Creative Problem-Solving Techniques That Work

A critical question project manager should often ask themselves is ‘How practical is their problem-solving approach?" Or, "Should they adopt creative problem-solving techniques to prevent unforeseen problems?”

True, the business process affecting your employees and customers can be amorphous and messy. Complex problems can strike your organisational structure, lead to wrong decisions, hinder the project from progressing, and result in expensive mistakes.

As its core, solving project-related problems may be daunting, but it doesn't have to be difficult as long as the right skills and techniques are followed throughout the project. All you need is the proper process to untangle the problems.

Today’s article talks about problem-solving skills, techniques & strategies. There are tried & tested techniques that have been used by successful entrepreneurs over the years. These problem-solving strategies are applicable at workplaces for untangling project complications.

A 4-Step approach to Problem-Solving in Business

 
Problem Solving technique involves four necessary methodical steps that can be used in a structured manner to solve the problem at the organisational level.

• Defining the problem: This is the first step of problem-solving which begins with accepting or acknowledging the issue by evaluating all the signs. This step is followed by identifying the cause of the problem. Analysing what and how went wrong gives the manager a direction for their problem-solving approach.

• Identifying options for solutions: Once the problem and its causes are identified, the possibilities for solutions are considered. If it's a team project, all members can brainstorm to get good ideas on different ways of solving the problem. Brainstorming helps team members to come up with great solutions that can help resolve issues.

• Evaluating all the options: The third step is evaluating all the opportunities identified in the previous stage. All options should be considered with emphasis on the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. This step can be more straightforward if team members prioritise what exactly they want. Solution options can be chosen once you know how individual choices can be useful for project completion.

• Implementing the solution: Once a solution is chosen, it’s time to implement it in the best possible manner. Be sure to communicate with team members and let them know what option has been chosen, and how you plan to implement it.

15 Problem-Solving Skill, Techniques & Strategies in Project Management

Strategies & Techniques for Problem Defining Phase (Step 1)

1. Stop Stressing over the Problem

How many problems have you solved by being stressed out? We bet, none. Here's the golden rule of solving any problem at the workplace- Stop stressing no matter how tough the situation is. Why waste time and energy into wrecking your brain cells when you can channel the same energy into finding the solution? This is the most basic advice, and also, the most neglected one.

2. Stop being a Prejudiced Observer

Don’t believe your favourite employee, and don't always trust your guts. Prejudiced observations can be devastating, not only for a certain project but sometimes for the company reputation and business too. Problems become complicated when project managers fail to explore the context of the situation with an unbiased sight. So, a good strategy would be to examine the context instead of believing your guts.

3. Get real about difficulty and scope

Now, this might sound like a contradictory statement after we just told you to keep calm and avoid stressing. By getting real about problem difficulty, we mean that the project manager should never underestimate or overestimate the size of a business problem. A decent approach is to get a real analysis of the problem. Accept what went wrong and measure the size of the problem.

4. Fish-Bone Diagram Technique

Fishbone diagram involves putting the effect on one side as a problem statement and putting the possible causes on the left side so that it's all grouped before creating a final category of causes. The final shape resembles the skeleton of a fish.

Strategies & Techniques for Identifying Options for Solutions (Step II)

1. Thinking from Different perspectives

The different perspective technique offers an excellent way of tackling workplace problems. This technique urges the leaders to think through six different perspectives, namely, facts, feelings, control, creativity, positive, and negative. Wear each cap, one at a time, and think of the solution from all these perspectives, and you sure will come up with a great solution.

2. Questions are the best ‘Solutions

Ever wondered why asking questions is the best approach to finding solutions? It’s because the more you ask questions, the more your brain plays out different scenarios and helps a person to broaden the decision-making process. The objective of ‘questioning’ approach is to observe the problem from different perspectives. Ask questions starting from Why, How, When, Where, Whom, and What. In simple words, consider anything and everything, and have a broad viewpoint before narrowing the situation.

3. Finding Solutions Without Knowing the Problem

This is a strange, yet highly effective problem-solving method where individuals are not even aware of the nature of the problem. The leader begins by mentioning a general concept, and the group after that, responds with several ideas. This leads to concept development, followed by a related concept, and at last, the real problem is revealed, which enables the group to make suggestions.

4. Give it a Break

Believe it or not, sometimes the best way to achieving something is to stop trying (now, by that we don't want you to believe that your efforts are of no use). Give it a break and stop moving the gears of your brain. Walk around, talk to friends, and loosen up your mind, because sooner or later you’re going to catch a moment when a great idea will hit your mind and astonish you. Just don’t forget to pen it down!

5. Access a beginner’s mind

A beginner’s mind holds no preconceived ideas, and their brains are empty. Not only it is eager and open, but receptive too. So, when everything fails, seek a beginner’s mind.

Strategies & Techniques for Evaluating all Options (Step III)

1. Brainstorm with the Team Members

Ten minds are better than one mind. That's true in almost all conditions. The best ways of finding a solution are to brainstorm as much as possible. Generate a great many ideas, one after another, and note everything. During the brainstorming session, make sure to create a friendly and non-judgemental environment for an efficient problem-solving strategy. Start the meeting with ‘How,' note every idea, and discuss those ideas with ‘What if,' ‘How to do.' ‘Where to,' and ‘I wish.'

2. Reverse Brainstorming

This problem-solving tool adopts a reverse brainstorming technique. All team members sit around a round table and talk to each other while focusing on the negatives. All the members take a turn to criticize different options that can be opted as a solution. The technique is a way of fault-finding by analyzing various ways in which the idea could fail. This method proves excellent results in the end.

4. Brainwriting technique

Here, instead of talking, the ideas are written on a special card which is circulated among the group. Here the views are expressed more spontaneously because a moderator or leader monitors the time intervals for each participant to write their ideas down. Saponaceousness allows the team members to focus on the issue, and become more attentive to their minds.

5. Use What’s around

This is one of the creative techniques used in problem-solving. It involves asking people ways to get from point A to B. Chances are that all answers are going to be radically different or almost different. No matter how creative or innovative a person is, they'll never have all the answers. So, a smart way of discovering a creative solution by asking questions individually to each person.

Strategies & Techniques for Implementing Solution (Step IV)

1. Trade-Offs

This problem-solving strategy came from Russia. This approach works with trading off the problem. After the invention of bulletproof glasses, it was observed that they obscured the driver's view. To solve this problem, the inventor's employed thinner panes of bulletproof glasses. So, when a bullet strikes the glass, the panes broke (while the driver was protected), and the driver's view wasn't even restricted.
Use the same approach for problem-solving at your organization. If there's a great solution accompanied by teething issues, brainstorm other ways of making that same solution work with a different approach.

2. Free Association Method

Free Association Method has widely used the problem-solving skill in large corporates as it is effective at helping companies prevent problems. With this approach, project managers develop new ideas for implementing a solution through a chain of words. The process involves a phrase related to the issue being written down, followed by another, then another, where each word attempts to add a new idea to the thought process. Eventually, it helps create a chain of steps that end with a new strategy.

Which was your favourite Strategy?

We hope you found these creative problem-solving techniques helpful. Do you have a unique technique that worked wonders for your team? Which is your favourite strategy? Hit the comments below.