brand/image/reputation
• Getting the company positive reviews from customers/clients

Every employer wants to make more money, save money, and save time. If you can assess your problem solving experience and think about how you’ve helped past employers in those three areas, then that’s a great start. That’s where I recommend you begin looking for stories of times you had to solve problems.

Tips to Improve Your Problem Solving Skills

Throughout your career, you’re going to get hired for better jobs and earn more money if you can show employers that you’re a problem solver. So to improve your problem solving skills, I recommend always analyzing a problem and situation before acting. When discussing problem solving with employers, you never want to sound like you rush or make impulsive decisions. They want to see fact-based or data-based decisions when you solve problems.

Next, to get better at solving problems, analyze the outcomes of past solutions you came up with. You can recognize what works and what doesn’t. Think about how you can get better at researching and analyzing a situation, but also how you can get better at communicating, deciding the right people in the organization to talk to and “pull in” to help you if needed, etc.

Finally, practice staying calm even in stressful situations. Take a few minutes to walk outside if needed. Step away from your phone and computer to clear your head. A work problem is rarely so urgent that you cannot take five minutes to think (with the possible exception of safety problems), and you’ll get better outcomes if you solve problems by acting logically instead of rushing to react in a panic.

You can use all of the ideas above to describe your problem solving skills when asked interview questions about the topic. If you say that you do the things above, employers will be impressed when they assess your problem solving ability.

If you practice the tips above, you’ll be ready to share detailed, impressive stories and problem solving examples that will make hiring managers want to offer you the job. Every employer appreciates a problem solver, whether solving problems is a requirement listed on the job description or not. And you never know which hiring manager or interviewer will ask you about a time you solved a problem, so you should always be ready to discuss this when applying for a job.

Related interview questions & answers:

• How do you handle stress?
• How do you handle conflict?
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Effect of training problem-solving skill on decision-making and critical thinking of personnel at medical emergencies

Mohammad heidari.

Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

Sara Shahbazi

1 Department of Nursing, Borujen Nursing Faculty, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

Background:

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of problem-solving training on decision-making skill and critical thinking in emergency medical personnel.

Materials and Methods:

This study is an experimental study that performed in 95 emergency medical personnel in two groups of control (48) and experimental (47). Then, a short problem-solving course based on 8 sessions of 2 h during the term, was performed for the experimental group. Of data gathering was used demographic and researcher made decision-making and California critical thinking skills questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.

The finding revealed that decision-making and critical thinking score in emergency medical personnel are low and problem-solving course, positively affected the personnel’ decision-making skill and critical thinking after the educational program ( P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

Therefore, this kind of education on problem-solving in various emergency medicine domains such as education, research, and management, is recommended.

INTRODUCTION

Having strong coping skills to reduce stress and satisfaction on the decision-making process to be creative and also having problem-solving skill is necessary in life.[ 1 ] In this way, learning should be defined “meaningful” and problem-solving skill is one of these ways.[ 2 ]

Unfortunately, traditional teaching method in universities transfers a mixture of information and concepts to individuals but leaves them alone in analyzing, prioritizing, and reorganizing emerging knowledge which requires critical thinking and will lead to effective and meaningful learning.[ 3 ] Critical thinking is considered is an essential part of clinical decision-making and professional competence of nursing staff and medical emergencies. Emphasize the need for this skill in these jobs is due to rapid change in the healthcare field and complexities of this current system,[ 4 , 5 ] which face staff working in health–care services with the special situation to render safe, decent, and high–quality services. In general, health–care staff has to use critical thinking in taking important and vital decisions inevitable.[ 6 ]

Education experts agree that critical thinking should be an integral part of any education in every level, because, it is thinking that will lead to make a decision the best possible solution with analyzing, assessing, selecting, and application and this is what is needed in the contemporary world of today.[ 5 ] Interest in the abilities of critical thinking in educational circles is not a new phenomenon, and its origin dates back to Plato's Academy.[ 7 ]

Accordingly, this skill is considered as a priority in training medical specialties.[ 8 ] However, using and expanding it by staff of medical emergencies is a necessity,[ 9 ] which causes delineating comprehensive and purposeful care plan and also increasing the probability of success in the management of victims and the scene.[ 10 , 11 ]

