Photo of a rubik's cube to symbolise problem-solving

How to improve your problem-solving skills

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John Sherman
2018-05-16

Think about this: up to 70% of your day is spent problem-solving.

You might not realize it, but problem-solving is a skill that you use every day. Of course, we’re not just talking about your professional life, but about your personal life too. From figuring out your energy bills to fixing an appliance when it’s broken, we’re constantly problem-solving without knowing it.

So, what does this really mean? Well, problem-solving is essentially all about using strategies and tactics to overcome an obstacle. In the business world, this can be identifying problems and how to improve them or figuring out the ways you can reach a desired goal.

This means that problem-solving is important in every industry, whether you’re a manager or part of a team. A lot of people automatically think back to school and that problem solving is just math, but it’s way more than that.

For example, problem-solving can be used by a team to figure out ways to improve a product or a manager will use their problem-solving skills to make decisions on complicated projects and lead a team effectively. Problem-solving can be applied to anything.

In addition, while we often refer to problem-solving as one general skill, there are lots of other skills involved that are beneficial for your professional life. This includes being observational, analytical and persistent in your work, as well as learning how to be innovative and creative.

Of course, because there are so many skills involved in problem-solving and every situation is different, there’s not just one generic way to problem solve. There are many approaches you can take.

But, they do generally follow some simple steps that you’ll work through. This includes defining the problem and using logical thinking to provide an alternative method and then choosing the best strategy to solve the problem and implementing it.

It’s all of these stages and how they work that you’ll need to learn about in order to problem solve efficiently and effectively.

Choose online learning for training

Just like many other skills, problem-solving can be learned and improved upon by everyone. One of the best ways to provide training on these topics for your employees is through online learning.

E-learning courses have become a popular way to learn since they’re a lot more engaging than traditional styles of training. Can you remember the last time an employee said they enjoyed that conference or training weekend they attended?

That’s because these forms of training don’t involve employees – they speak to lots of people at once, but don’t actually let anyone engage with the content.

So, this is where online learning is taking over. Through different forms of media, training has become fun again and we all know that we perform better at things we enjoy.

Through colorful and insightful videos, as well as interactive quizzes and games, employees can learn all about techniques that can be used to effectively problem-solve in any situation. Since courses are designed by professionals, employees can really refine their skills!

This means when it comes to analyzing projects and finding new solutions at work, employees will know how to tackle the problem head-on, no matter how complex it is.

Problem-solving made easy

We all know that the only way to improve our skills is through a well-designed training program. This is no different when it comes to working on problem-solving.

Online learning is the best way for employees to gain better skills in problem-solving. The media that’s used takes a practical approach to tasks, which means that employees have to utilize their skills and what they’ve learned.

It’s better than being lectured by a speaker or attending conferences just to listen to someone speak. People learn a lot better when they are actually doing it themselves and practising it over and over again.

Whether it’s finding out why something’s broken, assessing risk or how you can improve future performance, you have to start somewhere and practice problem-solving to become good at it. As they say, practice makes perfect!

By investing time and effort into online learning for problem-solving, you can make your employees better team players and assets for your company.

Learning the best techniques to solve a problem will mean that no matter what comes your team’s way, they’ll be equipped to handle it and know ways they can work out what the issues are in the situation and how they can come up with a better solution.

What’s more, online learning means that employees can learn about problem-solving at their own pace. E-learning courses are available 24/7 and this allows employees to learn at home where they’re comfortable and can take their time.

Plus, you no longer have to schedule time away from the daily business grind to get training completed – employees can take control of how and when they learn for better results!

Problem-solving has even been linked to managing anxiety by keeping the brain engaged and busy. This means that providing problem-solving training can help your employees in more ways than one.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s never been easier than with Go1 to get your employees started online learning for problem-solving. Start your free trial today to see how Go1 can help improve your team's problem-solving skills.

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