Furthermore, increase the number and scale of natural disasters over the past decade has caused that staff of medical emergencies, working in the field of healthcare and treatment cares in current situation, face with very complicated problems comprehensively as a result of advanced technology, ethical and cultural factors. In this regard, it is necessary that traditional methods should be replaced with decentralized emergency management systems to meet demands and attain considerable success in severe events and catastrophic disasters. Some of these techniques use decision-making skills, creative thinking, and problem-solving skill in today's world.[ 12 , 13 ]

Critical thinking skills in medical education are considered as the ultimate goal of learning and staff and personnel, who think creatively and critically, less commit false judgment and conclusion, rather, they try to concentrate on topics that are relevant to the clinical area and adopt proper decision in this respect, the issue of which can reduce gap between theoretical and clinical education to a great extent.[ 14 ]

However, making a decision is considered the most important and risky part of health–care professions. Therefore, knowing the decision making and applying useful strategies for creating this skill is essential for health–care personnel, particularly, the staff working in medical emergencies.[ 15 ] Triage is just one of complicated decision-making examples which include considering patient and other factors of the treatment system.[ 16 ]

Therefore, knowing decision-making and applying fruitful strategies for the creation of this skill is essential for healthcare workers, especially those working in medical emergencies.[ 17 ] Considering the job sensitivity of medical emergencies’ staff and significance of decision-making power and ability of solving problem in them,[ 18 ] as well as selecting and adopting accurate decision at the time of triage of patients, they (health-care workers) are in dire need of skill more than anything else to adopt proper decision.

On the other hand, moreover all these problems, staff working in medical emergencies will face unique problems which are specific to their job environment such as working with multiple staff and people in treatment team of patients and crisis–hit families, happy and sad moments, life and death, accidents and disaster.[ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]

Therefore, with due observance to the said issues, the effect of training problem-solving skills on decision-making power and critical thinking of staff working in medical emergencies is the main aim of this study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is an experimental study with two pre- and post–test stages, in which, effect of teaching problem-solving skill (independent variable) has been studied on decision-making skill and critical thinking of 95 staff working in medical emergencies (dependent variable). This 95 staff was divided into two groups: Experimental ( n = 47) and control ( n = 48). A sample of this study includes all staff working in medical emergencies as many as 95 persons who showed their interest to participate in this study. Purposive sampling method and size in this study were similar to the total population. In Iran, prehospital emergency medical handled by the graduate of an emergency medical technician and a bachelor and only men is graduates in this field. Moreover, there are a number of general physicians in the central dispatch who provide medical consultation for people who call emergency medical services (EMS) and also give medical advice to the technicians who treat victims at the crash scene or on the way to the hospital.[ 23 ]

Then, all personnel filled out a demographic variables’ questionnaire. In this questionnaire, it was tried to control factors affecting decision-making power and critical thinking (such as age, marital status, working experience, education, number of children, mental illness and consumption of psychotropic drugs and experience of participating in classes (emotional intelligence, stress management, yoga, problem-solving and decision-making within 6 months) in each two groups. In this regard, any significant difference was not observed between research units in both groups ( P > 0.05). decision-making and critical thinking skill of personnel was evaluated before and after the intervention.

Decision-making skill was evaluated in twenty questions using decision-making questionnaire. According to Likert Scale, each question was scored in four levels from 0.25 to 1. The minimum and maximum score in this questionnaire stood at 5 and 20, respectively. In other words, the lowest score in this questionnaire was calculated 5, whereas the highest score stood at 20. Translation and preparation stages of questionnaire were conducted.

In the same direction, face and content validity of the questionnaire was approved by five professors. The reliability of this test was obtained at 0.87 and approved using retest method in a 2-week time interval for 30 persons.

California critical thinking skills’ test is not a test only, rather, it includes various editions for measuring critical thinking skills in children, young adults, students in various academic levels and also various health, law and business professions, etc.

Questions of the questionnaire are divided into two forms. In one classification, three cognitive critical thinking skills including analyzing, evaluating, and inference are measured while in the second category, two cognitive skills of inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning are evaluated. In fact, all forms and various editions of this test are measured the five mentioned cognitive skills.[ 24 ]

The questionnaire used in this study consists of 34 four or five option questions with only one option is correct. The timeframe for completing this questionnaire was set about 45 min. Some questions should be answered with thinking and inferring a series of assumptions while some others should be answered with well–grounded assessment of a conclusion.

This questionnaire is appropriate for evaluating students’ critical thinking and also for assessment of those people who are in dire need of solving problem and making a decision.[ 25 ] Scores of questionnaire assess general skills of critical thinking. The range of test scores is between 0 and 34.[ 26 ]

In a study conducted by Khalili et al . on 405 students in Nursing at Tehran, Iran and Shahid Beheshti Universities of Medical Sciences, Persian translation of this form was studied in terms of validity and reliability. The reliability coefficient obtained in the above study, using KR-20 (62%), had a high correlation with the reliability coefficient obtained in the standardization process of this test conducted in the US (68%-70%).

Furthermore, construct validity, which has been translated as the most important validity type in tests, indicates correlation between the structure of this test and its basic theory.[ 27 ]

To control data transfer between personnel of test and control groups, personnel of the experimental group were requested not to talk with the control group at the time of research with regard to the conducted interventions.

Then, training a course of problem-solving skill was held in eight 2-h sessions during 8 weeks in the presence of personnel of experimental group, using group discussion methods, brainstorming and discussion in small four–member groups with the guidance of a pertinent professor, taking advantage of social problem-solving model as practiced by D–zurilla and gold fried. The stages of this model include:

Stage 1: General orientation

• The ability to identify problem
• Acknowledging the problem as a changeable potentially natural phenomenon
• Believed to be effective in dealing with the problem-solving framework
• High self–efficiency expectations to implement stages of model
• Accustomed to stop, think, and then making effort to solve a problem.

Stage 2: Defining and formulating the problem

• Collection of all information available
• Separation of facts is of the assumptions which require investigation
• Analysis of the problem
• Specifying the actual objectives.

Stage 3: Production of alternative solutions

• To determine wide range of possible solutions
• Ability to choose the most effective response to replies.

Stage 4: Decision-making

• Predict probable consequences of each action
• Paying due attention to the usefulness of these consequences.

Stage 5: Implementation of solution

• Execute the selected method.

Stage 6: Review

• Observing the results of execution
• Evaluation.[ 19 ]

All sessions of the training course were designed in tandem with this pattern, and one stage of this pattern was executed in each session.

In each session, so the presence of all members of the experimental group, the instructor explained the objectives of the meeting and the participants requested that their experiences in dealing with different problems on the job fit the theme of the meeting, express. Then, discuss a case study, and participation in meeting goals, training was provided to them.

To analyze data, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. In this study, data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software version 16.0 (SPSS Inc. Released 2009. PASW Statistics for Windows, Version 16.0. Chicago: SPSS Inc.) In addition, statistical t -test, Chi–square test, and paired t -test were used.

This study was conducted on 95 personnel of medical emergencies. 100% of participants in this study were men, and all were employed in prehospital emergency centers in Isfahan Province. It should be noted that only men are presently admitted to medical emergencies’ course. The age range of participants was between 23 and 51 years, and their mean age stood at 32.15 ± 5.21.

Of total participants, 29 (30.52%) and 66 (69.47%) persons were single and married, respectively. The minimum and maximum job experience of participants in this study stood at 1 and 29 years, respectively. The mean work experience of all participants stood at 33.6 ± 5.42. Of total participants in this study, 10 participants (10.52%) held a diploma degree, 32 participants (33.68%) with associate's degree, 50 participants (52.63%) with Bachelor's degree and three participants (3.15%) with Master's degree. Of total participants, 48 persons (50.52%) graduated in nursing, 25 persons (26.31%) in medical emergencies, nine persons (9.47%) in anesthesiology, five persons (5.26%) in operating room, and eight persons (8.42%) graduated in other fields of study.

In terms of employment status, 20 of participants (2.10%) were official crew members, whereas 54 participants (56.84%) had been employed in contracting basis, 11 of participants (11.57%) employed in contractual basis, whereas 10 participants (10.52%) had been employed as corporate manpower.

It should be noted that 60 participants (63.15%) were employed in urban emergency bases while 35 of them (36.84%) had been employed in road emergency centers.

Before intervention, mean and standard deviation of decision-making scores in experimental and control groups stood at (12.85 ± 2.57) and (11.79 ± 2.12), respectively, while total score of critical thinking in test and control groups stood at (10.42 ± 1.85) and (10.61 ± 2.12), respectively.

Given the above issue, independent t -test did not show a significant statistical difference between these means. Furthermore, Chi–square statistical test showed that there is not any significant difference between two groups of “experimental” and “control” statistically in terms of demographic variables. None of the groups, that is, “experimental” and “control” showed experience of participating in the following classes such as “yoga,” “problem solving,” “emotional intelligence,” and “stress control and management.”

The average decision-making score in whole samples before intervention stood at 11.84 ± 1.38 while critical thinking score stood at 11.03 ± 1.09, the rate of which is not acceptable.

The mean decision-making score before intervention showed no a significant difference between the two groups statistically ( P > 0.05), but the mean between two groups showed the significant difference after intervention ( P < 0.05) [ Table 1 ]. The mean score of critical thinking did not show any significant difference between the two groups before the intervention ( P > 0.05), but this mean showed a significant difference between the two groups after intervention ( P < 0.05) [ Table 2 ].

Comparing mean change of decision-making skill score before and after intervention

Comparing mean change of critical thinking scores’ difference before and after intervention

Tables ​ Tables3 3 and ​ and4 4 indicate that mean decision-making and critical thinking scores before and after intervention in “experimental” group showed a significant difference ( P < 0.05) and has increased, but it did not show any significant difference in “control” group ( P > 0.05).

Comparing mean difference of decision-making skill scores before and after intervention

Comparing mean difference of critical thinking scores before and after intervention

Any significant relationship was not observed between demographic variables with critical thinking and decision-making power ( P > 0.05).

The results of this study show the weakness of decision-making and critical thinking skill in personnel of medical emergencies and an increase of this skill with training problem-solving skill. Unfortunately, a study has not thus far been conducted with regard to the determination of decision-making skill among personnel of medical emergencies.

In a study which was conducted by Gunnarsson and Stomberg in Sweden, he examined factors affecting decision making among EMS personnel in emergency centers. In his study, he reported that various factors affect decision-making power of these personnel which includes as follows: Factors related to patient, factors related to the environment, factors related to colleagues, factors related to patients’ privacy issues, performance of team leader, staff technical know–how and knowledge and moral contradictions, etc.[ 28 ] It should be noted that these issues make decision making very difficult for these people and sometimes, would lead to unsuccessful decisions.[ 26 ]

In a study conducted by Franklin et al ., they examined the way of decision-making among staff of medical emergency and reported that method of staff's decision-making has high relationship with the mental processes, cognitive abilities, degree of sensitiveness of decision, power of cognition (judgment), solving problem, and organizational situation of their workplace. Therefore, quality decision-making training courses should be organized at higher levels by adopting better decisions. Hence, to make better decision, staff must make an educated decision at higher levels, and education in healthcare environment merely should go step further. Generally speaking, high–level training courses should be disseminated in this regard.[ 29 ]

Furthermore, results of study conducted by Dy and Purnell showed that a variety of factors effect on the complexity of decision-making process among personnel in healthcare and treatment system, the most important of which include as follows: ability and talent of individuals, level of culture, ability of patient, level of knowledge and information, method of establishing relationship, ability of solving problem, etc. To adopt the best decision, personnel should strengthen and improve the aforesaid skills among themselves.[ 30 ]

Pitt et al . also reported that promoting critical thinking skills can increase professional competency and qualifications of nurses to a great extent, the issue of which as of paramount importance for personnel working in special emergency wards.[ 31 ]

Thaiposri and Wannapiroon also studied the impact of conceptual methods in promoting critical thinking skill and enumerated problem-solving method as one of methods of strengthening and improving critical thinking skill which is a solid evidence of the said claim.[ 32 ]

Popil also showed that the critical thinking skill can be promoted using challenge methods such as case study.[ 9 ] The results a study conducted by Roberts et al . and Heidari and Ebrahimi emphasizing on decision-making skill, confirm these results.[ 33 , 34 ]

With due observance to the results of this study and given the significance which is considered for empowering associate's degree personnel of medical emergencies in terms of problem-solving skills, it can be concluded that these skills are weak among them. Hence, to attain the best decisions, providers should receive on-the-job training to foster strong problem-solving and decision-making skills that can be utilized in the field and on the front lines of Iranian emergency medicine.

CONCLUSIONS

Finally, despite the significance of decision making and its influence on the way of managing and caring victims, the results of studies conducted in Iran show the insufficient skill of personnel in decision-making and critical thinking process.

Considering the job sensitivity of staff working in medical emergencies and significance of decision-making power and ability of critical thinking in them, it can be said that giant stride can be taken in line with promoting scientific and job level of associate's degree personnel working in medical emergencies.

In general, status of this scientific course can be promoted to a great extent. Considering that this study has been conducted among students in medical emergencies, generalization of results of this study to other students is impossible, so that this study is recommended to be conducted in other academic courses with high number of students.

In other words, results of this study cannot be generalized to other students. For this reason, this study is recommended to be conducted for students of other academic courses.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

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Decision Making and Problem Solving

Last updated on December 10, 2023 by Alex Andrews George

ClearIAS.com is dedicated to providing aspirants with essential tools to successfully navigate the UPSC Civil Services Prelims .

One such tool is the ability to think decisively, which is critical for effectively tackling the CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) Paper .

This blog will delve into the importance of decision-making and problem-solving skills, further illuminated through Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) examples with detailed solutions.

Table of Contents

Importance of Decision Making & Problem Solving

Decision making and problem-solving are pivotal skills tested in the CSAT paper . As future civil servants, aspirants need to develop these skills to address complex, multifaceted problems efficiently and ethically.

1. Decision Making

Decision making is the process of making choices by evaluating alternatives. It requires analytical and critical thinking skills, alongside an understanding of the implications and consequences of each option.

2. Problem Solving

Problem-solving entails identifying, analyzing, and resolving problems in a systematic manner. It often requires innovative thinking and the ability to apply learned concepts to novel situations.

MCQ Examples of Decision-Making Questions

Below are MCQ examples that demonstrate decision-making skills:

Scenario: An area is affected by severe flooding. You, as a district magistrate, have limited resources. Which of the following should be your immediate priority?

• A. Repairing roads
• B. Distributing food and water
• C. Rebuilding houses
• D. Organizing entertainment to lift people’s spirits

Answer: B. Distributing food and water

Solution: Immediate needs like food and water are crucial for survival in disaster scenarios, making them the top priority.

Scenario: You are working on a project with a tight deadline. Your team member is consistently delivering work late, affecting the timeline. What should be your immediate step?

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• A. Report the member to higher authorities
• B. Remove the member from the team
• C. Discuss the issue with the member
• D. Ignore the issue and adjust the project timeline

Answer: C. Discuss the issue with the member

Solution: Communication is key in resolving team disputes. Before taking drastic measures, understanding the member’s perspective and finding a solution collaboratively is advisable.

Scenario: Your city is facing a significant rise in COVID-19 cases. As an officer, you are assigned to create awareness. Which approach is most effective?

• A. Distribute pamphlets
• B. Organize large public awareness events
• C. Implement awareness through social media and local networks
• D. Ignore the situation, assuming people are already aware

Answer: C. Implement awareness through social media and local networks

Solution: Social media and local networks provide wide reach without risking further spread through large gatherings.

Scenario: There is a proposal for a new dam which will provide water and electricity but will displace a local tribe. What should you consider first?

• A. Proceed with the construction immediately
• B. Reject the proposal outright
• C. Assess alternative solutions and engage with the tribe for their input
• D. Delay the decision indefinitely

Answer: C. Assess alternative solutions and engage with the tribe for their input

Solution: It is essential to balance development and the welfare of all stakeholders involved, necessitating a thorough assessment and inclusive decision-making process.

Scenario: As a civil servant, you receive two projects. Project A will benefit a large number of people slightly. Project B will significantly benefit a smaller group. Which project should be prioritized?

• A. Project A
• B. Project B

Answer: C. Both

Solution: Civil services work for the welfare of all. An ideal approach would be finding a way to implement both projects effectively, balancing the broader good with significant impact where needed.

Scenario: You have a limited budget for a healthcare initiative. What is the crucial factor to consider when deciding which health programs to fund?

• A. Popularity of the program
• B. Political backing
• C. Program’s potential impact on public health
• D. The novelty of the program

Answer: C. Program’s potential impact on public health

Solution: The primary consideration for any healthcare initiative should be its potential positive impact on public health, ensuring that it addresses the community’s most pressing health needs efficiently.

John needs to choose between two job offers. Offer A has a higher salary but is located in a city with a high cost of living. Offer B has a lower salary but is situated in a town with a lower cost of living. Which job offer should John choose?

• D. Cannot be determined

Answer: D. Cannot be determined

Solution : This question requires decision-making skills. Without knowing John’s priorities and values, the answer cannot be determined. Each offer has its pros and cons, and the decision rests on John’s personal preferences and circumstances.

MCQ Examples of Problem-Solving Questions

What is the next number in the series: 2, 6, 12, 20?

Answer: B. 30

Solution : This is a series problem. The series is progressing by adding consecutive even numbers (4, 6, 8, etc.). Thus, 20 + 10 = 30.

If all Ps are Qs, and some Qs are Rs, which of the following must be true?

• A. All Ps are Rs
• B. Some Ps are Rs
• C. No Ps are Rs
• D. None of the above

Answer: D. None of the above

Solution : Without definite information, we cannot confirm any of the given options. It is possible that some Ps are Rs, but it is not necessarily true.

Three individuals have to be selected from a group of 6 people. How many different combinations are possible?

Answer: C. 20

Solution : This is a combination problem. The number of ways to choose 3 individuals from 6 is given by the combination formula: 6C3 = 6! / (3!*(6-3)!) = 20.

If a shirt costs Rs.40 after a 20% discount, what was its original price?

Answer: B. Rs.50

Solution : Let the original price be X. The shirt is sold for 80% of its original price after a 20% discount. So, 0.80X = Rs.40. Solving for X gives X = Rs.50.

A train covers a distance of 150 km in 2.5 hours. What is its average speed?

Answer: A. 60 km/h

Solution : Average speed is obtained by dividing the total distance by the total time taken. So, 150 km / 2.5 hours = 60 km/h.

How to study Decision Making and Problem Solving for CSAT?

Students may note that this article on Decision Making and Problem Solving is just an overview of the topic. There is a lot more to learn about Decision Making and Problem Solving in the CSAT paper.

We recommend the below sources to learn the subject.

• Join the ClearIAS CSAT Course .
• Join ClearIAS Prelims Test Series .
• Join ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains Course.
• Go through ClearIAS YouTube Classes on CSAT.
• Read books on CSAT .

Also read:   CSAT Course: UPSC Prelims Paper 2 Program

Decision-making and problem-solving are vital skills for the UPSC CSAT Prelims and for effective functioning as a civil servant .

As you have seen the decision-making and problem-solving section is not limited to scenario-based questions!

Aspirants should keep in mind that any questions which are problem-solving or decision-making in nature can be asked from this section.

Further, questions may not be limited to the Class X level, as is the case with the basic numeracy section or data interpretation.

Practising decision-making and problem-solving questions not only improves these skills but also boosts your confidence in tackling the diverse set of problems presented in the examination.

For more resources and practice questions, continue exploring ClearIAS.com. Happy studying!

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About Alex Andrews George

Alex Andrews George is a mentor, author, and social entrepreneur. Alex is the founder of ClearIAS and one of the expert Civil Service Exam Trainers in India.

He is the author of many best-seller books like 'Important Judgments that transformed India' and 'Important Acts that transformed India'.

A trusted mentor and pioneer in online training , Alex's guidance, strategies, study-materials, and mock-exams have helped many aspirants to become IAS, IPS, and IFS officers.

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Decision-Making

Decision-making snags and successes, to overcome stumbling blocks, it is important to be confident of your plan..

Updated April 14, 2024 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

• Four personal factors can be stumbling blocks to success.
• Stumbling blocks can thwart success.
• There are ways to overcome stumbling blocks.

There was a positive ring in the Journal of Adolescence noting that “by the age of 15 many adolescents show a reliable level of competence in metacognitive understanding of decision-making , creative problem solving, correctness of choice, and commitment to a course of action” (Mann et. al., 1989).

If we embraced that research more than 30 years ago, we might have assumed that when these young people became adults, society would have a group of capable decision-makers. We might have expected that by 2024 they would be making decisions that were beneficial for themselves, families, friends, and even the country. While it seemed encouraging on paper, many outside factors—from family dynamics to politics —interfered with that prediction.

How to overcome stumbling blocks to successful decisions

In today’s environment, rational decision-making can be a challenge. Decision-making is about having the courage of one’s convictions, not necessarily about others agreeing with you. When you propose a plan or decision and someone says, “I don’t agree with you," what might you do?

Regardless of the situation, this simple approach can help: Take a minute to review your plan. Assess the situation. Consider alternatives. Make a pros and cons checklist. Then proceed with confidence .

Four personal factors can be stumbling blocks to success:

• Desire for acceptance. If you are worried as to how your decision will be accepted by family, friends, co-workers, children, spouse, or lover, ask yourself why. Then ask them. Consider their views. If you are convinced that you are making the right choice or decision—despite what others think—then act upon what you believe is the best decision. Whether by intuition or logic, make a choice and be grateful .
• Concern about trade-offs. Anxiety can unnerve you. When resolving a situation, what happens if you think you may have made too many concessions? You might seek the advice of others. You can try to renegotiate. Or accept the fact that everything has a price. If your decision helps you meet your goals , then proceed.
• Fear of failure. You may be fully confident of your decision, but suddenly you realize that success or failure rests with you. If you are willing to accept the praise for success, you must also be prepared for consequences if you fail. That said, focus on the win. Review your strategies. Refuse to be intimidated. Work towards satisfactory solutions.
• Determination to follow through. A decision that is important to you may not be as important to others. If you want your plans to come to fruition, you must take the responsibility to make them happen. Revise your strategy if necessary and work with others to achieve success.

Taking the lead

We often read studies regarding who is the better decision-maker, men or women. Although men are often considered to make riskier decisions, it frequently depends upon the situation. According to a report in Frontiers in Psychology, “Understanding whether, and how, acute psychosocial stress affects risky decision-making in real life has far-reaching consequences because every human will have occasion to make an important decision under pressured and anxiety-provoking circumstances.” (Dryer et al. 2022)

Even before women entered the workforce, many were determined to be taken seriously as decision-makers. We know the names of many of these women, but we often forget about Maggie Walker, who advocated successfully for the rights of African American women. Commitment, activism, and follow-through brought women the right to vote, equal pay for equal work, and before Roe v. Wade was overturned, freedom of choice.

Looking at today’s divided political environment we see that women may be playing a leading role in decision-making. There are some who want to win back the right to freedom of choice. And there are women who prefer to turn back the clock. It seems there will be stressful times ahead.

Copyright 2024, Rita Watson, MPH

Mann L, Harmoni R, Power C. Adolescent decision-making: the development of competence. J Adolesc. 1989 Sep;12(3):265-78. doi: 10.1016/0140-1971(89)90077-8. PMID: 2687339.

Porcelli AJ, Delgado MR. Stress and Decision Making: Effects on Valuation, Learning, and Risk-taking. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2017 Apr;14:33-39. doi: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2016.11.015. PMID: 28044144; PMCID: PMC5201132.. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03573-2

Dreyer AJ, Stephen D, Human R, Swanepoel TL, Adams L, O'Neill A, Jacobs WJ, Thomas KGF. Risky Decision Making Under Stressful Conditions: Men and Women With Smaller Cortisol Elevations Make Riskier Social and Economic Decisions. Front Psychol. 2022 Feb 4;13:810031. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.810031. PMID: 35185730; PMCID: PMC8854750.

Watson, R.E., The Art of Decision Making: 20 Winning Strategies for Women, Lowell House, N.Y., 1994

Rita Watson, MPH , is an associate fellow at Yale's Ezra Stiles College, a former columnist for The Providence Journal, and the author of Italian Kisses: Rose-Colored Words and Love from the Old Country .

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Raising awareness and sourcing solutions for the issues that matter most to young people

In November 2023, representatives from 110 city-based Global Shaper hubs helped paint a mural at the sociocultural center for young people in Bilbao, Spain. Image:  AnderGMedia / Ander Gaviña Churruca

• The voices of young people are too often excluded from decisions about the future of our communities, countries and planet.
• The Global Shapers Community provides inclusive and long-term opportunities for young people to be active in decision-making at all levels and lead collective action to alter the direction of pressing challenges.
• Since 2011, the change-making efforts of Global Shapers have reached more than 13.9 million people.

The impact of empowering young people.

The Global Shapers Community's Impact Report 2023 showcases the efforts of more than 10,500 young leaders in over 500 cities united by a common purpose.

Each year, young people develop innovative solutions to regional and global challenges, leading impactful projects with local communities. This report reflects the community’s dynamic work, with 370 new and unique projects developed in the last year.

Since the Global Shapers Community was created in 2011, Shapers have developed over 2,440 projects across multiple impact areas. Over the past year, Global Shapers focused the majority of their efforts on our Reskill for the Future (28%) and Protect the Planet (22%) Impact Areas:

• Protect the planet : reduce emissions, fight drought, respond to natural disasters, preserve biodiversity, conserve nature, promote sustainable consumption and more.
• Reskill for the future : provide all people with quality education, skills and jobs to ensure no one is left behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, along with promoting new standards of work, digital literacy and online safety, among other initiatives.
• Strengthen civic engagement : empower minority leadership, mobilize citizen voting, inspire youth to run for local politics and ensure representation in decision-making and solution-building at all levels of society.
• Create inclusive communities : advocate for human rights and disrupt harmful stereotypes on gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, homelessness and more.
• Improve health and well-being : achieve health equality, ensure access to health services, address the social determinants of health, advance youth mental health support and respond to pandemics.
• Deliver basic needs : respond to local disasters, take humanitarian action, end hunger, fight extreme poverty and other efforts to support the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Beyond project design, development and execution, the community serves as a platform that fosters youth connections – over 1,030 Global Shapers joined learning and leadership opportunities at our in-person community events this year. Being part of this diverse community empowers young people to amplify their voices and participate in global decision-making -- 197 Global Shapers participated in intergovernmental and multistakeholder decision-making mechanisms at World Economic Forum meetings and other international convenings, such as the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Our community aims to accelerate the meaningful participation of young people in decision-making at all levels, as we believe there is no group better positioned to shape a more inclusive, innovative and sustainable future than those who will actually live in it.

What challenges do young people face?

With 1.9 billion people aged 10 to 24 , our world hosts the largest generation of youth in history, presenting an unmatched opportunity for them to shape the future. Yet, their voices are frequently overlooked in decisions affecting our communities, nations and the planet.

Less than 3% of political decision-makers are under 30 and less than 1% are young women, according to the United Nations Youth Office. The Global Shapers Community believes that youth participation in decision-making must radically expand to challenge the status quo and deliver breakthrough solutions to systemic challenges.

Our approach to harnessing young people’s creative problem-solving power.

Across the world, young innovators, activists and organizers are igniting social movements, projects and initiatives to tackle the issues that impact their communities’ lives.

Global Shapers are creating change worldwide in 513 hubs and 154 countries and territories.

More than 13 million Filipinos can’t afford three meals a day. Yet, Filipinos also waste 300,000 tons of food each year. Being exposed to successful enterprises led by Global Shapers motivated a group in my hub to start Sureplus, a social enterprise to connect excess food from local farmers, groceries and restaurants to consumers. We also accept food subsidy donations for specific individuals, families and charities. Part of our proceeds are given to our partner charities.

Global Shapers, diverse in industry and identity, champion inclusivity as youth changemakers and encompass Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, refugees and migrants and LGBTQI+. Global Shapers are between 18 and 33, with the highest percentage between 26 and 29 years-old. Projects are wide-ranging – from responding to disasters and combating poverty to fighting climate change and building inclusive communities. Some examples include: Securing Potable Water project – Global Shapers in the Colombian city of Cartagena provided 250 families living near estuaries with contaminants – such as agrochemicals, sewage and untreated urban waste – with portable, easy-to-use and electricity-free water filters. Since 2011, the non-profit Waves for Water has partnered with Global Shapers in over 20 cities to identify and reach communities in need, providing filter systems to over 25,000 people.

Financial Literacy Educational Project – The children's book Maria e o Segredo da Poupança addresses the critical issue of financial literacy among children in Portugal, which ranked last among 19 eurozone countries in 2020. Targeting 8-10-year-olds, this illustrated book project, which aligns with Portugal’s national financial education framework, distributed over 3,200 books and hundreds of e-books. 300 children attended book presentations at Portugal's largest sustainability event Greenfest and during Santander Academy sessions. Its success prompted an international rollout, with over 50 Global Shapers Community hubs translating and adapting the book to over 20 languages for various global educational and cultural contexts.

Blood4All – Since its 2016 launch, #Blood4All , a cross-hub Global Shapers Community initiative aimed to raise awareness about blood donation, increase blood donors and coordinate community-driven blood donations through partnerships. Over 60 hubs have conducted activities, including the Yaoundé hub, which collected 203 pints of blood and sensitized up to 10,000 university students on the importance of regular and voluntary blood donations.

TaalGoal – Football for Change – The TaalGoal project seeks to utilize football as a tool to reduce crime and drug abuse among children living in the most vulnerable areas of Dhaka. Beyond entertainment, the project aims to integrate them into a broader societal framework. Since 2015, TaalGoal has positively impacted over 500 children. The project, facilitated by a professional coach and in collaboration with NGOs and hyperlocal football clubs, includes five weekly practice sessions with eight male and four female teams, leading to daylong tournaments.

Get involved.

The Global Shapers Community is a non-profit organization housed at the World Economic Forum. The Forum’s contribution to the Shapers organization includes significant financial and in-kind contributions for operational support, including staff time, technology tools and opportunities to interact and collaborate with its membership network.

Join the movement or open a new hub .

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